New airport in Missouri

Dean

Dean

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Dean
We hear all they time of cities closing airports for new developments, but its nice to see a city back a new airport. Those of you that fly in the mid west will have two new airports to land at in the spring of 2009. One at Branson West, MO and one south of Branson, MO. Here is a link to the one being built at Branson.

http://www.flybranson.com/about/newsroom
 
Dean said:
We hear all they time of cities closing airports for new developments, but its nice to see a city back a new airport. Those of you that fly in the mid west will have two new airports to land at in the spring of 2009. One at Branson West, MO and one south of Branson, MO. Here is a link to the one being built at Branson.

http://www.flybranson.com/about/newsroom
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We saw the new Branson airport while doing the poker run at Gaston's. They had concrete down and were putting another layer on.

The interesting thing is that it's a privately-owned airport, but they got the city to agree to pay something like $8.50 per person who comes in there.

Wasn't the one we landed at near Branson the one that had the really really nice terminal sitting there empty? It was certainly a bit runway-constrained, but nothing a B1900 couldn't handle.
 
Interesting, I didn't know that Branson did not have an airport. I go fishing on Taneycomo every June with my father-in-law, and my dentist, and I've sat in a boat watching planes come in and go out all day long. Where are those planes coming from?
 
Maxmosbey said:
Interesting, I didn't know that Branson did not have an airport. I go fishing on Taneycomo every June with my father-in-law, and my dentist, and I've sat in a boat watching planes come in and go out all day long. Where are those planes coming from?
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KSGF?

My father owns a lot in an RV park near Blue Eye, AR/MO. A nice GA airport near there will be a Good Thing.
 
Maxmosbey said:
Interesting, I didn't know that Branson did not have an airport. I go fishing on Taneycomo every June with my father-in-law, and my dentist, and I've sat in a boat watching planes come in and go out all day long. Where are those planes coming from?
Click to expand...


There is an airport at the College (PLK) that is leased/run by Taney County, it is less than 4000' and commercial flights won't fly in. A developer found investors to pitch in 25 million and they sold another 115 million in bonds to fund the new airport. The city of Branson will pay the airport $8.50 for every passenger that flies in, but it has a cap of 2 million per year.
 
Dean, while I was at your meeting in Bolivar someone told me that there was a snag with the airport development and it was on a temporary hold. Have things started up again?
 
That's some interesting politics there. Usually the city wants the airport to pay it.
 
Diana said:
Dean, while I was at your meeting in Bolivar someone told me that there was a snag with the airport development and it was on a temporary hold. Have things started up again?
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That is the one in Branson West, there was a problem with the contractor and MoDot told the city to find a new one. The plan is to have one hired with in the next 6 months.
 
Dean said:
That is the one in Branson West, there was a problem with the contractor and MoDot told the city to find a new one. The plan is to have one hired with in the next 6 months.
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Is that a different airport?
 
KPLK (Point Lookout in Hollister) has a very nice terminal building and yes, it is empty. The runway is 3700' and can't get any longer. I first noticed Branson West when I was climbing out of PLK. It's under the departure of 29. The PLK folks don't really see it as a threat because PLK is closer to the Branson strip. I disagree and see Branson West taking most of the traffic. At PLK I watched a Cessna Mustang use 99% (the mains lifted just before the numbers) of that 3700' and I expect he'll go to a 5000' runway if he has a choice.

I'd really like to see the new Branson airport sucessful, with Southwest or other commercial traffic going to major US cities. For that to happen, I think the Branson Chamber/tourism department has to wick it up a bit. It is NOT Vegas, but with some very good marketing they might be able to pull in a lot more folks.
 
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Branson is building in Branson? A $155 million of it. Very interesting!


 
Construction has resumed on the Branson West airport. I stopped by today and took a couple pictures with my cellphone. They are putting down base rock for the runway and if the weather cooperates, they should start pouring concrete within the next week to ten days.
 

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Update:

They have started pouring the runway and it looks to be about half done. Dirt work has begun for the hangars and the city is shooting for a completion date the end of November. The FBO contract has been awarded to Aero Premier Flight Center an FBO company from New Orleans. They have ads looking for an FBO manager and assistant manager, Customer Service Rep, CFI's, A&P's and Line Techs. So if you know anyone that is willing to relocate to the Ozarks, have them apply.
 
Cap'n Jack said:
Dean- could you please ask them how they determine how long to make the runway?

Reference for the question:
http://www.pilotsofamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?t=30901 :)
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From what I understand they looked at what length most Corporate Jets were required to operate from. They found out that the insurance companies were the ones dictating what they wanted in length, so that is how they came up with it. Minimum length was 4500', but they preferred 5000'.
Also it was all the land could handle where it is being built.
 
The first GA flights into the new Branson West Airport took place today. The runway is open, but no facilities are built yet. It is pretty much a fly in and fly out airport until spring, but at least it is open!:goofy:
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica]BRANSON WEST AIRPORT OPENS[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica]BRANSON WEST AIRPORT SOFT OPENING
(A Dream Come True)

It all started about 12 years ago when the Missouri Lottery was huge. My friend Paul Hough said he was going to buy some tickets. I asked him what he would do with the money if he won, and he said he would build an airport in the Branson area. Paul and I had worked five years on a Stone County committee to build a new airport in the region, only to be defeated by those who won positions on the new airport authority for the sole purpose of NOT building the airport. Appeals to the Attorney General were in vain. So much for politics.

Then Paul reasoned that the land was still available, and maybe the little town of Branson West would want to undertake building an airport. So we stopped in to see Mayor John Rhodes and City Administrator Kenny Smith. Guess what! They thought it was a great idea. Now, many years later, and at a different location than originally planned, today, Tuesday, December 15, 2009, the Xs were gone and several planes landed and took off on a beautiful, cold winter VFR day on a brand new 5,000' x 75' runway at 1,290' elevation. My Mooney Ovation2 was #4 to land.

We taxied over to a ramp area lined by area media and local dignitaries. Pictures and short interviews were taken, and folks were asking what we thought of the new runway. But it was too cold (30 degrees) to stand around very long. The runway and taxi way are in, but buildings and hangars have yet to be erected. All of that is in progress now. A full blown grand opening is planned for June, 2010.

Don Rogers, president of Wells Aircraft, Inc., in Hutchinson, KS, is hoping to bring pilot training and Cirrus sales, service, rentals, and charter to KFWB starting in January, 2010. Negotiations are underway with Aero Premier, KFWB's FBO.

Talking about Aero Premier, I have to say that during a recent visit to New Orleans, and using Aero Premier at Lakefront Airport, I had one of the best FBO experiences of my flying career. The line crew and office personnel were extremely knowledgeable and helpful. If that's any indication of what we may expect at KFWB, everyone should be very happy.

Flying back to KPLK (the airport I managed for five years, and where I base my plane), Paul and I could only feel a sense of accomplishment as his dream had finally come true. They say all good things take time. And airports aren't built over night. In fact, airports aren't built much at all these days. But if you can dream it, it can happen!

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[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica]Jan Hoynacki, Executve Director
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FBO Aero Premier has pulled out of the Branson West and the city has taken over operations. There is rumor of a new company out of Kansas taken over and adding a flight school and a rental fleet. Aero Premier will be missed, they had great service.
 
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