But headquartered in the same region is Oshkosh Corp., which—among other functions—is a major player in fire truck manufacturing. The firm also specializes in aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) equipment with its line of specialized trucks.

Oshkosh Corp. has carved a niche in the firefighting industry with its line of airport fire trucks. These specialized vehicles are designed to handle the unique challenges posed by aviation accidents, offering a level of capability that sets them apart.

Among these are water tanks that are significantly larger than those of traditional municipal fire trucks, ensuring that firefighters have ample water to combat large-scale fires without needing frequent refills. The fire trucks boast powerful pumps capable of delivering high-pressure water streams, essential for penetrating the outer skin of aircraft and reaching internal fires. Many of these vehicles are also outfitted with advanced foam systems that can create a blanket over fires, helping to suppress flames and reduce the spread of smoke.

The company’s Striker 8×8 model can hold up to 4,500 gallons of water and 630 gallons of foam at a time. In comparison, a normal municipal fire truck can hold around 1,500 gallons of water alone.

In addition to their water capacity and firefighting capabilities, these vehicles are designed to handle various terrain, including runways, taxiways, and grassy areas. Some of Oshkosh’s Striker models can go from 0 to 60 mph in approximately 35 seconds.

Over 5,000 Oshkosh Striker vehicles have been made and shipped to airports around the globe. The company is also rolling out an electric fire truck called Volterra, which has already been adopted by some airports.

AirlineGeeks had the opportunity to visit Oshkosh’s manufacturing facility in its namesake city. A video from the tour is below:

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AirlineGeeks.com.

The post Why Airport Fire Trucks Are So Unique appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Nearly 11,000 Stearmans were built, but only around 1,000 are still flying. Earlier this week, a handful of these biplanes descended on Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport for a special mission.

Founded in 2011, a charity called Dream Flights provides veterans with the “adventure of a lifetime” flying in a Stearman biplane. The nonprofit organization conducts these flights all around the U.S. free of charge.

• READ MORE: Two Legendary Ace World War II Pilots Return to the Skies

The group’s visit to DFW was even more special, flying its 7,000th participant in 99-year-old WWII veteran Carlyle Hayes, who joined three other senior veterans.

“I’ve never ridden in an open cockpit aircraft, so this will be [the] first time,” U.S. Air Force veteran Jerry Brown told KTVT-TV.

The flights lasted around half an hour, arriving and departing from DFW, which is the world’s third-busiest airport. Both American Airlines and the Allied Pilots Association (APA) sponsored the event.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AirlineGeeks.com.

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With plans to pursue Part 139 certification from the FAA, city officials are laying the groundwork for scheduled passenger service and increased corporate activity. This ambitious vision aims to position Greeley as a key gateway to the Front Range.

AirlineGeeks had the opportunity to interview Paul Trombino, the current director of public works for the city of Greeley, to help understand his vision and the city’s ambitions for the airport. Trombino assumed the role of director in June 2021 and has now added the airport to his list of areas where the city has significant growth potential.

Greeley-Weld County Airport

Greeley-Weld County Airport was built in 1944 as a small regional airport. In the late 1940s, it saw small commercial service operations, with Challenger Airlines serving Greeley as a stop between Billings, Montana (KBIL), and Denver along with Salt Lake City (KSLC) and Denver. Ultimately, service ended, and the airport has since become a general aviation airport with around 120,000 operations annually.

In 1996, the airport underwent its most comprehensive expansion since opening in partnership with the FAA. It constructed a new 10,000-foot runway and taxiway system, along with a terminal, administration building, and landside infrastructure improvements to improve accessibility to the airport. Trombino highlighted how this significant investment was a sign of a strong “growth plan since 1996” and added how “[the city] has always seen potential in the airport” with the foundation already being set.

