Right Fit Blog
Three Hallmarks of a Well Run Airport
Written by Kim Poppke Friday, 10 May 2013 11:30
So, you're considering a new location for your aviation business and all geography and facility elements feel right. How can you tell whether it's a well run airport?
While all are different, there are some key standards by which an airport should be measured.
Consistency
Airports, like most developed facilities, have covenants. Similar to shopping centers or corporate parks business operators are typically tenants. All are subject to lease terms. In addition to leases, airports often have aviation-specific Minimum Operating Standards. These apply to any business conducted on the airport. Minimum Standards have similarities from airport to airport and mostly pertain to aircraft storage, business classification, insurance and safety of operations. Not only is the sensibility of such rules important, but also the consistency with which they are enforced. What if one business is held to compliance, while others are not? It is reasonable to expect consistent application of sensible airport rules. Here is the link to ours. Minimum Standards
Financial Solvency
Is the airport strong financially? A measure of sound financial standing is the ability to smoothly acquire grant funding for airport improvements and other projects. Whether federal or state, grants generally have matching fund requirements. Even for urgent projects such as unexpected runway or taxiway repairs eligible for state emergency fund reimbursement, cash reserves are required for immediate action.
When opportunities arise to support expansion of existing businesses by enhancing roadways, intersections and other infrastructure, are they seized? Due to forward-thinking staff and knowledge of available resources, this is happening here. Thanks to - and helping with - the growth of one enterprise, all benefit with an improved airport.
If municipal, does the airport operate from the General Fund or is it an Enterprise Fund? As an Enterprise Fund like ours, it is self-supporting and managed independent of vagaries of the County tax base, among other things.
Recognition
Acknowledgement by the Florida Department of Transportation is nice, especially if it happens three times! Every year FDOT evaluates airports and recognizes superior achievement with a Commercial and a General Aviation Airport award. In 1993, 2000 and 2011 this airport won General Aviation Airport of the Year. To qualify as a contender for GA Airport of the Year, excellence is required in Safety, Aesthetics and Airport Management. Here are the FDOT Award Criteria. Your future airport should measure themselves by these and more every day. While a pleasing airport appearance important, a great new business location is more than meets the eye.
Access: The Competitive Edge
Written by Kim Poppke Friday, 01 March 2013 09:43
Time is Money
Time is money, particularly in the aviation industry. Not only is travel by air fast, it can save time with direct access to destinations. In order to get and keep aircraft in the air, efficiency and time management are rated at every level by cost. From staffing to software much has been researched and written about production and turnaround times. The most powerful device in the turnaround time toolkit is facility location. Quick access to parts, suppliers, workforce, technology and transportation saves time. Easy passage by air or ground for customers adds sharpness to the competitive edge.
North Tampa Bay
From Brooksville-Tampa Bay Regional Airport most major US population centers are two hours or less by air. Truck routes and interstates bring 80% of the country to within a two day drive. For those who are suppliers to Boeing and Airbus, both are equidistant away in South Carolina and Alabama, respectively. Access to Mexico, Latin America and beyond via ocean vessel is available from the Port of Tampa, an hour away by rail. Commercial airline service is on hand from nearby Tampa International Airport.
Easily accessible by air, road, rail or sea the 2400 acre Brooksville-Tampa Bay Regional Airport delivers value with forward-thinking infrastructure. Ready land parcels adjacent to runway or rail can be as large as 100+ acres. Sites of various sizes are positioned throughout business and corporate parks. This award-winning airport is home to over 125 businesses including several aerospace suppliers. And, with Tampa Bay home to the nation's second highest population of retired military personnel, time-saving access to talent is near.
Optimized Facilities
Boasting low operating costs and a favorable tax structure, aviation businesses can leverage an easy-to-get-to location with a state-of-the-art facility. Right off the freeway, travelers can meet charter aircraft at an available upscale private terminal and aviation complex. Or, with its spacious interior and floor-to-ceiling windows, it could serve as a showroom or office building for an aircraft service center or commercial flight school.
