Oct. 7—COOKSON — Area residents involved with the Tenkiller Lake Airpark say the COVID-19 pandemic has helped attract more people who are interested in earning their wings.
Tom Haning, owner of T3 Aerosports and flight instructor, operates out of the airpark, one mile southwest of Cookson.
"I have the only business there with flight training, and we also do an Airbnb out of the hanger we operate out of," said Haning.
There's a hanger just off the runway, along with the two-bedroom Airbnb that operates year-round.
"So clients fly in from all over for flight training, and I use [the Airbnb] for that, but we also use it for your typical VRBO or Airbnb. People who are coming in and looking for a place to stay for the lake throughout the summer," said Haning.
District 3 Cherokee County Commissioner Clif Hall, who chairs the Cherokee County Airport Authority, said the runway at the airpark is close to 2,500 feet long.
"The safe zone is about 2,200 to 2,300 feet, and the overall length looks to be about 2,500 feet," said Hall.
The 24-hour facility is not always manned, but pilots can come and go as they please.
"There's no given time that you would say it's attended. Some of the people who live there on the airport you could consider as attendees, with their names and numbers listed on the terminal for people to call," said Haning.
The airpark is geared toward more of an advance airmanship-type of training. T3 Aerosports manages the Fixed Base Operations at Tenkiller Lake Airpark and the Sallisaw Municipal Airport.
"We teach people how to do aerobatics, spin training — another thing we call upset recovery training, and tailwheel training," said Haning.
Over the course of the pandemic, Haning said, the airpark itself didn't take a hit, as far as less traffic. However, T3 Aerosports saw more people interested in learning how to fly.
""I think people had some time off, and also people are not wanting to fly commercially nowadays, so they want to learn how to fly themselves," said Haning.
Haning has four aircraft at the airpark, and three of those are for his business. Two planes are for students who can rent and pilot.
"You have to have 40 hours of flight training, and 20 of that has to be with certified flight instructor. Then 10 of that has to be solo and the other 10 can be either-or," said Haning.
Students as young as 16 years old can fly solo, but they must be at least 17 years old to receive a private pilot certificate.
The Experimental Aircraft Association Local Chapter 1040 meets every third Thursday at 7 p.m. at the airpark. The group includes aviation enthusiasts with interests in aircraft building, aviation safety, vintage aircrafts, warbirds, and aerobatic flight.
"They are very active at that airport. They consist of the homeowners who live there at the airport, and other places, too, but most live there," said Haning.
Check it out
For more information about T3 Aerosports and the Tenkiller Lake Airpark, call Haning at 918-773-2076.
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