One way to save GA airports... find a billionaire

AlleyCat67

Pre-takeoff checklist
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AleyCat67
Not sure if the link below will work without a subscription, but the upshot is that Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO, recently bought my home airport (20N / Kingston NY). He owns a 200 acre estate across the bridge & I suppose he wants rapid helicopter access. According to the town supervisor: "His people just came to the town and said, what are the problems and how do we fix them?" said Quigley. "So I'd call it a welcome development."

So there you go. Need to fix up your dilapidated apron and fuel farm? Just get a billionaire to move in down the street. Of course in a year he may decide he likes Hilton Head or St. Tropez better, and then we're out of luck again!

https://kingstonwire.com/news/2021/07/16/billionaire-buys-local-airport/795gpv
 
Works great if you have Gulfstream. May not be much help for the piston crowd. Our local fbo is owned by a billionaire. They have a nice building and great service. Avgas is $6+ and the t- hangars (owned by the airport who only cares about the 4 RJ's that come in daily) are falling down. Based piston aircraft are a vestigial tail of the 1950's.

The piston maintenence is still pretty good because they make decent money taking care of the 141 planes. I mean, somebody has to train those corporate pilots...
 
Works great if you have Gulfstream. May not be much help for the piston crowd. Our local fbo is owned by a billionaire. They have a nice building and great service. Avgas is $6+ and the t- hangars (owned by the airport who only cares about the 4 RJ's that come in daily) are falling down. Based piston aircraft are a vestigial tail of the 1950's.

The piston maintenence is still pretty good because they make decent money taking care of the 141 planes. I mean, somebody has to train those corporate pilots...

We are lucky in that the runway is too short for jets. But yeah, I could see him moving all our little pistons to the back forty to make room for more helicopters.
 
We are lucky in that the runway is too short for jets. But yeah, I could see him moving all our little pistons to the back forty to make room for more helicopters.
I shouldn't be so negative. I've been to a lot of wonderful airports that wouldn't exist but for large businesses and the ultra rich who pay the bills. I know my 25 gallons of avgas doesn't amount to much in the budget of an airport. Hopefully he makes improvements for the benefit of all users.
 
I fly into 20N monthly(ish).
I would pay cash money to see someone try to put a jet in there. I'll bring my own chair.
There are already a number of flight/noise restrictions on the airport.
I can't wait to hear the uproar when he starts going in and out with heavy helicopters.
 
Does local zoning prohibit landings on those 200 acres?
Very likely. But I’ve also heard of a famous actor who bought a spread about 20 miles south of here. He wanted a heliport, but the town vetoed it. So he just did it anyway. Problem solved
 
I enjoy 20N and haven't been there since pre-covid. Time for a return trip.

I kinda wonder if that is what happened to Pine Island, NC (7NC2); except that they took it private and no one else can land there anymore. I'm not saying that's what happened.
 
I read that he's a pilot so probably won't have the big toy there
 
VVS in PA. Owner of 84 Lumber and Nemacolin Woodlands "donated" a bunch to the airport authority for runway work, etc. and got the airport named after him for his donations.
 
Looks like they replaced the tiedown ropes... fancy :)
 
I bought 10.3 gallons for my 170 at Ft Worth Spinks yesterday. Only needed 8, but decided to top off like a big dog. Splash tha cash.
 
No idea if true; likely not. Read a story a long time ago about the Dupont family. One member paid a lot of money to fix up an airport for personal use, only caveat was had to change the name of the airport to Dupont. Another family member thought this was hubris, so offered the city more money to NOT change the airport name. :)

Tim
 
No idea if true; likely not. Read a story a long time ago about the Dupont family. One member paid a lot of money to fix up an airport for personal use, only caveat was had to change the name of the airport to Dupont. Another family member thought this was hubris, so offered the city more money to NOT change the airport name. :)

Tim

Kind of a reverse bidding war...I like it!
 
No idea if true; likely not. Read a story a long time ago about the Dupont family. One member paid a lot of money to fix up an airport for personal use, only caveat was had to change the name of the airport to Dupont. Another family member thought this was hubris, so offered the city more money to NOT change the airport name. :)

Tim

Reminds me of when a Johnson Wax heir gave Cornell $20 million to rename their business school after his beloved grandfather, Samuel C Johnson. Coincidentally, the grandson's name was also Samuel C. Johnson.
 
No idea if true; likely not. Read a story a long time ago about the Dupont family. One member paid a lot of money to fix up an airport for personal use, only caveat was had to change the name of the airport to Dupont. Another family member thought this was hubris, so offered the city more money to NOT change the airport name. :)
Tim
https://archives.delaware.gov/historical-markers-map/dupont-airfield/ They talk about Barley Mill as the site of the airport. It is across the street from the current DuPont HQ and was where many of the offices were before the latest buildings were put up.
 
Reminds me of when a Johnson Wax heir gave Cornell $20 million to rename their business school after his beloved grandfather, Samuel C Johnson. Coincidentally, the grandson's name was also Samuel C. Johnson.
There's a "Wax On, Wax Off" joke in there somewhere, but I can't dig it out.
 
Looks like they replaced the tiedown ropes... fancy :)
Ah yes. Newly paved taxiway, fresh paint, new gate. 20N is looking sharp. My big push now is to have more than five electrified spaces so I don't need to run a generator for 2 hours to preheat the Tiger.
 
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