Planned for occupancy in 2014 is a new 32,000 sf hangar, shop and ramp complex. Adjacent to the primary runway and fully customizable, the 32' x 120' door size and layout can accommodate any type of regional or corporate aircraft.
Whether manufacturer, supplier or service provider, turnaround time must be as short as possible. With attention to safety, quality and economy, every moment counts and competition is keen. The greater the distance between points the greater the cost. A Brooksville-Tampa Bay Airport location delivers a competitive advantage.
Airdyne C-130 Door: "Rock Steady"
Written by Kim Poppke Monday, 11 February 2013 16:55
When competition includes mega DOD contractors, complacency is not an option. In fact, overcompensation is a virtual requirement for attention by military buyers. Airdyne Aerospace, a growing firm here at BKV, has secured a number of military contracts and others, including recent scientific missions to the Arctic.
Airdyne, designer of the SABIR system, which is a roll-on/roll-off product allowing C-130 transport aircraft to mount various sensors and radars, just completed successful flight trials here with the Air National Guard C-130 Wing.
Shown - below left - discussing attributes of the SABIR door just installed on a Pennsylvania National Guard aircraft is Airdyne President Ross Neyedly (left) with Aviation Authority Chairman Gary Schraut (right). Below right is an exterior view of the door.
Installed here at the airport on Friday, the roll on/roll off SABIR door system was tested with multiple altitude flights around the pattern. Advanced design engineering proved effective with the dusk-timed tests. Stability of the door structure, housing and camera referred to by Mr. Neyedly as "rock-steady" yielded extraordinarily high resolution images in the changing daylight. Such quality and design sophistication is increasingly recognized by not only various military agencies but law enforcement, fire fighting, customs, border protection and more.
From military to scientific missions and disaster response, Airdyne specialized door systems are the right fit for C-130s world-wide. For more about Airdyne Aerospace visit www.airdyne.org.
A New Years Greeting in Verse
Written by Kim Poppke Thursday, 03 January 2013 10:21
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Break Through with an Advocate
Written by Kim Poppke Monday, 10 December 2012 15:06
Are
you overwhelmed by the sheer volume of decisions to be made now that you've opted
for a new business location here? You know there are customers in the region
that will be benefit from your Tampa Bay presence. Your CFO has confirmed considerable
bottom line savings associated with the move to BKV. Your business has a corporate
mission, facility vision and time frame but - what now? The road from this moment
to the "Doors-Open" Finish Line can have many curves, intersections, ups, downs
and hidden potholes. There may also be short cuts, alternate routes and bypasses.
Right about now you realize the value of having an Advocate. To avoid wasting your
staff's time navigating an unfamiliar landscape of critical tasks and competing
priorities, capitalize on Airport and Business Development resources. We know what
to do, who to call, where to go and when.
Your Hernando County advocate team can work with you at every step. From helping you select the runway-adjacent site that best suits your needs to ensuring that you receive all the incentives you may qualify for. This is familiar ground for us. As your allies, we work closely with you to organize priorities among your "Must Haves" and your "Wish List". Not only will we ask you the right questions, we'll furnish guidance and options as you navigate the course. New construction? With enough employees and customers, your business might be a candidate for multiple entrances and a traffic signal. Didn't know that? That's OK because we do. As your advocates, we want you to focus on your business success and be assured that we are with you while you take the most direct and efficient route to the Finish Line.
December Aviation Authority meeting changed to 20th
Written by Kim Poppke Friday, 07 December 2012 13:49
The December Aviation Authority meeting was moved to Thursday the 20th at 3:30.
From Here to Here or There to Here
Written by Kim Poppke Tuesday, 13 November 2012 15:14
Outgrowing your facility? Congratulations; your success is hard-earned and well-deserved! Now what? First among many decisions is the new site for your business. For many, the natural preference is to remain and grow in place. Least disruptive, it is where staff lives, the community and customers are familiar and the supplier network is established. In some cases however, this option may not be viable. Quite often, particularly on airports where runway accessible property is at a premium, space may be cost prohibitive or unavailable. And maybe the idea of entering another long-term relationship with airport management gives you pause.
