Development of State Airports Subject of House Interim Study

OKLAHOMA CITY - Members of the House Transportation Committee convened in Weatherford, Okla., for an interim study Dec. 1 to examine the development of the state’s regional and municipal airports.

The study, which was requested by Rep. John Wright, was held at the Thomas P. Stafford Airport inside the Stafford Air & Space Museum, both of which were named in honor of the former astronaut who grew up in Weatherford.

State aviation officials said the reason the interim study was held in Weatherford was because state lawmakers wanted it at a general aviation airport that was in the process of some type of runway extension. And the Weatherford airport fit that bill.

The highlight the day, however, occurred prior to the start of the interim study when Gen. Tom Stafford gave the Transportation Committee and OAC staff a personal tour of the museum. He had flown in from his home in Florida just for the occasion.

Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission Director Victor Bird began the study by pointing out that many of the nation’s aviation legends such as Stafford, Wiley Post and Chuck Yeager began their careers in general aviation.

“They all learned (how to fly) in a general aviation aircraft. That’s where it all began,” Bird said.

Bird then spent the next 30 minutes briefing the committee on how crucial general aviation aircraft and airports are to Oklahoma’s economy, explaining that in several nationwide studies, company after company indicated that one of the primary reasons they either located or expanded in a town or city was the close proximity of a general aviation airport. He noted the majority of companies using Oklahoma’s general aviation airports are the same companies that provide thousands of jobs across the state.

“Michelin Tire Company can fly their corporate jet from their headquarters in Greenville, North Carolina, to a morning meeting at their Ardmore (Okla.) plant, schedule two more meetings at some of their other sites out West and then be back in Greenville so that that a mother or father can attend  their daughter’s soccer game the same evening. That same trip would probably take two, maybe even three days, if you take a commercial flight. It’s all about access and efficiency,” Bird said.

Bird explained that there are 5,300 publicly owned, public-use airport across the country, and Oklahoma is home to 111 of them. Out of those 111 airports, 100 are federally designated and part of the federal system, which makes them eligible for federal funding, he said.

Oklahoma is a channeling state for airport improvement grants that the Federal Aviation Administration provides to airports for improving their facilities and infrastructure. Bird told lawmakers that Oklahoma gets approximately $23-$25 million a year in federal funding for its general aviation airports, which includes a basic state allotment of $9-$12 million annually that the Aeronautics Commission channels or filters to the various state airports through the OAC’s Capital Improvement Program. The other $13-$15 million goes directly to the airports through the FAA’s Non-Primary Entitlement (NPE) program. That program provides the state’s 100 federally designated airports with annual grants of $150,000 each which they can then roll up and use for larger, big rock projects such as runway improvements.

“Many of our state’s smaller airports have been improved and maintained through the NPE program, and we are thankful for that federal investment. However, as a state, we must continue to invest in our own air transportation system if we are to compete in this global economy,” Bird said.

To more fully emphasize to committee members the critical role general aviation airports play in Oklahoma’s economy, Bird displayed a graphic which prominently listed various airports around the state with accompanying examples of key businesses using those airports to transact business.  Moreover, he noted that the state’s general aviation airports are lifelines for communities, providing the means to transport scores of patients to hospitals and critical-care facilities across the state and nation.

“Having access to a general aviation airport can literally mean the difference between life and death for many people with medical emergencies, especially for those living in rural areas of the state,” Bird said.

Bird concluded the interim study by thanking lawmakers for their support of the aviation and aerospace industry, in particular for passing various pieces of legislation within the last five years that will help keep the industry viable and growing.

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Retired astronaut and Weatherford 
native Gen. Tom Stafford, right, 
gives a personal, guided tour of the 
Stafford Air & Space Museum to 
members of the Oklahoma House 
Transportation Committee and 
Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission 
staff prior to start of an interim study 
on airport development in the state.