One of the area’s top annual events, Airport Day, is scheduled this Saturday at the Russellville-Logan County Airport. This is the third year for the free, fun-filled day. A full schedule of events at the airport includes the EAA Fly-In Breakfast from 8-10 a.m., activities beginning at 11 with a classic car show, entertainment for kids, antique airplanes, food and refreshments, an air show that begins at 1 p.m., and aerobatic demonstrations by Steve Johnson & Wayne Roberts.
The volunteer six-person Russellville-Logan Airport Board plans and conducts the annual Airport Day to:
1) provide fellow citizens an opportunity to visit the airport and enjoy an impressive aerobatic air show, food, music and other attractions. Admittance is free.
2) highlight the City/County owned facility and its importance in sustaining, enhancing and boosting economic development in our city/county and also in Todd and Simpson counties that the Russellville – Logan County Airport supports (Todd and Simpson Counties do not have any paved FAA supported public airports). The airport is important to local manufacturing industry, small businesses, tourism, agriculture business and for future economic development.
About the aerobatic demonstration, Board Member Wayne Yount says: “I have known Steve Johnson for many years. He is a world class aerobatic pilot, and he has performed many shows and is well known throughout the United States. We will have an extra addition this year at our Airport Day, for Steve will be bringing an aerobatic pilot friend (Roberts) and his airplane to join in the demonstration. This year we will have an Airport Day that will shine and make Russellville and Logan County citizens proud.”
General Jerry Humble, another board member, notes: “This year in addition to the air show, bounce house for kids, and food by local venders, with the superb and generous support of Clay Bilyeu, we have added a classic car show, motorcycle show and live music. We have trophies for the vehicle shows.
“We will also highlight our partner, Harmony Air, which provides on-demand charter service (pick up and return at our airport). Also to be highlighted are the emergency medical air services that respond in Logan County, the Civil Air Patrol, Logan County High School ROTC unit and local musicians/vocalists."
Board member George Offutt notes: “Civil Air Patrol Squadron out of Bowling Green is very supportive of our airport. They have used our facility several times for training exercises. The Civil Air Patrol is very vital in emergencies, disasters and even helping with rescue missions. Jim Huggins is the commander and speaks very highly of our local airport. The Civil Air Patrol has cadets that have participated in several ceremonies here in Logan, Allen, and Warren counties. The Civil Air Patrol Squadron will be present at the airport on Airport Day, hopefully with the squadron aircraft, and the cadets will be there to assist us with parking of the aircraft.”
Additionally, Airport Manager R.B. Hirsch explains the EAA Young Eagles program: “First of all EAA stands for Experimental Aircraft Association . What they will do at our event is provide youths in middle school and high school an opportunity to experience their first Flight. This is known as the Young Eagles program. The main reason for this is to expand aviation to a younger audience, and possibly peak the interest of future pilots. There will be four pilots providing this discovery or rather first flight for students. The requirement is for the students to pre-register and have a parent/guardian sign a Hold Harmless Agreement.”
Board members also like to talk about the appearance of the facility. Humble notes, “The airport is known statewide as one of the most beautiful in Kentucky with its peaceful country, well-manicured, farm-like location and unique terminal building with rocking chairs on the porch (named after Judge William G. Fuqua). We have had others who plan to build a new terminal come to see ours and leave with plans to copy ours.”
Yount says, “I have been at the airport on numerous occasions when pilots have arrived and personally stated that The Russellville/Logan County Airport Terminal is the most attractive and beautiful General Aviation Terminal they have ever seen. We have people fly to our airport for no other reason than to experience the relaxing and scenic view offered from the terminal. It’s a beautiful facility that all the citizens should be proud to call their own.”
Other notes on the airport:
*Russellville-Logan County Airport is the home of another full-time business, Sunshine Aviation, which paints airplanes from all over the East Coast, including State Police and Kentucky Department of Aviation aircraft, and we have a flight school located there as well.
*Local pilots with planes located at the airport have donated support to local law enforcement, non-profit civic and religious organizations, flights for family members to visit dying relatives and the Wounded Warrior project.
*The airport hosts natural disaster, search and rescue, emergency management, disaster relief and military exercises on the property.
*The airport and the manager, R.B. Hirsch, have received official recognition from America’s elite special operation aviation unit for providing pre-operational/deployment training support.
*The terminal building is used by numerous civic meetings, clubs, associations and industry for meetings.
*One board member, Steve Dilliha, has been volunteering his time serving the local community on the board for gong on 15 years.Being a board member requires many, many hours of selfless personal time and hard work monthly.
*The board members are appointed by the Logan County judge-executive and the mayor of Russellville. The board members are all volunteer and run the airport for the city/county. The board operates under federal, state and local laws and regulations and handles millions of dollars of grants from the Federal Aviation Agency ( FAA ) and Kentucky Department of Aviation (KDA). For every $100 in grant money the airport receives from federal and state government, the city and county each pay $1.25.
Humble says, “The enduring infrastructure procured and built at the airport directly supports sustaining and growing economic development of industry, businesses and agriculture (jobs) in Logan County. Several of our major industries would not have located in Logan County if there had not been an airport here.”
The Russellville-Logan County Airport is classified as a General Aviation Airport … meaning that it is not serviced by commercial carriers or transport aircraft.
KEY FACTS ABOUT AMERICAN GENERAL AVIATION
Form the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Foundation
§ General Aviation (GA) Refers to all flights other than scheduled airline flights, regular cargo flights and military flights. Over 10 million GA operations take place each year in the US.
§ GA pumps more than $150 Billion each year into the American economy and supports over a million jobs.
§ A Virginia study showed that for every job created by an airport, three additional jobs were created in the local economy.
§ An economic impact study in Massachusetts found that the state’s 30 GA airports accounted for 4,307 jobs, $138 million in salaries, and had a total impact on the state of $443 million.
§ GA is safer the ever. The fatal accident rate for GA flights has declined by 85 percent over the past 60 years. And, 99.999998 percent of all GA departures do not result in a fatality or serious injury to individuals in a building or on the ground.
§ GA is secure. All pilots must now prove U.S. citizenship or undergo federal background check prior to training. All GA pilots must also undergo an aviation medical evaluation frequently.
§ More than 90 percent of American airports have no commercial airline flights. Without, General Aviation thousands of communities would lose vital air transportation services.
§ GA pilots provide no-cost services to more than 500 charities, including emergency medical services, delivery of transplant organs, search and rescue operations, and more