Aviation View | Volume 2, Issue 3

109 AVIATION VIEW VOLUME 2, ISSUE 3 WHEEL ING-OHIO COUNTY A I RPORT when its governing body, the Wheeling Park Commission, began operations. The property also features cabins, museums, historical buildings, and miles of trails. Being located in a four seasons resort area, the airport has all the snow equipment to keep the runways clear almost every day of the year, although, there is the occasional storm that throws them off a bit. As they move forward the airport is also taking an interest in solar and electric energy and what they will mean for the future, both with automobile and aircraft usage. A solar field to generate its own power is not out of the question either. “We want to make sure that Wheeling-Ohio County Airport serves the community not only today but into the future,” concludes Russell, “and so our new educational component is a big part of what we are putting our effort into. There is a real shortage of pilots happening right now, and that is true right across the industry. There are going to be jobs available for anyone interested. With a university just five minutes from the airport, we are perfectly situated to take advantage of that. I also think that green energy is going to be playing more and more of a role as we move forward and so we are going to take advantage of this time to get ahead of the curve. We have a lot of areas left to develop, including a lot of space for future tenants, and a lot of potential for the future.”