There’s not a lot of activity now at the Starke County Airport but Airport Manager, Pam Beharry said a runway extension and the introduction of a different jet fuel will keep the area busy next year.
“We’ll be getting an extension to the 5,001 foot runway,” said Beharry. “We have introduced Jet A fuel for the oncoming turbine operations – turbine as in turbo-prop or jet aircraft. We’ve got a few coming in on a regular basis. We’re just looking forward to a lot of business and improvements coming in the future.”
Beharry talks about the airport’s activity.
“With the economy being down, it’s more the training operations. People are using the airport for touch-and-gos. They come in, touch down, and take off again. This year, with the heat and the lack of moisture, the crop dusting has been way down. Usually, they’re running full operations, day and night, but it’s only been about two or three days in the past two weeks. That’s not normal. It’s usually steady from now until Fall.”
There has been some activity at the airport this summer. The Culver Military Academy recently restarted its summer flight instruction at the Starke County Airport. That program usually is held at the Plymouth Airport, but operations moved to the Starke County Airport this year. The summer school class goes through August.
