Wheeling-Ohio County Airport Advisory Committee Holds First Meeting
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A small and easygoing group came together at the Wheeling-Ohio County Airport on Monday evening for the inaugural meeting of a group seeking to revitalize the airfield and its facilities.
The Airport Advisory Committee brainstormed ideas for how to bring new attractions and new visitors to the airport, as well as better uses for the property's currently-unused or unusable land.
Ohio County Commissioner Zach Abraham heard the input of many of the gathered committee members, while pitching some of his own. Abraham's ideas included adding solar panels on the unused land to feed back into the grid, establishing a flight school and including some light manufacturing.
"There's a lot of opportunities for us to utilize this space for, as long as it passes the smell test for the (Federal Aviation Administration)," he said. "But there are some opportunities up here that maybe we're not thinking about."
Herman Lantz proposed an emphasis on providing cheap fuel to draw aviators to top off before returning home, as well as amenities such as a bakery. The main way to increase visitors, Lantz said, is to make the airport a destination.
"Some of the airports I fly to, for a lot of the pilots, there's something neat about the airport that makes it a destination," he said. "For example, I went to fly in on the Cheat River on an island, there was 40 aircraft there, and I have another fly-in this May. It's an interesting trip. ... There has to be something that draws them.
"Cheap fuel will get a lot of pilots. A good bakery will get a lot of pilots, and a good restaurant," he added. "I went to the one in Carrollton on Sunday, and they're packed both with airplanes and cars, and it's because they have a really good restaurant on site."
Other committee members suggested attracting specialized businesses, such as radio technicians or other types of repair shops, to make the Wheeling airport a destination for people with specific needs. Others suggested hosting car shows and other outdoor events, such as stopping planes from landing and running a 5K on the tarmac.
The committee did not finalize a date to meet next, but tentatively eyed the latter half of April around 5:30 p.m.
A few from the 18-member committee were absent from Monday's meeting. The committee members, Abraham said, represent slices from numerous different fields, such as education, local government and the business sector, and shared among them is a passion and interest in aviation.
"We just need more people who are going to be passionate about this also, and to come out and support it," he added. "That's what we're trying to do, and I think the next ten to 15 years can be really bright if we focus our attention and energy in the right way."