The airport is uniquely positioned because it already has a 10,000-foot runway. According to GlobalAir.com, the only public airports in Colorado with 10,000-foot plus runways are Colorado Springs (KCOS), Centennial (KAPA), Denver, Grand Junction (KGJT), Greeley, Hayden (KHDN), Montrose (KMTJ), and Pueblo (KPUB).

But what sets Greeley apart from this short list of airports?

Other than Centennial, which serves as a reliever airport for Denver International (KDEN), all other airports already see commercial service, making Greeley an attractive airport for future service additions. In fact, according to the FAA’s National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems, Greeley is currently the only public airport with a 10,000-foot runway in Colorado that is classified as a GA facility.

Development Plans

As mentioned, Greeley has a unique 10,000-foot runway, but what else can the airport offer for the Front Range? For one, the airport is already profitable as a GA airport serving the community.

“Rural airports typically operate in the red, but Greeley is in the black, which is unique,” Trombino said.

The airport is projecting significant growth in the next 10 and 20 years, with revenue jumping from $125 million in 2023 to $360 million by 2033 and nearly $700 million by 2043.

Trombino is adamant that he “wants the current businesses to [stay] successful,” as bringing more operations to the airport “will bring more customers, from maintenance to fuel,” even with the city’s growth plans.

Its operational outlook aligns with this vision, with projections showing growth from 120,000 operations in 2023 to 300,000 by 2033 and 600,000 by 2043.

Another major player spurring this growth is JBS USA Foods, a major meat processing company headquartered in Greeley. The company currently operates its corporate jets out of Fort Collins but is looking to move to Greeley.

JBS is looking to move to Greeley by March 2026 and needs a new hangar and taxiway built for its needs. It also needs the runway to be developed to increase weight limits from the current 45,000 pounds to a minimum of 65,000 pounds, or even 100,000 pounds. Trombino sees this opportunity as “phenomenal for setting us up for success” and believes it will be an excellent platform for the city to present to the FAA as a necessity for an increase in runway weight.

Trombino stated that the FAA “envisions Greeley as one of the main airports in Colorado, alongside Denver and Colorado Springs.”

Furthermore, the airport does not face the same constraints as similar regional airports. Many airports near the Denver metro area suffer from environmental, capacity, and space limitations, but Trombino believes that Greeley’s location is insulated from such issues.

“[The city views] the space in and around the airport [like] a blank canvas,” he said. “The other airports don’t have the length that we do, and more importantly, they all have housing around them, which causes constraints that we don’t face.”

When specifically asked about similar competitor airports like Northern Colorado Regional (KFNL) in Loveland and Rocky Mountain Metropolitan (KBJC) in Broomfield, Trombino said that they “have capacity challenges,” and don’t necessarily have the “capacity to expand.”

The city also believes there is no better time than now to invest heavily in the airport.

“If the airport doesn’t follow the growth of the city, it will become an economic drag, as we think about the city in the future, including transportation,” Trombinso said.

With the recent announcement that the American Hockey League’s Colorado Eagles are moving to Greeley from Loveland and the University of Northern Colorado is building its Osteopathic Medical School in downtown Greeley, Trombino believes that “all of the things are starting to align for businesses and residents for further growth and jobs.”

With the Greeley-Weld County Airport directly sitting within the Colorado Enterprise Zone, it provides tax advantages for new businesses to invest in and around the airport. The city recently presented its Strategic Airport Business Plan to the FAA, highlighting how the airport can also develop an agriport and railport to connect. A major highlight is that the city “has the ability to create a spur off the main [Union Pacific Railroad] line,” which, in Trombino’s view, will open the airport and the surrounding area for further freight operations.

Future Airport Vision

It’s clear that the city has a strong vision for the airport, but building it up and making it commercially successful requires more than solid infrastructure. This includes interest from operators in utilizing the airport, alongside facing issues such as not being equipped with an air traffic control tower.

Trombino believes that there are multiple ways for Greeley to tackle this.

