Airport ready for take off
Crestline Construction works on creating a strong base before paving a new tarmac at the Columbia Gorge Regional Airport on Aug. 5, 2020.
By Tom Peterson
Columbia Gorge Regional Airport is taking off.
Millions of dollars have been poured into the airstrip during the past year as aircraft traffic is on an upswing.
“It’s been a crazy year, but it’s been fun to be a part of,” said Airport Manager Aryn Rasmussen, 31.
The Airport has tripled its fueling capacity with the addition of 24,000 gallons of tank capacity for Jet A fuel meant for gas-turbine engines - jets and turbo-prop helicopters.
Columbia Gorge Regional Airport Manager Aryn Rasmussen
“We saw almost a doubling in the number of aircraft coming in,” Rasmussen said. ”That’s based on Jet A Fuel. We doubled the amount sold.”
Year to date, the airport has sold 10,000 gallons more than in the best year we have on record,” she said.
So what?
It may be pointing to more jobs, greater need for housing, even a heavy building season for our region. Economists point to airports as an indicator of economic activity for a region. Airport construction or expansion is seen as a policy lever to boost cities, regions and national economies, and an inadequate airline service an obstacle to local economic development, according to the Spatial Economics Research Centre’s Airports, Market Access and Local Economic Performance: Evidence from China, Feb. 2017.
So Who’s Coming?
Rasmussen said the general breakdown is:
60 percent of air traffic is for those seeking recreation - people coming to fish or windsurf, etc.
20 percent to 25 percent is military. She noted that they have been getting many more helicopters from Fort Lewis near Tacoma - a joint base for the Army and Air Force.
The Remaining 15% to 20% percent is corporate traffic
Each category has increased, and more private flights are occurring as people choose to avoid risking exposure to the Corona virus on a commercial flight.
Corporations such as Google, Cardinal Glass, car dealerships, Home Depot and Coastal Farm and Ranch are coming into the airport.
The airport added 24,000 gallons of fueling capacity this year, and have since seen a large increase in JET A fuel sales - for jets and turbo-prop helicopters. The new tanks can also pump twice as fast, providing more efficient service. That’s important when multiple craft need fueling.
The airport added a 5,000 gallon refueling truck to better service aircraft.
Jet Heavy
Crestline Construction recently finished a $2million-paving project at the airport through a Federal Aviation Administration grant.
It was half of the airport's apron parking space. And this was a major overhaul - construction workers took the area down to the subsurface adding heavier rock and gravel before rolling asphalt.
“We are experiencing a lot more jet traffic, “ Rasmussen said.
Smaller jets, like the Gulfstream G650, are heavier - weighing in at around 54,000 pounds. Stronger apron equals more room for heavier aircraft for both corporate and military.
Location of tarmac improvements recently completed by Crestline Construction. The work was made possible with a Federal Aviation Administration Grant of about $2 million. Courtesy Columbia Gorge Regional Airport Facebook
Tac Aero Expansion
Tac Aero, which provides fueling and aviation services at the airport, recently completed construction of a 6,400-square foot hangar and added tens of thousands of square feet of concrete tarmac. Tac Aero’s Jeff Renard said the hangar has already been leased to the US Forrest Service. Two additional hangars, at the same size, are also close to completion, he said, noting COVID-19 delays slowed the process. The space will be used for maintenance and avionics. The company has easily put more than $1 million into the development.
Waiting List
Rasmussen said the airport currently had a waiting list for pilots seeking storage for their planes.
A waiting list also exists at the Hood River Airport, she said.
“We’re trying to figure out how to build more,” she said. The airport is currently home to 50 private planes leasing hangar space.
Educate to Generate
The airport intends to partner with Columbia Gorge Community College in its skills center program. The airport has submitted a $3-million dollar grant request to the US Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) to build a training hangar.
“We are passionate to work with the college and to get that going,” she said, noting the college is working on the curriculum.
Half of the hangar could be leased out, and the grant would allow for extending additional utilities to open up four more aviation lots at the airport.
“We expect to hear back from EDA in the next few months,” she said.
Cascade Cherry Growers
Cascade Cherry Growers in partnership with Pacific Coast Cherry Packers and sales marketer Sage Fruit Company invested more than $4 million into a cherry hydro-cooler and cold storage at the airport. They had the facility up and running this season. The company does not utilize air services - they truck cherries to Wapato, Wash. But it’s still good business for the airport and the local economy. The airport receives $450 per acre of leased land. Dozens of contractors were employed to build the facility, and Cascade employs several at the cooler during harvest.
Room to Grow
That’s just the tip of the iceberg. The Airport has 35 acres that are ready for development and another 100 acres of raw land that can be developed in the future.
Background
The airport is located near Dallesport. The airport is jointly owned by the city of The Dalles and Klickitat County and is managed via contract with Aryn and David Rasmussen.
In addition to Tac Aero, Airport tenants include Life Flight, and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Life Flight, an air ambulance service, offers the use of air transportation via airplane or helicopter to move patients to and from healthcare facilities and accident scenes. DNR provides a base to house firefighting aircraft and personnel during the area's peak firefighting season.
