CAA: GA News, "Arkansas airport terminal gets a facelift"

["Stephen Irwin" <stepheni@xxxxxxxxx>]

Wednesday, March 13, 2002

Airport terminal gets a facelift
By Rachel LeMay
Arkadelphia (AR) Daily Siftings Herald


Three months ago, when transient pilots or company jets landed at the
Arkadelphia Municipal Airport, crews and passengers had to walk down a
muddy path from the taxiway to a portable building that served as the
airport terminal. 

The terminal leaked. The furniture consisted of mismatched chairs and
couches that had been saved from the trash pile. Traveling pilots could
not get ice for a cold drink or find a place to relax. Henderson State
University aviation students shared the facility with traveling pilots,
and neither group had room to complete flight plans or have flight
evaluations. Hank Wilson, the airport operator, said that the terminal
looked like something from the movie "Animal House."

Now, with about 900 hours of volunteer labor and a minimal amount of
contracted work, the terminal facility has a facelift, and the HSU
aviation students have begun work on their own student lounge.

"This is the front door of Arkadelphia. When corporate heads come to
town, they're not going to come in on the Greyhound bus," Wilson said.
"This facility allows us to showcase Arkadelphia."

He said Henderson students, citizens interested in the airport and local
contractor Billy Bunn had been working at the airport since November.
The $14,000 used to fund the work was provided by Henderson, the City of
Arkadelphia and the state Aviation Commission.

"I think they have got their money's worth," he said.

The airport terminal has been gutted, has new tile flooring and a new
ceiling. The building has been rewired and re-ventilated. New sheet rock
has been hung. The bathrooms have been renovated to be wheelchair
accessible. Wilson said that Bunn put a new roof on the terminal.

The building renovations are nearing completion. Wilson said that the
city budgeted $3,100 for furniture which he intends to order in the next
few days. A portion of the terminal will be designated for flight
planning with a desk and computer available for pilots. Food vending
machines, an ice machine and refrigerator will be available as well as
ample space for pilots to relax.

Already, Wilson said that he has been receiving positive feedback
concerning the changes. 

"Two pilots came in this week that had been here before. They were
really impressed with the students and the city getting behind this.
This is the first time I'm aware of anything like this being done out
here."

He estimated that two to three corporate jets land at the airport a
week. It is those corporate pilots who often decide where they refuel
their planes and land. He said it is often something as simple as the
appearance of the airport and the services offered that can make a
difference in a corporation choosing to locate in the area.

While students did work on the terminal building, Wilson said that they
have been even more involved with renovating a small room to serve as
the student lounge. One room on the side of the airport hangar has been
remodeled for students' use. Before the work began, the room was in too
poor shape to be used for anything but storage. Now it will be the
"hang-out" for aviation students.

"A major part of these kids' education is building relationships," said
Dr. Jerry Robinson, chairman of the aviation department at Henderson.
"They need a place where they can relax and make friendships so they can
build networks for finding future jobs. That's the purpose of the
student lounge." 

Wilson said that students are doing 99.9 percent of the work on their
lounge. They have installed a new roof and paneling board. The building
work has been a learning experience for many of the students.

"It took all day long for the kids to put the roof on. They bent all
kinds of nails, but the students had a sense of accomplishment," he
said.

While the work may be a little less that professional quality, he said
he felt that it was important that the students do the work so that they
will have a sense of ownership in the project and take more pride in
their facility. Work on the students' lounge is expected to take until
the end of the semester, but once it is complete, student pilots will be
moved out of the terminal building. They will have a place to be loud
and laugh without disturbing local and transient pilots, Wilson said.

Changes at the airport have not all been cosmetic. Everyone at the
airport is working to have a more professional, service-oriented
facility. Faculty members have begun to wear shirts that identify them
as staff, and Wilson said he is encouraging the students to dress well
when they are working at the airport.

"We're trying to be more customer service oriented." 

Wilson said he plans to have all work on the airport terminal complete
in the next two weeks, at which time the HSU students will have a fish
fry to thank those who volunteered time and provided money for the
renovations. 

This summer the parking lot at the facility will be repaved and a new
concrete sidewalk laid to lead from the taxiway to the terminal. There
are plans to landscape the facility.


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