CAA: GA News, "Private citizen's offer to expand Zelienople runway based on desire to expand his business"

["Stephen Irwin" <stepheni@xxxxxxxxx>]

Wednesday, March 6, 2002

Private citizen's offer to expand Zelienople runway based on desire to
expand his business 
By Judy Salisbury Cline 
The Pittsburgh (PA) Post Gazette


The biggest motivator behind the private money earmarked for enlarging
the Zelienople airport?

Golf.

Richard C. Hvizdak of Cranberry owns the Olde Stonewall Golf Club in
North Sewickley, and said he frequently gets inquiries from people who
want to use private jets to come to his course. He has to send them to
more distant airports with longer runways.

Hvizdak has other aviation connections: He also owns RCH Aviation LP, is
a partner in Night Eagle Aviation and leases his personal,12-passenger
jet through National Jet, which keeps planes at the Zelienople airport.

Hvizdak also owns National Real Estate Information Services, which
handles title searches and appraisals for mortgage companies in 50
states.

Charles Smith, president of the Zelienople Municipal Authority, which
runs the airport, said Hvizdak approached him two months ago to see if
the airport runway could be extended. 

The airport, just outside the borough in Franklin, Beaver County, is
easily accessible from Interstate 79 and is six miles from Hvizdak's
golf course.

Hvizdak said a 5,000-foot runway would make the airport safe for medium
to large corporate jets.

Zelienople's runway is 4,100 feet long, Butler Airport's runway is 4,005
feet and Beaver's is 4,500 feet. The closest airports that can handle
jets of that class -- besides Pittsburgh International -- are Allegheny
County Airport, and airports in Washington, Pa., Latrobe and Johnstown.

Smith said Hvizdak plans to pave more than 200 feet of old, cracked
asphalt on the approach end of Runway 35 and replace 700 feet of grass
turf with asphalt on the approach end of Runway 17. The two runways
end-to-end would then be a full 5,000 feet.

In addition, Hvizdak plans to add a 15,000-square-foot hangar to house
his jet. Hvizdak estimated the cost of the runway extension at about
$150,000. He said the hangar would cost between $300,000 and $400,000.

Smith said he did not think the new paved area would require a
substantial change in the airport layout originally filed with the
state.

But William Shaffer, director of the Aviation Bureau at the state
Department of Transportation, could not be certain that the plan would
be approved, though he said it was feasible.

"We haven't seen any plans yet," he said. "There are a lot of ifs,
things that have to happen first -- an environmental study, a notice of
proposed construction for airspace, a pen and ink change to the current
airport layout plan."

Smith said the authority received a grant to build a new road at the
airport last year and did an environmental impact study then. He said he
hoped that the same study could be used to get state approval quickly
for Hvizdak's plan.

Shaffer said if the environmental study covered the area affected by the
runway expansion, it could possibly be used again.

David Holman, director of operations for National Jet, which has a small
fleet of turbo-prop aircraft charter jets based at the Zelienople
Municipal Airport, has offered to help Hvizdak prepare the application
to the state.Shaffer said Smith and Holman had orally requested
permission to pave a safety area for overruns, not an actual runway
extension. That paved area would effectively extend the runway but would
not change its official length.

"We would not officially consider the runway as 5,000 feet unless they
show a purpose and need to justify the change in length. Just because it
is paved does not mean it's useful for a runway," Shaffer said. "We have
other requirements. The runway end markers and lights are not going to
change, and the official Federal Aviation Administration publications
about the airport would not be altered."

Holman said such a "safeway" is indeed not a lighted runway, but can be
used to meet distance requirements -- it gives pilots overrun space if
they have to abort a takeoff.

Hvizdak said he was under the impression that the application would be
for an official runway extension, not just a safeway. Holman said the
extension is the ultimate goal but will take longer for the state to
approve than the paving of the safeways. 

Shaffer said in either case, input from the public will be necessary to
approve the application. 

Smith said there will be public hearings, and the authority also plans
to name a citizens' advisory committee to assess the plan, along with a
technical committee made up of pilots and other people who use the
airport. 

Holman said the parties have agreed on the terms, and the wording of the
contract should be finalized by the end of March. "It's a very lucky
break for all of them," he said. "Hopefully it will work, but it's in
the state's hands."

Smith said he hopes to begin paving as soon as the weather breaks,
providing the state approves the application on a fast track. He said
profits from present fuel sales at the airport run about $1,500 a month.
With the addition of Hvizdak's jet, that figure could rise to $1,800 a
month. 

"My concern is that I have a huge investment in my golf club," said
Hvizdak. "If I bring more people in, it will mean more fuel sales for
the airport. It's going to be good for the whole community I think in
the long run."


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