August 17, 2021 – Flagler Executive Airport, one of the busiest general aviation airports in the country, is also a hub of activity for its seemingly continual array of projects and upgrades to keep the facility state-of-the-art – none at the expense of local property tax dollars.
“Because we are an enterprise fund, every cent we spend is paid for through revenues from grants, or earned through ground and building leases and fuel sales,” Airport Director Roy Sieger said. “This is why it is important for us to continually make improvements, and upgrade our facility.”
Runway 6-24 recently reopened after a nine-month closure to accommodate the work required for the $8.75 million project to refurbish it. The project included rehabilitating the entire runway pavement – a length of 5,000 feet and a width of 100 feet – the addition of new Medium Intensity Runway Lights (MIRLs), Runway End Identifier Lights (REILs), and an aircraft run-up area. Additionally, a new airfield electrical vault was constructed.
The work was paid through two grants: a Federal Aviation Administration grant for $6.77 million; and, a Florida Department of Transportation grant for $1.98 million. All flights had been using Runway 11-29 over the course of the construction, which was completed by Halifax Paving.
“They aren’t quite finished with the electrical vault, but it’s on schedule for the end of the month,” Sieger said. “We have reopened the runway. Residents may notice flight patterns have changed with the reopening of Runway 6-24.”
Other improvements at the airport include a new fuel dispenser with a high-visibility display, new self-serve fuel terminal, and two new fuel trucks. This gives pilots the option to receive full or serve-self fuel for their aircraft.
“For self-service, it’s like filling up your car at the gas station,” Sieger said. “You swipe your credit card, pump and go.”
Additionally, the design phase for the new T-hangars is being conducted by Hoyle, Tanner & Associates (HTA) and is about 90% complete for three new T-hangar buildings of 14 units each – a total of 42 new hangars. A Florida Department of Transportation Public Transportation Grant Agreement for $117,000 completely funded the design costs.
“The airport currently has 56 T-hangars, which are all occupied,” said Sieger. “The average waiting period is approximately two years to get a hangar. These T-hangars provide a nice revenue stream, which is important for us because we operate as an enterprise fund.”
Hoyle, Tanner & Associates is also spearheading the replacement of the Air Traffic Control Tower equipment project. This project will replace all the equipment necessary for the Air Traffic Controller to communicate with pilots. The Air Traffic Control Tower was constructed in 2009.
Flagler Executive Airport is a Fixed Base Operator.
“There are not a lot of airports that do what we do,” Airport Director Roy Sieger said. “A lot of airports contract out for those services, but we provide them ourselves.”
A Fixed Base Operator is the primary provider of support services to general aviation operators at a public-use airport and provides aeronautical services such as fueling, hangaring, tie-down and parking, as well as other services. At the Flagler Executive Airport – which was originally constructed in 1942 as an outlying military airfield for Naval Air Station Jacksonville – the airport itself is the provider.
“The quality of customer service we provide is 100% on us,” Sieger said. “This is ‘Where Service Soars.’”
Media Release: Flagler County. Julie Murphy, MPIO
