Aviation View Jan 2023

116 AVIATION VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 2, ISSUE 4 Like all airports, upkeep and improvement projects are always either planned or ongoing. At Mt. Pleasant, Brickner relates that they just finished a tree-abatement project for the Runway 9 approach. “We had a lot of trees that were starting to get into our approach slope, so we took the initiative to get the required easements to get those trees removed so they’re no longer an issue. Fortunately, we have a lot of industrial lands right around the airport so it helped to clear some of that land and make it more valuable because people looking at it now don’t have to take care of trees. Currently, we are working on the design for rehabbing all our taxiways. Next year, we’re anticipating doing the actual rehab project. In 2024, we’re going to work on the design for rehabbing the runway and we’re estimating the rehab to be done in 2025. We do five-year capital improvement planning and getting that runway done is kind of at the end of my five-year capital improvement planning.” The Airport is also intent on continuing its engagement with the local community. The Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 907, which uses the airfield as its home base, offers free Young Eagle flights. “The fly between 70- 100 kids a year, aged 9-17,” Brickner shares. “They [the kids] go on a 10-15 minute flight to get exposed to how an aircraft flies. The EAA is also constructing an aircraft in its hangar. They’ve reached out to a lot of the local technical high schools and have invited them to come and help work on that airplane. They also do a fly-in breakfast every year as a fundraiser for the Young Eagle events, and they help provide scholarships for kids.” The Airport and Chapter 907 also hold its annual “Wings and Wheels,” a public event that includes fly-ins and a classic car show. In addition, the Airport offers tours to local high school and elementary school students. Most important to Brickner, however, is keeping Mt. Pleasant Airport safe and available for its corporate users. “We do what we can, especially in the winter, to keep everything clear. We pretty much handle all the operations as far as snow plowing, yard maintenance, and building maintenance,” he states. “We have a very good rapport with the corporate pilots that use us. They can call me directly on my cell phone and get a real-time update on what the runway looks like, what we think the weather will do, or if there’s room in the corporate hangar for an overnight stay. So, the communication is wide open; we’re easy to get a hold of.” PREFERREDVENDOR/PARTNER n Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort www.soaringeaglecasino.com Bring on the Bliss as you step into the luxurious property and the largest gaming floor in Michigan, immerse yourself in luxury and escape the everyday. Here you can unwind in the comfort of our AAA Four Diamond rooms that are a retreat all on their own. n Mt. Pleasant Area Convention & Visitors Bureau www.meetmtp.com In 2024, we’re going to work on the design for rehabbing the runway and we’re estimating the rehab to be done in 2025.We do five- year capital improvement planning and getting that runway done is kind of at the end of my five-year capital improvement planning.”