It was old home week at the Clinton Regional Airport on Wednesday, Nov. 15, as Clinton’s mayor, Carla Moberly, MODOT Commissioner Gregg Smith and Clinton Airport Association’s Wallace White wielded shovels to break ground for the new addition, a terminal building.
Standing in line with Smith and White, the Mayor noted that they were all graduates of Clinton High School, White in 1975 and she and Smith in 1974.
“We all stayed around,” the Mayor said, “We all wanted to improve our community.”
The Clinton Regional Airport has never had a terminal, but uses a small building with one main room that doubles as a pilot lounge and the office of the airport manager, Joel Long. Long took over in June from White, a pilot who served as airport operations manager for five years, and has served as a member of the Clinton Airport Association for more than 15.
The CAA is a non-profit board of volunteers who oversee the airport’s operation. White credited Jim Houchen, who was hired as the airport’s first paid manager in 2013, for taking the airport to the next level.
“He’s one of the people who set the foundation for what we’re doing here today,” White said.
Christy Maggi, city administrator, welcomed guests, who gathered at the spot the terminal will be located, just east of the access road about 30 yards before the gate. Maggi thanked members of the Clinton City Council, the six members of the Clinton Airport Association (CAA), Tom Powers at MODOT, which channels federal funds to Missouri airports, Brett Holt with Garver Engineering, Integrity Engineering and Westport Construction Co.
Don Wheeler of Westport Construction will be the site manager for the project. Of the $2 million cost of the terminal, $1.9 million is covered by Federal Aviation Administration grants, the mayor said, with the city’s match of 7.4%.
The City of Clinton owns the airport property, the runways and the navigational aids. The ceremony drew three dozen stakeholders, including business owners, the project engineer, builders, subcontractors and the city officials who have worked for more than a decade to make the building a reality. The design is similar to the Rolla, Mo., airport terminal, with the modification of floor-to-ceiling windows to give a good view of planes landing on the runways.
“We’ve talked about this, we’ve dreamed of this, we’ve wished for this,” said the Mayor, who was on the city council prior to her mayoral term.
The airport’s operation is overseen by the CAA, a non-profit board of six citizens. The board, whose members volunteer their time, started in the early 1970s, White said. He credited Dr. Gus Wetzel with the foresight back in the early 2000s to lobby for a 5,000-foot north/south main runway, long enough for corporate jets to land.
Corporate executives no longer drive to business appointments, the Mayor said, preferring to fly in and out on the same day for meetings. Because of that, the Clinton Regional Airport actually serves national and international air traffic, she said. Providing business aircraft access to the community is the facility’s primary purpose.
The airport also provides runways and refueling to agricultural businesses, medical flights, military and search and rescue operations, as well as recreation aviation and pilot training. In addition to the 5,000 foot runway, the airport has a crosswind runway that gives pilots an alternative angle to land planes no matter which way the wind blows. AWOS, the Automatic Weather Observing System, provides continuous, real-time information to pilots landing at the airport, in lieu of a control tower.
Gregg C. Smith, a Missouri Department of Transportation commissioner, noted that MODOT doesn’t just oversee highways but all modes of transportation. Smith, who owns the Ford Lincoln dealership in Clinton, said the terminal is a great project that will play a vital part in the city’s economy.
“I’m glad to be here for the ground-breaking,” said Smith, referring to his term as commissioner. “I probably won’t be here for the opening.”
“We’ll still invite you to the opening,” the Mayor replied.
Making the city’s economy strong is one of the most important things city officials do, the Mayor said.
For Long, the next months are comparable to waiting to open your presents on Christmas. The terminal is expected to be completed and open to the public in the latter half of 2024.
“There is no better feeling as an airport manager than knowing you have a new terminal coming,” Long said.
After the ground-breaking, which was held at noon, guests were invited to the pilot’s lounge, where Brett Holt of Garver Engineering provided lunch. Clinton Regional Airport is located east of Clinton, off of Hwy.7 South. To schedule a visit, call 660-885-8889.