Here at BKV a resident business recently faced this situation. Accuform Signs, a manufacturer and recipient of multiple Tampa Bay Employer of the Year Awards, is poised to double in size. Pleased with their 10+ years at Hernando County, their inquiry about possible build sites here at the Airport was met with an immediate response. Within days, Accuform leadership was presented with multiple large sites to choose from. Their selection - a forty acre parcel - will soon feature a 304,000sf state-of-the-art facility and employ 500. As the largest business expansion in Florida, Governor Scott visited to make the announcement personally.
While the Right Fit for Accuform was to stay where they were confident in a high level of airport management, local government and business community support, for others it makes sense to relocate here. Aviation businesses in the high cost regions of the U.S. are wise to conduct a side-by-side cost/benefit comparison. Upsides to the year-round operational climate in Florida were long ago realized by many prominent names in aviation and aerospace. In addition to the weather, taxes, employment and other costs of doing business here are welcoming. And - with 2400 acres - there are premium locations to choose from. Large parcels in excess of 100 acres deliver runway access. The on site Rail Park makes this airport multi-modal.
Is it time to expand your business and are you tired of high costs, no space to grow and unsupportive airport management? Try the recently renamed Brooksville-Tampa Regional Airport on for size. It might be the Right Fit for your growing business.
Why Oktober is Great for one Flight Instructor
Written by Kim Poppke Wednesday, 17 October 2012 11:25
To some October conjures images of colorful leaves, brisk temperatures and Halloween. To Lynn Postel, Flight Instructor at American Aviation, it means a fully booked calendar. Students are plentiful but the main reason he is so busy has more to do with Polka than piloting. As one of the tuba players for DBB - or - Deutschmeister Blas Band, Mr. Postel joins other talented musicians every year to celebrate Oktoberfest. With authenticity in mind, band members perform in colorful lederhosen, dirndls, braids and felt hats. Hands clap, feet stomp and couples Polka all around the Tampa region when this Oompah band performs. Back-to-back gigs include many types of venues with multiple performances on some days throughout this month-long celebration. Old and young enjoy tilting back the steins and getting lost in the sounds of the season. So, although the temperatures are in the eighties and palm trees are far from the Black Forest of the Old Country, for those who would like to add some fun to their Fall, booking DBB is The Right Fit. Do it early though, this group is in demand every year. Learn more at http://www.deutschmeisterblasband.com/index.htm
Rise with Hernando County's Civil Air Patrol
Written by Kim Poppke Monday, 10 September 2012 11:31
A proud history and dynamic future describe today's Civil Air Patrol. Never more relevant, the organization founded in 1941 continues to play a vital role in aerial operations and aerospace education. Visually, the image of the tri-bladed propeller represents the three equivalent missions of the Civil Air Patrol:
- Emergency Services (Search and Rescue; Disaster Relief; Homeland Security)
- Cadet and Youth Development
- Promotion of Science Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) via Aerospace Education
In an Emergency
As an auxiliary to the United States Air Force, volunteer civilian pilots of the Civil Air Patrol perform more than 85% of all continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions. Directed by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida, searches are usually initiated by emergency beacons. Whether aircraft, watercraft or hiker in distress, Civil Air Patrol pilots have been instrumental in thousands of rescues.
Besides rescue missions, Civil Air Patrol pilots act as a "force mulitplier" in support of organizations such as the U.S. Coast Guard, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Federal Aviation Administration, American Red Cross and more. They are also key surveillance resources for the Customs and Border Patrol Agency in the war on drugs.
In Cadet and Youth Development
Hernando County youth age 12 to 18 are very fortunate to have access to an active Composite Squadron here at Hernando County Airport. As Cadets, young men and women progress through a 16-step program of leadership training, physical fitness, education and moral leadership. Focus is on character development and the core values of Integrity, Volunteer Service, Excellence and Respect in compliance with U.S. Air Force standards. Meetings are conducted in military style and one meeting per month is devoted exclusively to physical fitness training and activities.
