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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04 02 1989 Aviation contributes to economySaturday, April 1, 1989, Vero Beach, Fla., Press -Journal and Sunday Free Press, April 2, 1989. 7 �1 Aviation contributes to economy By JAMES KIRLEY Press -Journal Staff Writer Private, military and commercial aviation have all contributed richly to Indian River County's past and present. This county has three airports, a private residential airstrip and is home to one of the most recog- nized names in private aviation — Piper Aircraft. This county's roots in flying go back a long way. The two largest airports here, Vero Beach and Sebastian, have common roots in the U.S. Navy's World War II flight training pro- gram. The Vero Beach airport was the larger of the two operations, while the present-day Sebastian airport was called, "Roseland Out- lying Field" and was a satellite field for Vero Beach training exer- cises. The Navy deeded its field to Vero Beach after the war, and the 2,000- acre tract began to grow. Today, Vero Beach airport has about 250,000 takeoffs and landings each year from its three runways. Assistant Airport Director Bill Sherry said about 40 percent of those are training flights, with the remaining 60 percent transient and local civil aviation traffic. The field is controlled by a Fed- eral Aviation Administration tower from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. AL EL GHENY AIRLINE I PASSENGERS 15,611 1988 16,533 1987 16,72' Vero Beach also has the count C's only regularly schedulePassenger ss 15- service. Allegheny onuter's r passenger twin=eng ine aft 99s link Vqro Beach with USAir and other large commercial car- riers at Orlando's airport. Allegheny's Aaron Workman, g manager, said 15,611 passengers were flown to and from Vero Beach in 1988 on the airline's five daily half-hour flights. March was the loth s Vero Beachlversary sery ce of Allegheny and Workman said the future looks bright for the local commuter. "We benefit, indirectly, from Orlando's growth," he added. Sherry said there are about 250 aircraft based at the airport, ser viced by eight aviation -related fixed -base operators. The largest and most famous avi- ation concern at Vero Beach air- port is Piper Aircraft. It employed oyed ed 1300 people as of January 89, up from about 800 workers in late 1987. Stuart Aviation enthusiast Min com Millar bought the struggling pany from Lear-Siele11aifferent 87. Piper is now producing4 single- and twin -engine models, in- cluding a re -issue of its classic Super Cub. Flight schools headquartered at Vero Beach airport include Flight - Safety International, ProFlite, and a number of smaller training oper- ations. management Sherry said airport would like FAA funding for an eco- nomic impact study of the airport. Such a study would also consider nearly 100 non -aviation land at the air- port. tenants leasing port. im act," "We have an economicP Sherry added. "I wish I could tell you what that is. It would be mil- lions and millions of dollars." Money for an economic impact study of Vero Beach airport has been applied for in the 1990 FAA budget. Sebastian Airport Sebastian Airport, also a rem- nant of U.S. Navy training, has two 4,000-foot runways. Airport Man- ager John Van Antwerp reported approximately 75,000 takeoffs and landings last year. Quite a few of those, he added, were students from schools located at Vero Beach airport. "Vero's near saturation," he said. "We get a lot of their training ac- tivity. So does St. Lucie." The aviation community in Se- bastian is still awaiting the effects of a City Charter amendment passed March 14 that was designed to limit noise and expansion at the airport. Van Antwerp said there are about 50 planes based at Sebastian Airport. Four aviation -related businesses operate at the airport, the largest employer being Velocity Aviation. It manufactures a kit for a four - place, single -engine aircraft. There are two non -aviation busi- nesses at Sebastian Airport, includ- ing the Sebastian Municipal Golf Course. Both Vero Beach and Sebastian municipal airports are self-support- ing, operating without contribu- tions from their respective city budgets. Hibiscus Airport, located at 98th Avenue near State Road 60 and I- 95, is a 3,500-foot grass strip owned by Sig Lysne and W. E. Orth of the Indian River Flying Service. The service is primarily agricul- tural aviation, Lysne said, but 25 or 30 private planes also hangar at the airstrip. He estimated 75,000 takeoffs and landings a year at the strip. This is the third location for Indian River Flying Service. They headquartered at Vero Beach air- port from 1946 through 1948, then operated from a strip between Fourth and Eighth streets until moving to the current site in 1973. The southwest county also has a private airstrip, serving a resi- dential development called the Indian River Aerodrome.