“We had two trailers for a long time, but we outgrew that space,” said Stacy McNutt, MacAir vice president of business operations. “The airport has done a lot of expansion lately with a new hangar and an extended runway. That longer runway will enable larger jets to land here.”
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MacAir bought the used trailers in Fort Campbell, Ky., and they are waiting to be installed at the airport. The project calls for combining six of the trailers to form one building that will have office and classroom spaces and be used by flight instructors.
The other four trailers will be combined to form one building to be used by MacAir mechanics.
The total project, which involves installing a concrete foundation and plumbing work for bathrooms, is expected to cost less than $200,000, McNutt said.
“The new space will provide a good quality aviation flight experience. It will give instructors more room to meet with students to tell them what they are planning to do and briefing them after the flight,” she said.
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MacAir has about 60 employees, with 11 full-time workers and the rest part-time flight instructors.
The regional airport is home to 69 aircraft, including 60 single-engine airplanes, eight multi-engine planes and one helicopter, according to AirNav.com. The airport sees an average daily traffic of 117 aircraft, and about 91 percent of the airport’s users are local, according to the website.
MacAir’s operations have grown after being awarded a multi-million dollar, four-year contract to provide flight surgeon training for the United States Air Force.
In addition, there are 60 members in the Aero Club, which enables students to earn ratings toward a pilot’s license and enables licensed pilots to maintain ratings.
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