Cape airport departs 2014 on high note

It's been a busy but positive year for the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport, with officials hoping to continue that momentum next year.

In May, a 52,000-square-foot metal building finally was cleared by Commander Premier Aircraft Corp., an airplane manufacturing company that declared bankruptcy and was evicted three years ago. That same month, the airport welcomed thousands of people for an air show that almost didn't happen. Throughout the year, the airport continued to see new construction and updates around the facility.

"It was a good year and we're very upbeat about it," airport manager Bruce Loy said. "We're looking to see what we can do better next year."

Commander

The city of Cape Girardeau evicted Commander in October 2011 after the company failed to make lease payments going back to 2007. The company began business at the airport in 2005 with plans to establish a small plane production company and hire 100 people within three years, but never produced any aircraft.

Once Commander vacated the facility, city officials said marketing the space became much easier.

"It's a big thing to be able to call the hangar empty now," Loy said. "It's been a nice venture to say we have it available now."

Cape Girardeau Area Magnet is helping in the marketing effort, featuring the facility in a newsletter. Information about the building also is being advertised in aviation magazines and at aviation-related events.

Ideally, the city would like to sell the building to a company, although a leasing option could be considered with the right parties.

But the space is not just sitting empty, waiting for its new tenants. Loy said the building is being used for hangar storage, which does generate some revenue.

Air show

Pressure to get Commander out of the building increased in May when the airport was preparing for the 2014 Cape Girardeau Regional Air Festival. The show's headlining act, the Canadian Snowbirds, needed the space to store their planes and equipment.

But there was a time when officials worried there wouldn't be a show at all. Loy announced the air show's cancellation in February when the Snowbirds backed out, citing budget cuts. A month later, Loy announced the show was back on after a representative from the demonstration jet team notified him of their commitment to perform in Cape Girardeau.

When the Snowbirds took to the skies May 17 and 18, show organizers estimated 12,000 to 15,000 people showed up to marvel at the nine synchronized pilots in red-and-white CT-114 Tutor jets. Such strong attendance was welcomed by organizers, who feared numbers might have taken a hit because of several factors that seemed to stack up against the show.

In addition to the brief cancellation and concern about possible public confusion, the show also was scheduled the same weekend as the Southeast Missouri State University commencement ceremony. Heavy rains that hit the area just before the first show also caused worry among organizers.

Ultimately, Loy said the show turned out to be a success. Even the Snowbirds -- a jet team Loy said he's hoped to see at the local air show since it began in 1998 -- enjoyed themselves, he said.

"They seemed to be extremely happy and said they do want to return someday," Loy said. "I hope that we can have them come back every so often."

Improvements

The airport had several projects going on this year, most notably the construction of 10 new T-hangars. Loy said it was something he's wanted to do for a "long, long time" but funding created an issue. This was the year the airport managed to obtain enough money for the project through Missouri Department of Transportation funding.

"We definitely needed [the T-hangars] and to this day, we still need more," he said.

Each of the hangars quickly was leased and Loy said he hopes to see more built at the airport in the near future. The additional hangars would help meet a demand in the area, and also would come with multiple benefits to the airport.

"When we build hangars like that, it increases our base aircraft count, which is meaning more and more these days with the way some things are funded with MoDOT and the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration]," he said. "Where they used to count some other things, now they're asking us what our base aircraft count is. So it helps with funding and helps tremendously with fuel sales -- obviously, the more aircraft you have based here, the more fuel you're going to sell. It just helps generate revenue all the way around."

Work also is nearly complete on airfield centerline striping, and Loy said the airport continues efforts to get snow removal equipment.

"I think we accomplished quite a bit this year and I'm happy to say it's been a decent year," he said.

srinehart@semissourian.com

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