Longtime 'Aviation Buff' New Pryor Field Regional Airport Manager
Adam Foutz was a summer intern for Montgomery Regional Airport Authority’s executive director after graduating college in 2014, and it was then he realized his career goal was to someday be an airport manager.
Foutz, 27, is now getting that opportunity, starting as the manager at Pryor Field Regional Airport on July 15.
“Partnering with local economic development groups is definitely a priority of mine,” Foutz said. “I’m looking to spread the message of what an economic tool this airport is to the area.”
The airport’s 6,107-foot runway can accommodate DC-9 and 737 aircraft and cargo operations, and crack-sealing work on the runway is expected to start soon.
“We anticipate it being another month or so before that project begins, and it should be a quick project if the weather cooperates,” Foutz said.
Foutz is succeeding Stan Smith, the manager of Pryor Field since August 2000. Smith had originally resigned effective April 30, but stayed on until Foutz started.
Smith said he and his wife, Beth Smith, will continue operating North Alabama Aviation FBO (fixed-based operator), which provides fuel and services for transient aircraft and the aircraft of tenants based at the airport. The Smiths also own and operate an aircraft maintenance facility, North Alabama Aviation.
Foutz is a longtime “aviation buff,” and his childhood home was under one of the main approaches to a runway at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.
“I could watch MD-80s land all day long,” he said.
He worked at Auburn University Regional Airport in customer service roles during his years at the university, while working toward a bachelor’s degree in public administration and a minor in aviation management.
For almost three years, Foutz was a program manager for the Alabama Department of Transportation Aeronautics Bureau in Montgomery, overseeing capital improvement projects for all airports in the northern half of the state.
That’s when he became familiar with Pryor Field and the rapidly growing area surrounding it.
He was also a contract administrator at Auburn University, responsible for all external contracts and grants for the Auburn Aviation Center, Auburn University Regional Airport and several other academic units.
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“(Aviation) was always my calling,” said Foutz, whose wife, Taylor, is an elementary teacher. The couple lives in Decatur.
“Airports are an awesome economic resource for any community, and this airport has so much potential," Foutz said. “One of my big goals is to help the area realize the booming potential of this airport. We’re in a great position right here, near the Mazda Toyota plant.”
The $1.6 billion automotive facility is being built in nearby Huntsville-annexed Limestone County, and is expected to have 4,000 employees.
“We want to work with local companies to attract as much traffic as we possibly can,” Foutz said.
More than 80 aircraft are based at Pryor Field, according to Foutz, and there is a waiting list for hangars for the general aviation community.
“The demand outweighs the supply of hangars, and that’s pretty common across airports right now,” Foutz said. “We‘re seeking to expand our hangar capabilities to accommodate the local pilot community. We’re looking to build some hangars this year,” but the number is still to be determined.
“Honestly, my biggest passion is to share aviation with the community, particularly with the younger generation,” he said, adding that he would like to start an aviation career day event.
“You can do a lot of things in aviation,” from being a pilot to working in management and maintenance, he said. “It offers a great career path.”
[email protected] or 256-340-2438. Twitter @DD_MAccardi.
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