Arens Field is seeing the benefits from some recent upgrades, and a few more improvements may be coming. Thanks to federal and state grant funding, the airport was able to install a new fuel system last year giving pilots access to both jet fuel and low-lead fuel 24 hours a day.
Aviation Board President Jim McDaniel told the Pulaski County Commissioners Monday that the change has led to a big increase in fuel sales. “We’re probably selling about 100 times as much fuel as we did in the past,” he said. “We’ve run out of fuel three times. This pay-at-the-pump is the way to go. The beauty of it is all these pilots have apps on their phones. You just search who’s got the best gas price, and right now, we do have the best gas price. We saw to it, just to try to get people to know that Winamac is here. They didn’t really realize it before. They were all going to Knox or Rochester.”
Now, airport officials are planning some more upgrades. “The plan is to use additional federal funds in a grant yet to be received this year to then put in a little bit more of the security aspects,” said engineer Mark Shillington, “fence everything in a little bit more completely, get some airport security lighting, kind of expand the parking lot to encourage people to park away from the fuel system.”
He said the FAA will cover 90 percent of the cost, while a state grant will pay for five percent. That will leave under $14,000 to be paid out of the airport’s budget. McDaniel says the airport has the money available in its Grant Match and Airport Donation funds.
Shillington expects Arens Field to formally be awarded the grant by September 30. After that, the aviation board will be able to enter into a contract with Rieth-Riley Construction, who submitted the lowest bid for the work. Construction is set to take place in May.
The county commissioners voted to let airport officials move ahead with the project.
