Procurement News Notice |
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| PNN | 5371 |
| Work Detail | Rusty Carbine has been around airplanes much of his life, so it should come as no surprise that he's a pilot who owns an aircraft that is primarily used for business purposes. The owner of Carbine Construction Co. in Florence has been a pilot for 16 years, and has always kept his four-passenger Cessna 182 at Northwest Alabama Regional Airport. Carbine said his father flew, as did his late brother and his younger brother. He's owned his plane for 11 years. "I started flying primarily for business," Carbine said as he relaxed in the lounge at Shoals Flight Center with fellow pilots Billy Baggett and Phillip Mongtomery. "We fly a lot doing out-of-town work. So I was using it as a tool to get to the project and to get back home. It's always been here in the same hangar space." Montgomery sometimes flies daily as part of his job as a pilot for the Alabama Forestry Commission, while Baggett tries to fly at least once a week in his two-passenger home-built RV 6A. The one thing they all agree on is that the local airport offers a top-notch facility that provides what aircraft owners need, whether they're flying for business, pleasure or state agency business. The airport is home to a total of 52 fixed-wing airfcraft, including 35 single-engine airplanes, 13 multi-engine planes and four jets, airport Director Barry Griffith said. There are also six helicopters, he said. It's also the home of the commercial commuter airline Boutique Air, which provides daily flights to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Nashville International Airport. In 2012, Griffith announced a multimillion dollar renovation project for the airport's terminal building that included major upgrades to the flight service center where pilots congregate. Carbine said the airport's fixed base operations, or FBO in pilot speak, are what make the facility special. "One of the nicest things you've got going for you as a private pilot is the FBO right here," Carbine said. "This is a very nice flight based operation to fly into, and it gives you a nice first impression." There is also the fact the local airport has two runways -- one that is nearly 7,000 feet long and another that is 4,000 feet long. Carbine said that's important when you're coming in for a landing under windy conditions. The two runways run east-west and north-south, giving pilots two options for landing. Montgomery has been a pilot for about 40 years. He said the Forestry Commission has had a plane at the airport since the 1970s. They have a Cessna 182 similar to Carbine's and an older Cessna 185. The planes are used primarily to help spot forest fires and infestations of southern pine beetles. They are also used in search and rescue operations and to help determine the path and extent of destruction caused by a tornado. Montgomery's territory covers 12 north Alabama counties from the Mississippi to the Georgia state line. He said housing the aircraft in hangars helps keep them protected from the elements, especially the intense summertime sunlight and potential hail damage. Griffith said there are 29 hangars at the airport, soon to be 30. There are T-hangars, which would resemble a large letter T from above, and box hangars that resemble a large garage that can house one or more planes. The airport has 18 aerial ports, which are open-air covers similar to a carport. The hangars are clustered on various parts of the airport. Out of those 29 hangars, six are used by large corporations, including the Tennessee Valley Authority, Griffith said. He said there is currently a waiting list for hangar space. Anyone interested should contact the airport. Baggett, a retired nuclear engineer, kept two planes in his hangar, but sold the Piper Cherokee about a year ago. He said he reserved a hangar before completing his Federal Aviation Administration certified plane, which took him 7 years, 8 months and 1 day to build. He uses the plane mostly for pleasure, or to "poke holes in the sky." The plane can take him to Gulf Shores in just over 1 1/2 hours and seven gallons of fuel, which costs about $4 a gallon. "Rusty emphasized some things that I always liked about it," Baggett said of the airport. "We've got two good runways, and for a guy doing a training exercise, we've got that handy dandy little fire station next door. If anything goes wrong, you've got a lot of resources here." The new FBO is also a place where corporate pilots can relax and unwind while their passengers conduct business. There are "snooze rooms," where pilots can get some sleep, and another lounge area with couches, chairs and a flat-screen television. There are also computers they can use, and a weather radar system they can monitor. Carbine said most FBOs at small airports are nowhere near the caliber of the one in Muscle Shoals. You've got to go far and wide to find something as nice in a FBO," Baggett said, "And it's home, too." |
| Country | United States , Northern America |
| Industry | Airports & Aviation |
| Entry Date | 15 Oct 2016 |
| Source | http://www.timesdaily.com/news/local-airport-serves-more-than-commercial-flyers/article_8f9fd69d-605e-5643-a219-e9ff8420b4d6.html |