In addition to an affordable way to learn to fly, Cadets participate in competitions and activities at regional, state and national levels. They can also earn scholarships in such subjects as science, engineering, aerospace medicine, aircraft mechanics and meteorology, among others. Those cadets who earn officer status may enter the Air Force as an E3 (Airman First Class), if they choose. Hernando County Squadron Cadets enjoy participating in the annual MacDill AFB Air Show by guarding the flight line.
Among the 61,551 Civil Air Patrol members nationwide, the Florida Wing has the most with 4,100. The Hernando County Squadron has the distinction of being one of only two glider training locations in the state of Florida. Cadets in Hernando County enjoy learning to fly in both powered and non-powered aircraft.
In STEM Education
New for the 2012-2013 school year, the Hernando County School District is incorporating Civil Air Patrol Aerospace education into the curriculum. The MARS (Making Aerospace Real for Students) program is well regarded and aligns with National Academic Standards of Learning. As the Aerospace Education and Professional Development Officer for the Hernando County Squadron, Captain Mike Runyan is working with the school district to introduce the endorsed curriculum into four schools. Participating schools for this first year are: Springstead High School, Central High School, Powell Middle School and Challenger K-8. The curriculum content builds important STEM-based skills and encourages curiosity and experimentation via such projects as rocket building and design of working machines such as a hover craft.
In the Community
As an Air Force auxiliary, the Civil Air Patrol receives special rates to operate, fuel and maintain aircraft as well as some other benefits associated with being a national organization. On a day-to-day basis however, they manage as a non-profit reliant upon sponsorships and donations. Hernando County Composite Squadron 301 is fortunate to be a United Way recipient.
Powerful support was evident last Spring when Alans Roofing came through for the Squadron. Sorely in need of a new roof, the Civil Air Patrol was facing a cost of approximately $8,000 for the roof replacement. As heartfelt recognition that the Civil Air Patrol is always there when they are needed, Alans Roofing, a locally-owned business known for their community commitment, donated the entire roof. Installation was accomplished over two days by an all-volunteer crew. For just the cost of a few materials, the Civil Air Patrol now enjoys a building with a top quality, brand new roof built to last.
Nowhere is the level of committment to Youth and Community Service more evident than with Squadron Leaders. Originally from Massachusetts, Squadron Commander Captain Donald Whalen presents a diverse professional background. After 25 years in law enforcement, he earned his law degree and served in the Air National Guard. After retiring from the military, practice of law and law enforcement, Captain Whalen moved to Florida. He checked out the Civil Air Patrol Squadron that his grandson was involved in and became involved himself. He was soon elevated to the position he now holds. Captain Whalen shares Squadron leadership with Captain Mike Runyan who manages the Aerospace Education as well as the Glider Training Program.
Join
Interested in learning more? Mr. Whalen and Mr. Runyan recommend attending at least 3 meetings to get a feel for the program and then fill out an application to join. Squadron 301 is a Composite Squadron which means it is comprised of both Cadets (12 - 18 year olds) and Seniors (over 18 years of age). Weekly meetings are Tuesday evenings at 7:00 at the Civil Air Patrol building, 3151 Air Commerce Blvd. at the Hernando County Airport. For more information visit www.gocivilairpatrol.com or http://fl301.flwg.us/fl301.aspx or email to capfl301@aol.com.
Hernando County Airport Fully Operational During RNC
Written by Kim Poppke Tuesday, 21 August 2012 10:21
Hernando County Airport, a direct 35 minute drive north of Tampa, will be open and unaffected by Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR's) associated with next week's RNC convention. Beginning August 26th and concluding August 30th, event attendees not traveling on commercial airlines may land and depart at their convenience from nearby Hernando County Airport.
Long runways accommodate any size charter or general aviation aircraft. The full service Fixed Base Operator welcomes visitors with an elegant lobby and amenities. Ample aircraft parking, hangar space and fuel is available. Rental cars, limousines, town cars and other ground transportation can be arranged. For more information call 352-754-4061.
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