Aviation View | Volume 2, Issue 2

17 AVIATION VIEW VOLUME 2, ISSUE 2 CL INTONV I LLE MUNI C I PAL A I RPORT covers 533 acres and has three runways the longest of which is 4,599; then 3,812; and 2,002 feet in length. It houses some 30 general aviation aircraft and several aeronautical-based businesses, including Airtronics, which is focused on electrical services needed for avionics and aircraft radio systems; Birds Eye Aviation, a company that shoots aerial photography; and Lumanair Aviation Services, which services pilots renewing their flying certifications. The airport also has a high-end self-serve fuel farm with both AVGas and Jet Fuel. “The last few years have seen a lot of changes,” explains Caz R. Muske, Clintonville City Administrator and Airport Manager. “For example, there used to be a Shopko department store here, and when Shopko went out of business nationwide, we had this vacant box store that was going unused. A local developer is now retrofitting it and it is going to be a great mixed- use space that includes a high-end mechanic shop with a license to work on Mercedes and BMW, a Total Fitness, and other tenants. It shows how the economic growth of the city and the airport as a driver of economic growth go hand in hand.” Admittedly, Muske sees the airport mostly as a recreational base for general aviation pilots who see it more as a sport. However, those same pilots are often business executives and others who use the airport as a touchpoint not only for their personal life but their business travel, as well. To continue to focus on the current occupants, and prepare for new tenants, they are looking at improving the overall function as a GA airport, and then growing at a sustainable pace, according to the Master Development Plan which covers the years up to 2028. “We have just bid out a resurfacing project for our runways,” says Muske, “which is a huge project. This will be paving all the taxiways and runways except our main runway. In 2028, we hope to be resurfacing the main runway if the funding comes through working with the state. Also, we are painting the exterior of the pilots’ lounge Caz R. Muske, Clintonville City Administrator and Airport Manager