The 233rd Space Group is located right next to the airport and already utilizes some areas of the field. Trombino believes that if the city “made improvements, [the airport] could be a great training space for the Air Force National Guard.”

The city is exploring the option of taking advantage of its partnership with Aims Community College. Trombino views Aims as “such a good partner” and potentially “building an ATC tower in partnership with Aims” to allow training to occur at the airport, too.

Other ideas have also been proposed, including utilizing a remote tower system, which would be cheaper for the airport in capital and labor costs.

“I’m not afraid of having Greeley at the forefront of technology,” he said. “It’s a matter of where we are and where the industry is heading, [so] we haven’t built a new airport in the country since 1995.”

The logical next step is to understand the market dynamics of the surrounding area and how to convince airlines and passengers to select Greeley over Denver and Cheyenne, both of which are an hour away from the city, with all of the developmental plans starting to take place.

Trombino says the city wants to start conversing with carriers like JSX and others “by the end of the year.” His reasoning stems from reduced security costs and a proven model at Rocky Mountain.

Airlines such as JSX “will be important” and “could be competitive” at an airport like Greeley.

He compared the airport to existing models like Chicago-Midway or Orange County, allowing people to get in and out of the busier metro more efficiently than the bigger, more congested airports nearby.

The city “thinks that this needs to be a high-end airport,” with Trombino personally believing that Greeley could “become a primary ancillary airport” in the Front Range.

“The airlines have to know who we are and that we are coming,” Trombino said. “I think we will be the new place to be, and the people in the northern Front Range will be surprised.”

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AirlineGeeks.com.

The post Greeley’s Ambitious Plan to Become Colorado’s Third Major Airport appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Mark Flury, a pilot based at another airport, told the Seattle Times he well understands the turmoil the closure of First Air Field (W16) in Monroe, Washington, will cause, but the 36-acre parcel really is a great spot to centralize the Snohomish County Public Utility District electrical distribution services.

Geoffrey Thomas, the city’s mayor and a pilot and hangar renter at First Air Field, disagrees, but there’s not much he or his council can do about it.

The utilities district is offering the family of late former owner Dr. Daryl Habich, who operated a dental office on the airport and even took fly-in appointments, $7 million for the site. For the district, the property is ideal.

“The history of the site is important, but for us it’s really about finding a place that’s a good spot for our crews and a good spot for future growth for the county,” Public Utility District spokesperson Aaron Swaney told the newspaper. “We have to meet that growth, and we have to have facilities that can do that.”

But for local pilots, life without the field just won’t be the same.

“Yes, it’s had a private component, but it’s also a public good,” Thomas told the newspaper. “A place that helps keep us connected—not a place with a 6- or 8-foot-high fence that keeps us out.”

Thomas said that although the city zoning allows for the utility center, the area of the airport is tourism oriented and he’s afraid a large compound of equipment storage and offices will be out of place. He said there is no doubt the facilities are needed (the area is one of the fastest growing in the state) but wishes the utility had found another spot. Fellow pilot Flury said they looked at 10 other places before settling on the airport.

Assuming the deal goes through, it will take several years to break ground on the new facility, and Flury said the district will help pilots find new accommodations. But First Air will leave a hole.

“I’ve made some of my best friends here learning how to work on a plane and learning how to fly,” pilot Edward Haynes said. “It’s just sad to see it go and be another forgotten-about airport that was a really special place.”

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

The post Pilots Lament Likely Loss of Beloved Washington Airport appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Dubuque Regional Airport (KDBQ) in Iowa announced on Tuesday that a new carrier will begin serving the city this fall.

Dubuque is located just over 200 miles east of Des Moines and saw a sharp decline in air service coming out of the pandemic. It joins a long list of about 70 other similarly sized markets that American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines also dropped since 2020.

American was the only carrier serving the airport, ending its daily route from Chicago O’Hare International Airport (KORD) in September 2022. At the time, the airport’s director said the airline’s decision to leave the market was due to the “national pilot shortage.”

