By Dave Elliott, Airport Manager
As the summer draws to a close, we’d like to share a review of activities at Meadow Lake Airport.
The runway and taxiways were closed for a week in August for American Road Maintenance to perform pavement maintenance with crack filling, seal coating and re-striping. It looks great. This $300,000 program was based on grants from the Federal Aviation Authority and the Colorado Aeronautics Board, as well as matching funds from the Meadow Lake Airport Association. Pavement maintenance is performed every four to five years to protect the primary surfaces of the airport and extend their projected lifespan to 20 to 25 years.
Meadow Lake Flight Center: The MLAA continues to upgrade the old American Aviation property on Judge Orr Road, now the “Rudy Welch General Aviation Terminal,” to serve the public. If you have family or friends flying personal aircraft in to visit, this is our transient parking.
A new program being initiated by the Colorado Division of Aeronautics this year will provide data to the airport about transients and where they come from. We’re looking forward to results of the program to learn what the actual service area is for this regional airport.
Meadow Lake Activities Center: The Experimental Aircraft Association Bruce McCombs Chapter 72 continues to expand their programs with the Red Bird flight simulator. They also host their youth group (Chapter 72.5), as well as Civil Air Patrol Cadet Squadron 160, BSA Troop 149. The EAA 72 restarted their annual “Young Eagle” program (March to November). To date this year, they have flown about 140 youths (ages 8-17) for free 15-minute introductory flights on the second Saturday each month (weather permitting). Reservations can be made online at https://www.EAA72.org. Many members of Chapter 72 made the annual pilgrimage to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for “AirVenture 2024” in July, along with 686,000 fellow aviation enthusiasts. Meadow Lake aircraft were well-represented in the over 10,000 airplanes flown in and on display.
With the return to school in August, Falcon Aerolab has relocated their academic STEM program from School District 49’s Patriot Learning Center to Meadow Lake. The program has 75 students enrolled in STEM/Aerospace academic courses and build-a-plane program here and 125 powered flight students across Colorado. In addition, the Aircraft Mechanic Program has entered their fifth year at Meadow Lake with 32 students (10 in the advanced class). In the first four years, 120 students have attended this program with six continuing on into aviation maintenance careers, two into military maintenance programs (Air Force and Navy). More information is available online at https://www.falconaerolab.org.
Meadow Lake Soaring Center: Planning for the Falcon AeroLab/SOAR Foundation “Aviation Center of Excellence” continues to move forward. We hope to enter into a ground lease this fall and see construction of the new facility next year. Aerolab’s “IFT-Gliders” (Introductory Flight Training) program continues to expand with 17 students in this fall term.
High Flights Soaring Club and Falcon AeroLab have reinitiated their soaring programs after a temporary grounding last winter for engine overhauls on both tow planes. “Discovery Flights” are available for purchase at https://www.highflights.com.
Meadow Lake has again applied for federal funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure LAW for a new terminal building and transient ramp to expand our capabilities to the Falcon community. While we desire to improve our facilities on the airport and grow in our service to the Falcon community, there are no current plans to physically expand the size of the airport or our runways. We are committed to remaining a “grassroots” general aviation airport, home to 485 local aircraft. See https://www.GOKFLY.us.
