airport administration building and conference room

Media Releases

Bye-Bye Blackhawks

Veteran's Honor Flag flying for Brooksville's Army Air National Guard Aviation Support Unit #2 as five of the Blackhawk crews depart for training in Texas and on to Kosovo for a nine-month peace keeping mission. Photo: Ron Mandes

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FMCA Rally Staying

Family Motor Coach Association to Remain at Airport

(Brooksville, Florida) Airport management received notification today from Mr. Ralph Marino, Southeast Area National Vice President of the Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA), of its intention to remain at the Brooksville-Tampa Bay Regional Airport. The organization has formally requested to extend its lease and license agreement for the airport facilities. The annual motor coach rally, which has resided at the Airport for 15 years, is one of the largest tourism events in the County.

Gary Schraut, Aviation Authority Chairman commented, “We are very appreciative of the decision by Mr. Marino and the National Directors to remain at our Airport. We look forward to working on new agreements and terms that will enhance our mutually beneficial relationship for many years to come”. The Airport recently proposed to the group a number of lease improvements that will directly reduce its costs for hosting the annual rally. The proposal terms are the outcome of meetings with FMCA, Airport staff, County Commission Chairman David Russell, County Commissioner Diane Rowden (Airport Liaison) and Gary Schraut. Staff will work with the FMCA organization to finalize the new license and lease agreements for Aviation Authority and County Commission approval in the coming months.

Welcome Motor Coaches!

Brooksville-Tampa Regional Airport is pleased to welcome members, guests, vendors, entertainers and hundreds of other attendees to the annual Motor Coach Rally! Click on the image below to visit their website and check out the full schedule of events.

SEA SALUTES THE MILITARY

http://seafmca.com/2012Rally/seasalutes2013.html

Aviation Authority Special Meeting November 29th

The Aviation Authority has scheduled a Special Meeting for Thursday November 29th at 3:00 in the Airport Conference Room.

Proposed name: The Who, What and Where

An article in the Tampa Bay Times outlines Why a proposed airport name change is important.

Click to read the article. http://tinyurl.com/TimesNameChg

Tower Operational Monday Oct. 15th at 7:00 AM

PRESS RELEASE- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Air Traffic Control Tower to Commence Operations at Hernando County Airport

(Brooksville, Florida) The newly constructed Air Traffic Control Tower which was dedicated in May is now staffed and ready to commence operations. The Tower represents a new era in enhanced operational safety at Hernando County Airport. With the tower opening on Monday, October 15, 2012 at 7:00 AM, the local airspace will be reclassified to Controlled Airspace. Hours of operation for the tower will be 7:00 AM -10:00 PM, seven days per week.

The state-of-the-art facility is staffed by an experienced team of five full-time Air Traffic Controllers and a Manager. The controllers are employed by Robinson Aviation (RVA), Inc., one of three national companies authorized to operate contract control towers. The controllers are all retired Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Controllers. Combined, they boast 194 years of FAA Air Traffic Control experience.

Airport users have taken advantage of several opportunities to meet with the RVA Team. During town hall type meetings, resident pilots and other users have met with the Controllers to learn about the new tower and its procedures.

Gov. Scott Announces Major Hernando County Airport Business Expansion.

Tower Manager Reports for Duty

Effective August 15, 2012, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has informed the Hernando County Airport that the contract to provide controller staffing for the new Air Traffic Control Tower has been issued to Robinson Aviation (RVA), Inc. RVA will be paid from the FAA's Federal Contract Tower program and no Hernando County funds are required.

RVA has identified Jimmy Mills, the current manager at Leesburg Airport and a resident o f Weeki Wachee as Hernando's first Air Traffic Manager. An aviation professional and pilot of numerous military and civilian aircraft, Mills retired from the FAA in 2003 after 37 years of total federal service and has managed FAA air traffic control towers at Savannah, West Palm Beach and Miami International Airports.

Initially, Mills and a specialist on loan from Leesburg Tower will be busy finalizing procedural agreements with airport operators, developing controller training and certification programs, and meeting with airport users. He expects five Air Traffic Controllers will be selected within the next few weeks and several more could be added depending upon operational need. RVA reports Hernando County is fortunate to have a very large resident pool of licensed controllers with prior military and FAA experience.

Mills is confident every citizen in Hernando County and each pilot using the airport will benefit from the Tower's safe, orderly and expeditious service to arriving and departing aircraft. He relays RVA's congratulations to the County Commissioners, the Aviation Authority, Airport Manager Don Silvernell and his professional staff for their success in building a world-class, state-of-the-art Control Tower. If all proceeds as expected the Tower's commissioning date and the historic beginning of air traffic control services for Hernando County is projected for mid-October.