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Making an impression: New terminal building to open at Pryor Field this weekTANNER, Mar 01, 2009 (The Decatur Daily - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- A pilot's lounge that looks like a college freshman's first apartment, housed in a building that has seen little refurbishing since the 1940s. That's the first impression corporate visitors have of Limestone and Morgan counties when they fly into Pryor Field and walk into the terminal building, which dates to World War II. "For industrial prospects looking to locate here, that leaves a lot to be desired," said Donnie Lane, pilot and treasurer of the Pryor Field Regional Airport Authority. "It's important to make a great first impression." It's already made an impression on readers who have called The Daily wondering, "What is that empty white building at Calhoun Community College?" The red-and-white structure is the new terminal facility, which isn't part of the campus but is part of Pryor Field. Visitors will start getting the new impression this week when the $1.8 million terminal building opens with a clock tower and towering windows for views of incoming planes. Lounge area for pilots It will offer pilots areas to lounge, sleep, shower and make flight plans. There also is a conference room and classroom that corporations can use for meetings when chief executive officers fly into Pryor Field, or that pilots can use for Federal Aviation Administration training. Decatur-Athens Aero Services, the fixed base operators, also will have offices at the new terminal. Pryor Field can see, on a sunny day, up to 100 planes, Lane said. It offers 65 private hangars and has 15 to 20 corporate planes stationed there. "This has been a long time coming," Lane said. "It's been in the works five to seven years. Construction was complete around November and December of last year. We've been doing this in phases." The authority lengthened the runway to 6,000 feet, which will accommodate large corporate jets. The authority still is trying to get funding for a $2.7 million instrument landing system, which will allow pilots to land at Pryor Field instead of Huntsville when visibility is hampered. The authority once had federal funding for the system, but that was re-allocated after Hurricane Katrina to fund infrastructure needs on the Gulf Coast. Lane said the Alabama Department of Transportation has allocated $250,000, and the authority has reapplied for the federal funding. Decatur, Athens, Morgan County and Limestone County appropriate $30,000 each every year for the authority. Lane said that helps secure federal grants for improvements. The authority currently is working on a $150,000 grant project to add perimeter fencing for security. "With the Robotics Center coming to Calhoun, we will have direct access to clients from across the nation," Lane said. "Now we can get them off the plane, they can meet at the terminal if they need to, and we can get them directly to the Robotics Center." Historic building The World War II-era terminal will become a maintenance facility. Lane, who learned to fly from the late Clay Smith, said he would like to refurbish the old terminal as a historic building. Smith, who died in 2007 at age 80, helped create the group the Eagles of Tanner, comprising employees from the Southern Aviation Training School. The school taught pilots during World War II at Pryor Field. Those pilots used the old terminal building, and their black-and-white photos hang in areas of the facility and are compiled in an album. "We want to use some of these photos in the new terminal building and have a wall dedicated to Pryor Field's history," Lane said. "This new terminal represents four communities, and is a great economic development tool, but it can also showcase our past." Related Stories: Pryor Field's new air terminal To see more of The Decatur Daily, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.decaturdaily.com Copyright (c) 2009, The Decatur Daily, Ala. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |