Curtis L. Brown Jr. Field in Elizabethtown is slowly, but surely, becoming a more active general aviation facility as the amount of traffic into the field has increased and more aviation entities have expressed interest in locating there.

Now two more hangars are scheduled to be constructed, and a West Coast-based company has expressed a desire to locate a facility on the field.

At its Tuesday meeting, the Elizabethtown Airport/Economic Development Commission approved requests by two different local individuals to construct new 3,600 square foot hangars at the facility.

Elizabethtown resident Brian Campbell had requested approval to construct a 60' X 60' hangar north of the airport terminal to store aircraft. In his petition, Campbell also asked to be allowed to sublease his existing hangar to a Fayetteville-based company-Contaminant Controls.

He also requested that the airport furnish adequate soil to prepare the site for construction of the hangar.

In a separate action, he requested approval to place two horizontal fuel tanks at the new hangar to replace the vertically positioned tanks he owns that are located at the hangar he has requested approval to sublease. The airport commission had requested that the vertical tanks be removed.

The board approved unanimously Campbell's request to sublease his existing hangar and construct the new one; however, the action provides that Campbell furnish the soil for site preparation. They also approved his request to place the horizontal tanks adjacent to his new hangar.

Clarence McLean of Bladenboro requested approval to construct a hangar of the same size south of the airport terminal building for storage of two aircraft. McLean had requested to build his hangar on the next lot south of the rental hangars and also requested that he have direct access to the taxiway from the hangar.

His request included provisions that he be allowed to operate a maintenance facility, flight school or some other type of aviation service from the facility. He, too, had requested that the airport or town furnish any necessary fill dirt for the pad.

In discussing McLean's request, board member David Clark pointed out that the two lots immediately to the south of the rental hangars have been designated in the Airport Layout Plan (ALP) for future construction of additional rentals.

After an ensuing discussion, the board agreed to allow McLean to construct the new hangar on the next lot south of the two that have been designated for future rental units. They also agreed that McLean be permitted to have direct access to the taxiway and that he be allowed to operate a maintenance facility or flight school from the facility if he chose to do so.

They stipulated that McLean would have to furnish fill dirt for the hangar pad and that he would have to bear the expense of paving the access to the taxiway.

Fixed Base Operator (FBO) Oscar Taylor said that if the lot south of the rentals proves to be cost prohibitive or otherwise unsuitable for McLean, he would suggest that McLean construct his hangar adjacent to the lot where Campbell has been given approval to build.

The board approved Taylor's proposal.

In a related matter, Taylor stated that he had discussed a proposal with John McVea, who represents a West Coast-based company that flies a fleet of corporate jets and has maintenance facilities in the West and Midwest.

Taylor said that McVea had stated that he was interested in getting the four vacant lots north of the terminal building. McVea had said the company is looking for a location to construct a maintenance facility along the mid-Atlantic coastal area to perform periodic maintenance and inspections on its aircraft and possibly others.

He said the company planned to initially build two 4,800 to 6,000 square foot hangars at the site they chose for the facility.

Taylor told the board that the talks were strictly in the preliminary stages and that McVea had made no commitments. He also said that the four lots would likely be unsuitable for McVea's plans because they are too close to the taxiway.

He suggested that if McVea follows through and returns, he would suggest the company consider lots south of the terminal building. He pointed out that these lots are further from the taxiway and would be more suitable for the company's needs.

Since the commission owns all of the property on the airport and is prohibited from selling it, individuals or firms permitted to construct hangars on the facility are not allowed to purchase the property. They are allowed long-term leases on the property instead. These lease contracts include specific provisions on how the property can be used.

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