TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Highlands Today

Sebring Airport Lands Runway Grants

ADVERTISEMENT

By JOE SEELIG

Highlands Today

Published: March 14, 2009

SEBRING - One of two large grants from the Federal Aviation Administration will lead to some construction jobs out at Sebring Regional Airport starting within a few months time rehabilitating a runway, according to Mike Willingham, the airport's executive director.

The office of Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., announced that the Sebring Airport Authority was awarded a $3,786,420 grant by the FAA to be applied toward the rehabilitation of its Runway No. 14-32 and Taxiway Alpha.

"It will create some construction jobs," said Willingham on Thursday. "I don't know how many but that's a big project. It should go on for about nine months."

Bids on the job should open on March 25, he said. It will be 60 days later that they will determine the low bidder. The job will require concrete, electrical, paving and surveying.

Some of the jobs could include local workers, although there was no requirement for the low bidder to hire locally, he said.

Other aspects will require skills and disciplines and specialty workers who may have to be hired from the outside, for example, in airfield electrical and lighting.

The runway was built in 1942 and is an important component of the airport's infrastructure, Willingham said.

Airport Authority staff wrote both grants, Willingham said.

The second grant is for $311,197 to conduct an environmental assessment ultimately opening it up for the construction of an extension to Runway No. 18-36.

"This project will be the first phase in a series of steps that will allow the Sebring Airport Authority to apply for a construction grant through the FAA," Willingham said in a news release. "The extension is an important component of the airport's infrastructure and will allow accommodation of larger jet aircraft.

"Our congressional delegation is to be commended for their leadership role in securing this important funding for the Sebring Airport Authority."

This is the first step in lengthening that runway from about 5,200 feet to 7,000 feet, Willingham said Thursday.

"That will allow for more efficient operation of some of the larger business jets," Willingham said.

Certain aircraft currently using that runway are restricted as to the number of gallons of fuel and takeoff weight it can carry.

The lengthening will make the runway adequate to handle commercial flights in the future including the new regional jets carrying 50 to 70 passengers, he said.

Phillip Lockwood, president of Lockwood Aviation, said Thursday, the improvements resulting from these grants will definitely help.

"Fourteen-thirty-two is getting pretty rough," he said. "It's pretty much the original concrete that was poured during World War II," Lockwood said.

Some of the concrete squares have heaved, he said, and it's beating up their aircraft.

Lockwood owns a flight school and their light sport aircraft need multiple runways to allow for the windshift.

"The taxiway is closed right now," he said.

That repair would allow them easy access to the T-hangars, he said.

"Our service business has grown," he said. "We specialize in servicing the Rotax aircraft engines, which are the No. 1 engine now in light sport aircraft."

Lockwood has 20 full-time and several part-time employees.

"All this stuff, it's big money to get it done," said Lockwood. "Mike Willingham has been very good at organizing and getting the grants."

Highlands Today reporter Joe Seelig can be reached at 863-386-5834 or jseelig@highlandstoday.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT