CAPE HIRES AIRPORT CHIEF

When Greg Chenoweth learned that the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport had a commuter air carrier -- Trans World Express -- he jumped at the chance to become airport manager here.

"We lost our air carrier in Hutchinson, (Kan.) -- Air Midwest -- to the airport in Wichita, which is only 50 miles away," said Chenoweth, who was picked from a list of 160 applicants to become manager of Cape Girardeau Regional Airport Monday. "It was a cost-saving move by Congress that made a lot of sense, but it killed us because we never got to replace Air Midwest."

Trans World Express on Monday signed a new five-year contract with TWA, which means it will continue to provide commuter service to link smaller cities with TWA terminals.

Hutchinson City Manager Joe Palocioz said Air Midwest moved to Wichita 15 years ago. "It was easier and cheaper for people to drive the 50 miles to Wichita than take a commuter from here," Palocioz said.

Chenoweth, manager of Hitchinson Municipal Airport for the past four years, said he is making the move because of the potential to benefit from Cape Girardeau's growth.

"Hutchinson is 40,000, which is about the same size as Cape Girardeau," Chenoweth said. "But with the air carrier breaking boarding records, and a city geographically located between towns as big as St. Louis and Memphis, I see a lot of growth potential. It seems like more and more people want to get away from big cities."

Cape Girardeau Assistant City Manager Doug Leslie said Chenoweth, 38, was picked because of his extensive experience as an airport manager in a city similar to Cape Girardeau. "We think that Greg's experience will be beneficial to our needs and enable us to move ahead quickly," Leslie said.

Chenoweth will assume his duties Dec. 5.

Chenoweth has been responsible for the airport in Hutchinson since 1986, as the city's parks and facilities assistant director. "I guess I kind of learned about the airport under fire as parks and facilities director," Chenoweth said.

Palacioz said Chenoweth showed an interest in aviation while working as parks and facilities assistant director. "We recognized this and told him he should move in that direction," Palacioz said. "I thought he did a good job here. He'll give a good effort in Cape Girardeau."

Although he lost the commuter air carrier in Hutchinson, Chenoweth managed to keep busy at the airport. "We had 50,000 operations a year, which comes down to an average of about 150 a day," he said. Operations are takeoffs and landings of aircraft at an airport.

"We had a lot of aircraft manufacturers testing their planes here," he said. Hutchinson also had two fixed-based operators.

Asked if he thought a town the size of Cape Girardeau could accommodate two fixed-base operators, Chenoweth said that would depend on what each excelled in. "What you have to do as an airport manager is make sure both fixed-base operators define their market niche," he said. "If one stresses flight training and air charter, the other must be able to do something else to complement that."

Air Evac is the only fixed-base operator at the airport here. However, Cape Girardeau businessman Duane Beussink announced in August that Prestige Air Services would become a fixed-base operator here in the near future.

City Manager J. Ronald Fischer said the last contact the city had with Beussink was a discussion over a lease agreement. That discussion took place over a month ago.

Fischer said Prestige could not become a fixed-base operator until it builds the proper hangar facility. "I think they are still interested in becoming an FBO, but they are still working on where they want to lease land and construction of the building," Fischer said.

Attempts Monday to reach Beussink were unsuccessful.

Like his predecessors, Randy Holdman and interim manager Andy Perry, Chenoweth believes in marketing the facility he manages. "We started the Prairie Skies Air Show here a few years ago," he said. "The way that got started is we asked test pilots if they would want to do some stunts for people who probably don't get to see that kind of thing very often. The pilots loved it and so did the people."

The new airport manager said events such as Balloon Fest and open-house celebrations are powerful tools to get the public excited about the regional airport.

"I think people are just starving for aviation right now," he said. "They love it. Who knows? Maybe someone who shows up for an air show will become a pilot in the same airport some day."