Regional carriers bore the brunt of the post-pandemic pilot shortage as major airlines hired new aviators at record-setting rates. This rapid movement within the pilot ranks caused some markets—including Dubuque—to lose daily service altogether.

Six months after American exited the market, ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC) Avelo started flights from Dubuque to Las Vegas and Orlando, Florida. These flights were operated less-than-daily and eventually became seasonal.

Avelo was set to return to Dubuque in November 2024 but nixed those plans last month, citing increasing costs in Orlando along with aircraft availability issues.

A New Airline

Earlier this week, Dubuque Mayor Brad Cavanagh announced that Denver Air Connection will launch flights to Chicago O’Hare on November 4. The new route is slated to operate daily on an Embraer E145.

“The return of daily flights to and from a major hub is cause for celebration,” said Cavanagh in a press release. “We are excited to welcome Denver Air Connection to the Dubuque Regional Airport, and I encourage all travelers, whether for leisure or business, to take advantage of the convenient connections across the country and around the world that this service will provide.”

Based in Colorado, Denver Air Connection has continued to expand eastward in recent months. Dubuque will be the carrier’s first market in Iowa.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AirlineGeeks.com.

The post Iowa Airport Regains Daily Air Service appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The grants are part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Grant program—which includes $25 billion in terminal expansions, baggage system upgrades, runway safety enhancements, and air traffic infrastructure upgrades.

Airports on the receiving end of the grants include El Paso International Airport (KELP) in Texas, where $10.6 million will fund the construction of a new general aviation apron and rehabilitate the existing GA apron pavement.

At the San Jose Mineta International Airport (KSJC) in California, $18.1 million will fund a new taxiway and terminal to accommodate additional airline passengers. 

Dallas Love Field Airport (KDAL) in Texas will receive $4.2 million for improvements to the airfield drainage system and the Runway 13/31 safety area to guard against runway excursions.  

“[This] investment is the second largest in AIG [Airport Infrastructure Grants] history,” said Shannetta Griffin, FAA associate administrator for airports. “We’re supporting safety with lighting and runway signage upgrades and improving the traveler experience with new terminals.” 

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

The post New Round of FAA Grants to Enhance U.S. Airport Infrastructure appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Pilots also have favorite and least favorite airports, but for different reasons. In addition to wondering who has the best scenery and food, crewmembers are interested in which airports are busiest, where the arrivals are easiest, and which air traffic controllers generally do the best work. Also included are the scenery of approaches, airport complexity, and workload throughout each turn.

Different pilots have slightly different metrics to determine which airports they like most. However, there is generally a consistent theme as to which airports pilots like to fly into the best.

Favorites

One notable airport is ​​Innsbruck Airport (LOWI) in Austria, with an approach that takes crews over the Austrian Alps. Though that poses a unique challenge, the airport is also relatively close to the city center, allowing crews easier access to hotels and activities on their layovers. The airport’s smaller size also means that it’s easier to navigate than larger global hubs.

London City Airport (EGLC) has a reputation among passengers and crews alike. The relatively short runway poses a welcome challenge for crews that get to feel their aircraft’s performance in real-world conditions. Besides the one-of-a-kind approach through downtown London and along the River Thames, the airport’s small scale equally means that getting through security and out to the city are particularly easy.

In the United States, San Francisco International Airport (KSFO) has a particularly famous approach over the San Francisco Bay and Golden Gate Bridge. The airport also regularly sees parallel approaches over the water, making for picturesque arrivals.

Too Early to Tell

There are a couple brand-new airports around the world where the jury is still out.

Berlin Brandenburg Airport (EDDB) opened in 2020 with the goal of replacing the city’s aging airports with a single, brand-new facility. Though delayed for years thanks to a number of certification problems, the airport does boast new, state-of-the-art facilities designed to make traveling easier for passengers and crews alike.

