Chamberlain took over the dual roles of Airport Manager and Fire Chief last May. The unique combination of these responsibilities dates back to the 1980s when the fire chief was given additional management duties, initially including the municipal library and the airport. Over time, as the library’s demands grew, those responsibilities were separated, leaving the airport under the fire chief’s purview. “The airport has made significant advancements in infrastructure and day-to-day operations… so it certainly does add a lot to the role of being both the Fire Chief and Airport Manager,” Chamberlain says. With 18 years of firefighting experience, he found himself out of his comfort zone when he took on the airport management role. However, this transition has been immensely rewarding for Chamberlain in the sense of professional growth. The airport covers about 120 acres and has a single asphalt-paved runway that is 75 feet wide and more than half a mile in length. “We are strictly a general aviation airport. We do approximately 4000 takeoffs each year and are supplemented with FBOs through CNH Aviation, who assists us with our day-to-operations,” Chamberlain says, highlighting the collaborative nature of the airport’s management. The majority of Claremont’s operations require collaboration in some form or another, and fortunately for the airport and its staff, the aviation industry has proven itself to be a warm and welcoming environment in that regard. One of the most striking aspects of Chamberlain’s experience has been the supportiveness of the people within the aviation community. “I learned very early on that there are a plethora of folks that I can call who are more than willing to help and offer support, guidance, their thoughts… which has been very helpful for me,” Chamberlain says, commenting on just how eye-opening of a community the aviation industry is. 36 AVIATION VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 04, ISSUE 03
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