CAA: GA News, "Pilots complain about Louisiana airport"

["Stephen Irwin" <stepheni@xxxxxxxxx>]

Tuesday, September 24, 2002

Pilots complain about airport at Gonzales
By JOHN McMILLAN
The Baton Rouge (LA) Advocate


GONZALES -- A group of pilots complained on Tuesday about numerous
conditions at the Louisiana Regional Airport, most of which airport board
members and management attributed to a lack of funds.

Steve Joffrion, who spoke on behalf of about 20 pilots, cited a list of
grievances that he said displease the users of the airport just outside
Gonzales.

Those grievances include the lack of hanger space, not having a terminal
building with an adequate lounge, the possible increase in rental rates, the
lack of reliable fuel facilities and the cost of fuel.

Also, high grass next to the runways, low water pressure, coyotes and deer
on the runways and the fact that the airport manager and assistant manager
operate a private company at the airport.

Joffrion said other area airports are in better condition and provide better
facilities for pilots than Louisiana Regional.

Marty Marks complained that Harry Stafford and Mickey Marchand, the airport
manager and assistant manager, who operate the company that sells aviation
gasoline at the airport, are to be paid $45,000 to supervise the
construction of a new apron and taxiways being built primarily with a
Federal Aviation Administration grant.

Airport Commissioner Shafter Kling said other regional airports receive
funding from cities or parishes in which they are located while Louisiana
Regional receives no funds from the two parishes it serves, Ascension and
St. James.

Kling urged the pilots to contact their state senators and representatives
to have funds allocated to the state-owned airport.

"We've been asking for money from the Legislature for years to build a
terminal and more hangers," Kling said. "Make a few phone calls.

"We need federal money and more state money," he said.

"We just get enough money to barely get by."

Stafford said all the revenues the airport receives come from hanger fees
and fuel sales.

"We've managed the airport and built the airport without money. We've tried
to get money to build 32 more hangers and a terminal building."

He said the grass-cutting arrangement saves the airport at least $60,000 a
year.

He said the man who cuts it is paid $4,500 a year and in return is allowed
to harvest and bale hay on airport property.

Otherwise, the airport would have to pay $75,000 a year to have the grass
mowed.

Stafford said he and Marchand are paid $815 a month to manage the airport,
and they pay the airport 15 cents for each gallon of fuel sold at the
airport.

Regarding the supervision of the new apron and taxiways, Stafford said he
and Marchand are being paid a total of $40 an hour to supervise the
construction.

An engineer would be paid $86 an hour.

Marchand is a graduate engineer and former Air Force pilot, and Stafford was
a manager at BASF who supervised millions of dollars in construction
projects.

Marchand said he and Stafford make $300 a month selling fuel while they pay
the airport much more than that.

He also said he and Stafford travel widely on the airport's behalf and
receive no expense money.

The airport board agreed to respond in more detail to the pilots' complaints
at its next meeting and encouraged the pilots to attend all board meetings.

In other business, the board accepted the FAA grant to build the new apron
and taxiways. Coastal Bridge Co. of Baton Rouge will be the contractor,
officials said.

The acceptance of Coastal Bridge came after attorney Joe Wiley told the
board that two other bids were nonresponsive.

Larry Morgan of Coastal Bridge, which bid $1,146,390, said his firm was
ready to proceed as soon as the contract is signed.

Jerry Thibeau, board treasurer, said the airport had an income of $5,100 in
August and expenses of $4,482.


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