Sep. 21—Proposed master plans for Pryor Field Airport include development on three areas of its property and provide several options for the number and sizes of hangars that would be built.
Airport Manager Adam Fox said officials want to develop a master plan to help maximize the airport's potential, especially with the ongoing population and industrial growth in the area.
"With that expansion, the things happening up here in Huntsville metro and in Limestone County, it's very important that we kind of capture and have a strategic plan going forward with some of that development," Fox said. "Some of that will be in the near future, some of that will be long term, 15, 20 years out."
The airport, located to the east and northeast of Calhoun Community College's campus in Limestone County, has prepared graphic designs of the options for the three proposed developments at the airport.
"We have our north development acreage, we have our south GA (general aviation) ramp area on the south side of the airport, and then we have a portion which is about 85 acres which is on the southeast side of the airport for MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) facilities," Fox said.
The master plan proposals were presented to the public earlier this month.
Alfred Wright from Toney has his airplane based at the airport and said he flies out of the airport for pleasure once a week. He said he would like to see the master plan cater to individuals as well as corporate aircraft.
"All the hangar options are designed more for corporate airplanes," he said. "Not all bad, but it would have been nice if they had some more for the individual owner."
Wright said the airport currently has some smaller hangars like the one he uses.
"My expectation was that they would have additional ones since they've got a long waiting list of people who have airplanes that they would like to be hangared but not in a big corporate hangar," he said.
Wright said the airport is vital to all businesses.
"There are a number of small business owners that use airplanes and airports to fly to their various customers," he said. "Not everybody has the big turbo props and jets. ... The airport should serve many users."
Four options were laid out for 22 acres on the north side the airport, which would be developed into a commercial area with an aircraft ramp that could accommodate larger-style freight aircraft.
The first north option includes one 120- by 150-foot hangar and five 150 by 150 foot hangars. The second option includes seventeen 120- by 120-foot hangars and two 150- by 120-foot hangars.
The third option includes ten 120- by 120-foot hangars and one 150- by 120-foot hangars. The fourth option includes one 150- by 150-foot hangar and five 150- by 120- foot hangars.
There were three options for the south general aviation ramp area. The first included two grass islands on a portion of the apron and one 180- by 90-foot hangar. The second option included two 100- by 70-foot hangars while the third option included one 125- by 75-foot hangar and two 180- by 90-foot hangars.
There were three plans presented for the 85 acres on the southeast side. Fox said he hopes businesses offering engine servicing or aircraft painting are the type of aviation maintenance and MRO companies he hopes to attract on the land.
The first option includes one 620- by 250-foot hangar and eight 250- by 250-foot hangars. The second option includes three 550- by 250-foot hangars and three 250- by 250- foot hangars. The third option includes one 550- by 250-foot hangar, five 200- by 250-foot hangars and eight 250- by 250-foot hangars.
Judith Burleson of Athens, with Learjetjohn Aviation, a flight school near the airport, said she flies out of the airport multiple times a day for her school but also flies from the airport about twice a month for pleasure.
Burleson said she was pleased with all the plans for development and that general the public should be involved with the airport.
"It actually puts so much back into the economy that people don't even realize," she said. "The people that come here for overnight or vacation spend money, they spend money here. To me that would be the main reason that somebody else outside of aviation would be interested in the airport."
Burleson said having a local airport is good for the economy.
"So, it's important to me that the airport's well-kept and it is," she said. "I think all the plans are great. ... Growth, that's what we want."
Fox said there are 141 aircraft based at Pryor Field and he wants the public's opinions because it is everyone's airport.
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