News

South Dakota Pilots Association News

June 1st, 2016
SD Airport Sponsor Meetings - April 5 @ Deadwood Lodge

Rosebud Sioux Tribal Airport: Airport manager Robert
Long and others plus Helms & Associates discussed the
need for a mower and snow removal equipment. Eagle Air
of Utah wants to build a hangar for their medivac aircraft. In the future the airport wants a fuel system. The FAA revealed that business plans are no longer required for fuel systems, and that once a fuel system is installed, future maintenance and improvements are not FAA eligible for funding. The airport wants an AWOS III for medivac flights. The FAA suggested getting letters from medivac operators and the hospital concerning the need for an AWOS III. VanDerhule suggested getting a GCO (ground communication outlet) installed at the airport to communicate with Center and AFSS.

Platte Airport: Mayor Steve Christensen and crew plus
Helms & Associates discussed the reconstruction of runway
14-32, which is considered the “BIG Project in SD” – at
$2,025,000. The project will be bid for either 6-inch Portland Concrete Cement or 3-inch asphalt. Funding will come from Platte’s entitlements, state apportionment, and expiring entitlement funds from four other airports. Platte also needs to provide the FAA with a Risk Assessment report.

Aberdeen Airport: Transportation Director Cody
Roggatz and crew plus Helms & Associates and Dave
Anderson on the phone from Bismarck ADO discussed
decoupling of the two runways. The project is programmed
at $5-6M and involves adding 1,238 feet to the south end of runway 17-35, removing connector taxiway C-1, and building a new ARFF (Aircraft Rescue & Fire-Fighting) road. Laurie Suttmeier commented that the Great Lakes Region is faced with about $500M in runway reconstruction project in the next 4 years and that future projects may have current runway protection zones “grandfathered” and efforts to protect new RPZ areas may be dropped from projects.

Watertown Airport: Airport manager Todd Syhre and
crew plus Helms & Associates discussed runway
reconstruction and the need for discretionary funding. Also taxiway replacement and a new taxiway to the new general aviation and corporate hangar area (20 new hangars built in last 5 years). A new snow removal equipment was needed to replace an old one built in the 1970s. The FAA encouraged the airport to “bank” its entitlement funds.

Brookings Airport: Airport manager Ryan O’Rear and
crew plus Helms & Associates discussed the engineering
design in 2016 for reconstructing runway 17-35 in 2017
($1.61M). Future projects include more hangars.