Polson Airport lands federal grant for fuel tanks

POLSON - Vince Jennison heard the news - that the Poison Airport he manages for Lake County had been awarded a $261,367 federal grant - on the local radio station Tuesday morning.

The Great Falls engineering firm that will oversee the project to install two 12,000-gallon aviation fuel tanks - Stelling Engineers - first learned the proposal had gotten the green light Tuesday afternoon from the Missoulian.

U.S. Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester announced the grant in a joint news release; it's part of $2.8 million in federal monies destined for improvements at five Montana airports.

"I didn't know we'd got it till I heard it on the radio," Jennison said.

"It'd be nice if they'd keep their sponsors and engineers informed," said Jeff Walla, a project manager with Stelling, with a laugh. "I guess it appears we'll be allowed to proceed."

The grant had been held up, Walla said, due to technical issues that apparently were resolved back in Washington, D.C. The aboveground tanks will replace two 5,000-gallon underground tanks and free up valuable real estate at the cramped airport, located west of Poison between Flathead Lake and the Flathead River.

"We should be able to get a little better price on fuel, too," said Jennison, explaining that the tanker trucks that deliver aviation fuel hold 12,000 gallons. "Right now if we take 3,000 gallons, they've got to find more airports to deliver the rest of their load to. We can order fuel today, but we have to wait until somebody else needs some."

The current tanks "are in a poor location for the airport to expand," Walla said. "There's very little real estate to be obtained at that facility."

Jennison echoed that.

"We're just about out of room,"' he said. "Every place that's buildable is spoken for."

The Poison Airport has 46 hangars, he said, many with three to four planes squeezed in them. The current fuel tanks sit in an area where more hangars or tie-down space could be added, according to Walla.

The new tanks will be located in another area on the airport grounds, and the grant includes money to construct an apron for planes to get to them.

One tank will hold 100 low-lead aviation gas, and the other Jet A The Poison Airport has some of the best prices in the region, Jennison said, currently between $3.80 to $3.90 a gallon. On a recent fishing trip to the West Coast, he said, they paid up to $6.75 a gallon.

Baucus and Tester also announced grants for airports in Helena, Jordan, Laurel and West Yellowstone. The largest, more than $1.9 million for Helena, will be used to build an aircraft rescue and firefighting training facility, expand the rescue and fire building, improve the taxiway, improve security and conduct a ,'miscellaneous study."

A $164,000 grant for West Yellowstone will be used to construct a perimeter fence to help keep wildlife off the runway.

The latest grants come a month after Baucus and Tester announced $16 million in federal money for 32 other Montana airports.

That list included $219,450 for the Ronan Airport, 14 miles south of Poison, to add an automated weather observation system for pilots, and provide for pavement maintenance.

"Ronan is getting more popular," said Jennison, who oversees that facility for Lake County as well. "It's got a longer runway, and all kinds of room for hangars. We're done here (in Poison) for hangars."

The Ronan runway is 4,800 feet long compared to the 4,200 feet at the Poison Airport, Jennison said.