Beijing Daxing International Airport (ZBAD) is equally brand new, having opened in September 2019. The airport serves as a reliever for Beijing Capital International Airport (ZBAA), which reached its max capacity in the mid 2010s.

Designed to be Beijing’s primary airport, Daxing has been challenged to accommodate a significant number of passengers and flights, though Beijing is generally known as a favored destination for pilots, so the airport still has a chance of becoming a favorite for crews.

Least Favorites

Not every airport has the same great impression among pilots. In fact, some pilots may be quick to voice their concern over their experiences at a variety of these airports.

New York’s LaGuardia Airport (KLGA) is known to be cramped, outdated, and congested, as it is placed right in the middle of the Queens borough of New York City. The airport is undergoing a terminal modernization, which may change some minds, but whether the challenging operations will be alleviated anytime soon remains to be seen.

Ronald Reagan Washington International Airport (KDCA) is equally known for being cramped and overcrowded. The airport’s short runways and outdated terminals make it difficult for aircraft to navigate, and landing requires precise maneuvering along the Potomac River.

Chicago O’Hare International Airport (KORD) is notorious for its long taxi times. The airport has more runways than any other airport in the world, divided into two airfields that can take nearly 30 minutes to navigate. For some regional flights within the midwest, these taxi times can nearly double the length of the flight.

On the bright side, O’Hare’s ATCs do have a good reputation for managing the flow of traffic and staying aware of where each aircraft is.

San Diego International Airport (KSAN) also has a reputation for its challenging operations. The airport is among the busiest single-runway airports in the world, and aircraft are often tightly spaced while attempting to land.

Pilots also report limited navigational facilities, meaning they must be especially proactive about managing the aircraft’s position in dense airspace in what is already a busy phase of flight. There have been a couple notable incidents at the airport over the years as pilots try to approach, touch down, and clear the runway efficiently.

Internationally, the Paro International Airport (VQPR) in Bhutan is known to be especially challenging—so much so that only a handful of pilots in the world are approved to land there. 

The airport is nestled in a valley, and the approach requires pilots navigate through hills at low level without even being able to see the runway. Landings are only approved during the day in good weather, but the approach does provide some incredible views.

Remember, this is not an end-all-be-all assembly of pilots’ favorite and least favorite airports, but it provides a good idea of what the notable features are of each airport: what makes it stand out, what pilots notice, and how crews handle each differently.

Every airport requires its own planning and demands special attention to one thing or another. That means pilots must always be ready for whatever each flight throws their way.

The post Pilots’ Favorite and Least Favorite Airports appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

“The fire came right up to the runway,” said Wendy Oakes, public information officer for Cal Fire Amador-El Dorado Unit.

According to Oakes, the blaze that is known as the Pay Fire began Saturday in vegetation on Pay Dirt Road near the airport. 

The airport covers 243 acres at an elevation of 2,585 feet. The runway, aligned 5/23, sits atop a mesa with a steep drop-off. According to AirNav.com, the GA airport has approximately 80 aircraft on site. 

Per local reports, the fast-moving blaze traveled uphill toward the airport, prompting aircraft owners—some of them volunteer firefighters—to scramble to the scene to rescue their aircraft and assist in defending the airport. 

The airport is also the location for the Hangtown VOR (HNW). According to a notice to air mission (NOTAM), the VOR is out of service until July 19.

Access to the aircraft in the hangars was a challenge as the power to the airport had been shut off—a common practice when fire threatens a community. The shut-off, however, made it difficult to open hangar doors.

Evacuation orders were issued for the surrounding community and people fled their homes. 

Photographs and video, including those released by Cal Fire, show flames in trees higher than the tops of hangars and aircraft parked on the ramp shrouded in smoke while fire crews scrambled to keep the blaze from reaching the structures or aircraft. CBS affiliate KOVR-TV in Sacramento initially reported that there was hangar damage.

