Airport Gives Wings to Geauga County
September 27, 2018 by Rose Nemunaitis

EAA, Chapter 5 Presents: 50 Years Flying High on Saturday, Sept. 29

Geauga County Airport took off with a flying start 50 years ago and continues to soar into the future.

“Geauga County is an airport community,” said airport manager Patty Fulop, who recently recounted its history. “Besides being next to industry in location, it is also home to MedEvac, Cleveland Soaring Society and the Experimental Aircraft Association, Chapter 5. It is a place where you can still go and watch aircraft take off and visit with local pilots. (It) provides a great service to the county at very little cost to the taxpayers and has a positive impact on the local economy.”

The airport is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a fly-in and drive-in commemorative event Sept. 29 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 15421 Old State Road in Middlefield.

A half-century ago, Middlefield Chamber of Commerce, area businessmen and individuals rallied together under the direction of Middlefield Mayor and chamber President Glade Harrison to raise $20,000 to purchase the original 42-acre site of the Geauga County Airport.

More than 40 donors helped make the vision a reality and a plaque with their names hangs in the airport’s lobby.

The land was first purchased from Malcolm Boorn, who was part of his family’s farmstead for more than 30 years. Later, the property was donated to the county.

Ground broke Aug. 31, 1967, and a year-long construction project began.

Upon completion, Geauga County Airport consisted of a paved runway 3,500 feet in length by 65 feet in width with runway 10 to the west and 28 to the east. Since then, the magnetic compass has shifted, changing runway numbers to 11 and 29 respectively.

Then Gov. James Rhodes flew to the airport in a DC3 for a celebration and public ceremony Sept. 29, 1968. Guests of honor included Geauga County Commissioners, the Ohio Department of Transportation Office of Aviation and Middlefield chamber members.

“The Geauga County Airport has had a fantastic 50 years,” current Geauga County Commissioner Tim Lennon said. “I would like to applaud past and present board members for their dedication.”

From 1968 to 1971, Richard Gillmore, a franchised Cessna Aircraft dealer and Geauga Air Services Inc. president, became daily airport operator and Falcon Aviation leased the facility.

Around 1977, commissioners appointed an airport advisory committee.

A survey of 1,638 business and individuals in Geauga County recommended to commissioners the airport seek funding from federal government for expansion.

In August 1978, ODOT and the governor also recommended the runway be extended to 5,000 feet, which, to this day, has not happened.

Longer runways can attract more corporate aircraft, Fulop said.

“The funding of the airport was and still is the biggest problem Geauga County Airport faces,” she added.

On Feb. 1, 1980, Firebird Aviation took over operation of the airport until 1992, when commissioners formed the Geauga County Airport Authority, of which Fulop serves as secretary and treasurer.

“During the years Firebird Aviation, FBO (Fixed Base Operator) was here, the airport thrived,” Fulop said. “Hangar development began and air travel was at a peak. A contract with Firebird Aviation was terminated and in 1996, buildings and some of the land were purchased from Ohio Associated Enterprises, the parent company of Firebird Aviation, for $860,000, of which $490,000 was provided by an FAA grant, $200,000 by the board of Geauga County Commissioners and $200,000 by the Geauga County Airport Authority,” Fulop added.

Commissioners paid the airport authority’s portion up front, which the airport paid back over 10 years.

Bandy and Associates, in May 1989, completed the Airport Master Plan. It highlighted making the airport safer for the general aviation public in Geauga County.

Applications for funding at both federal and state levels were rejected.

“The commissioners then hired Whitworth-Borta of Ohio to reapply and the revised pre-application was dated Dec. 21, 1990, and requested $2.8 million dollars of improvements,” Fulop said. “However, in order to receive federal funds, the airport needed to be included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems and was included after the formation of the Geauga County Airport Authority.”

The first grant given by the FAA was from discretionary funds to conduct an Airport Master Plan study of $45,000. Then another grant was given as part of the Airport Improvements Program in 1993 for an addition of land to clear the runway approaches on either end of the runway and for other miscellaneous property.

The airport authority board made updates in the plan in 2013 and continues to recommend the runway be lengthened to at least 4,400 feet.

The key to achieving future improvements involves funding.

The latest version of the airport layout plan shows the addition of hangar space both for corporate and pleasure pilots, property acquisitions, additional obstruction removal and a parallel taxiway.

Current facilities include two T-hangars, one private hangar, two community hangars, a pilot lounge and restroom facility.

“Safety is foremost the board’s primary concern,” Fulop said. “Even though the airport’s day-to-day operations are self-sufficient, projects to increase its economic impact on the county need funding assistance from ODOT, FAA and the county commissioners.”

From 1985 to present, the FAA has contributed approximately $4,206,000 to airport improvements, she said.

Fulop said the county annually provides about $25,000 of valuable grant matching funds to the airport, now 67 acres, which calculates to about 27 cents from each of the 93,000 Geauga County residents.

University Hospitals’ MedEvac 1, part of the Northern Ohio Trauma System, began in 2007 operating out of the airport and responds to about 500 calls per year when minutes matter most.

As the University Hospitals system continues to expand, the helicopter base remains fully staffed 24 hours per day, seven days per week.

MedEvac is the third largest air carrier in the world.

“For MedEvac, it is the perfect location,” Fulop said, adding the county should be grateful to the commissioners for helping to bring MedEvac here.

Future plans include providing more updated facilities for MedEvac.

Nearly 40 based aircrafts do nearly 9,000 operations annually at the airport.

“Geauga County and Middlefield are fortunate to have such a valuable infrastructure asset like the airport,” said Greg Gyllstrom, airport authority board member and Geauga EAA Chapter 5 member. “It supports the businesses of Middlefield and surrounding areas and helps to attract new business to the area. Geauga is well known to the aviation community as an airport with an active and thriving culture.”