$1.7M Airport Hangar To Be Completed by February

By mid-February, more hangar construction should be completed at the Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport at a cost of $1.7 million.

About 25,000 square feet of hangar space will be available, said Ed Maxwell of Optum Construction at Wednesday morning's meeting of the Paulding County Airport Authority.

Three tenants already have been lined up, he said.

In addition, there will be about 11,000 square feet of office space available in a two-story lean-to addition to the hangar.

During the subsequent meeting of the Paulding County Industrial Building Authority (IBA), members voted unanimously to award Optum Construction a not-to-exceed contract for $99,499 for the hangar's site work as a separate expenditure from the $1.7 million construction cost.

This information was among many details shared during the meeting—primarily by Blake Swafford, the airport's director and this year's president of the Georgia Airports Association.

Airport Restaurant 

With grant funding from the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), permission has been granted by GDOT officials for the money to be used to "build out" restaurant space downstairs and "a little" more office space upstairs at the airport offices, Swafford said.  

Swafford said he hopes to have the build-out phase completed by mid-October.

GBAA Motorcycle Event  

On Sept. 17, this motorcycle ride by the Georgia Business Aviation Association (GBAA) will end at the airport, raising money for scholarships. 

This second-annual Wings Up and Wheels Down Poker Run is "a huge event for this airport," attracting involvement of such major companies as Coca-Cola and Home Depot.

Ground Flight School

Also beginning in September will be a ground flight school as a spinoff from airports at Kennesaw and Cherokee County. This flight school is a requirement for pilots to receive their licenses and will be an authorized testing facility.

Hartsfield Airport Manager at Chamber

On Aug. 4, Louis E. Miller, aviation general manager of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, will be the guest speaker at the Paulding Chamber luncheon.

Chamber President Carolyn Delamont said the chamber has offered Miller a helicopter tour of the county's airport, but they have not received a response from him yet.

Then on Sept. 22, Todd Long, a top decision maker with GDOT as its planning director, will be speaking to the chamber. 

Georgia Airports Association Annual Conference

On Sept. 28-30, the Georgia Airports Association (GAA) Annual Conference will be held at the Reynolds Plantation south of Interstate 20 near Greensboro. 

As GAA president, Swafford said Kate Lang, assistant director of the Federal Aviation Administration, would be the guest speaker. "She is probably the biggest name we've had speak in my 12 years with the Georgia Airports Association," he said. 

Besides the legislative breakfast on that Friday morning, a Georgia Public Broadcasting eight-minute video will be debuted on Georgia airports, including an interview with Swafford, to be shown over the next five to 10 years. 

Also, he said the results of a two-year statewide impact study would be revealed, "concerning the economic impact of Georgia airports to help the public understand their value."