The airport will remain closed until July 13, a FAA NOTAM said.

By Tuesday afternoon, local evacuation orders had been lifted, and people were allowed to return to their homes, according to Oakes. She added that the fire was held to 77 acres and was 65 percent contained.

Cal Fire crews remained on scene to take care of any hotspots that pop up, Oakes said.

The post Fire Threatens Rural California GA Airport appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Las Vegas Executive Airport will be located some 30 miles west of Harry Reid International Airport (KLAS) and will accommodate single-engine, multiengine, and rotorcraft operations. Clark County commissioners unanimously approved runway construction for the project, which is set to begin in the coming months.

Officials involved with the development told local TV news outlet KVVU that the new site will capitalize on events like Formula 1 racing and others that exceed the capacity for transient aircraft and private jets.

The project will also house the Las Vegas Spaceport—a first-of-its-kind site to attract space tourism. Initial plans include a fleet of space planes, a space pilot school, hangars, a post-high school STEM academy, hotel and restaurant, and a passenger terminal.

Spaceport officials say they have already secured $10 million in funding but still need an additional $20 million to meet first-round goals. Overall, the project is expected to cost at least $310 million.

“This is a major step toward creating a space economy that will lead to thousands of high-paying jobs in our community, our county, and our state,” said Robert Lauer, CEO of the Las Vegas Spaceport.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

The post FAA Greenlights New Las Vegas Area Airport appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

With the invention of the smartphone, the signature and stamp was replaced by the selfie in front of an airport landmark such as the airport restaurant, fuel pumps—or if you fly into Auburn Municipal Airport-Dick Scobee Field (S50) south of Seattle— a series of colorful murals to choose from. They are painted on the airside of the T-hangars.

All murals are the work of local artist Myron Curry, whose designs appear in several locations in the Seattle area. His murals often honor locally famous individuals. Curry told FLYING that he particularly enjoys working at the airport because of the sense of community and the friendliness of the pilots.

The latest design unveiled Monday features the likeness of former U.S. Air Force colonel Joe Jackson, a career officer who was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Lyndon B. Johnson for his efforts in saving three airmen in an evacuation during the Vietnam War. Jackson also served in the Pentagon and, according to his family who were there for the dedication of the mural, helped develop some of America’s stealth technology.

This is not the first time Jackson has been honored in the Pacific Northwest. He came to Tacoma in the later years of his career. At McChord Air Force Base (AFB), there is a street named for him and a C-17 that is based there carries his name. He died in 2019 at the age of 95. His family was in attendance for the dedication, with the color guard from McChord AFB in Tacoma  presenting the colors.

The mural features aircraft from all the armed services and there is a bench that names them.

Flight Training

North of the Jackson mural there is a design to honor the thousands of pilots who have trained at S50. The mural depicts Valley Fliers, a local club founded in 1986. The image shows a CFI standing on the ramp watching a first solo flight taking place.

• READ MORE: Astronaut Honored in Larger-Than-Life Airport Display

Fly Baby

Another mural pays homage to Fly Baby, the experimental aircraft designed by Seattle resident Peter Bowers in 1960. It won the Experimental Aircraft Association design contest in 1962 (the 1960 contest was postponed due to an initial lack of entries).

The contest required the aircraft to be a low-cost, folding-wing design that could be towed or trailered and easy to build and fly. The Fly Baby took Bowers 720 hours to build. The plans for the design sold for $65.

Today the prototype aircraft hangs in the Museum of Flight at King County International Airport-Boeing Field (KBFI). The Fly Baby nose art was designed by local cartoonist Pat Moriarity.

Dick Scobee

The first mural to go up at the airport was one to honor former NASA astronaut Dick Scobee, who went to high school in the area before launching into a military career. He was the pilot of the space shuttle Challenger on that fateful day in 1986.

The Scobee mural was unveiled in October 2022. The bench in front of it reflects the year the airport was established.

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