“ That ’ s what we want . We want them in and out quickly . They have places to be . There ’ s a reason they chose to land here rather than a commercial airport . Dale Greer ( Cullman Economic Development Agency Director , once told me , ‘ An airport isn ’ t going to guarantee you an economic development project , but not having an airport is going to take you out of the running .’” - Airport Manager Ben Harrison .
The airport sees about 1,100 operations per month . Some of those are industrial prospects coming in to check out the area or existing companies coming to discuss expansions .
Harrison knows the important role the airport plays in these considerations . “ Every person that comes here , it could mean 400-500 jobs in our county ,” he said .
Towards that end , he said they want to provide visitors with the best service . “ We want to take good care of the pilots ,” he said . “ If the pilot has a good feeling about us , they ’ re going to tell that company that they were treated well .”
They also focus on ensuring visitors get on with their day as quickly as possible . On one recent day , a corporate jet landed , unloaded and its occupants were driving away in less than 10 minutes . “ That ’ s what we want ,” said Harrison . “ We want them in and out quickly . They have places to be . There ’ s a reason they chose to land here rather than a commercial airport .”
“ Dale Greer ( Cullman Economic Development Agency Director ), once told me , ‘ An airport isn ’ t going to guarantee you an economic development project , but not having an airport is going to take you out of the running ,’” said Harrison . S
16
Salute 2020
By Russell Moore , Wallace State
Wallace State ’ s Aviation / Flight Technology program has recently added three new Cessna 172 model aircrafts and a multi-engine trainer to its fleet .
“ These new airplanes are much needed and will help us incorporate glass cockpit and autopilot training . We ’ ve looked forward to adding autopilot concepts and this allows us to . We ’ re also reintroducing the multi-engine option for commercial and private training ,” said Wallace State program chair and instructor Bert Mackentepe . “ We appreciate the support from Wallace State President Dr . Vicki Karolewics and her willingness to help us add this aircraft .”
Mackentepe , who has been a part of the program and college for 40 years , also expects two aircrafts to be added during the Spring 2021 semester , strengthening the program ’ s fixed wing and helicopter training .
“ We are grateful to our legislative delegation for helping us increase funding for this essential program ,” said Wallace State President Vicki Karolewics . “ Aviation is becoming ever more important to the Alabama economy , and the increased demand for our program has resulted in a waiting list in recent years . We look forward to training more pilots and associated careers as a result of our expansion .”
Wallace State was named among the top community colleges in the South for aviation and aerospace training by Southern Business and Development Magazine in 2018 .
“ There has never been a better time to pursue an aviation career , whether as a pilot , mechanic or air traffic controller . Interest in our program continues to increase . Aviation is a cyclical industry , and there ’ s always a need for those with the appropriate certifications and ratings , especially with many pilots on the verge of retirement across the country ,” Mackentepe said .
“ These new airplanes are much needed and will help us incorporate glass cockpit and autopilot training . We ’ ve looked forward to adding autopilot concepts and this allows us to . We ’ re also reintroducing the multi-engine option for commercial and private training ,”
Wallace State program chair and instructor Bert Mackentepe .