By JENNIFER BUSKE
Friday, November 24, 2006

An Oregon-based company submitted site plans to Stafford's planning department last month in order to build Stafford Regional Airport's first corporate hangar.

The construction of the hangar, which will be owned and used by Vertol Systems Co., will be just one of the many changes that will occur at the airport in the next several years as airport officials work to expand the facility.

"We're right on the verge of a large expansion," said Stafford airport manager Edward Wallis. "We want to expand so we become self-sufficient and return revenue to the surrounding municipalities."

Vertol plans to build a two-story, roughly 30,480-square-foot aircraft hangar. The building, which will sit on about 2.5 acres, will be used for storage as well as office space, according to county documents.

According to Vertol's Web site, the company provides aircraft equipment and services to various customers, including the United States government. Vertol's James Montgomerie, who submitted the site plans for the company, said he would not comment about the company's specific plans for the property or why Vertol is building in Stafford.

Vertol plans to sign a 40-year ground lease with the airport and pay for the construction of the hangar. The company will pay about $22,860 a year to operate in Stafford, Wallis said, noting all that money goes back to the airport to help it grow and expand.

The new hangar will also bring more traffic to the airport and more fuel sales, Willis said, adding that the airport currently sells about 24,000 gallons of fuel a month.

Stafford Regional Airport opened Dec. 13, 2001 with "37 acres of asphalt and that was it," Wallis said. Now, the airport includes one T-hangar as well as one large building to house aircraft.

The Stafford Regional Airport Authority owns and operates the airport, which is used by about 850 aircraft a month. According to the airport's Web site, this independent authority - which includes representatives from Stafford and Prince William counties as well as the City of Fredericksburg - along with the Federal Aviation Administration, have worked since 1989 to develop the facility.

Wallis said airport officials are continuously working to expand the airport and several new developments are under way. The airport is undergoing a $1.5 million apron expansion, Wallis said. The project, which is mainly funded through state and federal dollars, includes the addition of 90,000 square feet of pavement that will allow those who come in and build new hangars to access the runway.

Airport officials are also working with Dominion Virginia Power to develop a three-phase power infrastructure, Wallis said. This system, which will be funded by the airport authority, is needed for corporate hangar buildings to "efficiently" function. Wallis said once the power system is in place, the airport will become "very marketable."

Wallis said right now the airport has contractors ready to build two more T-hangars and possibly a third.
"There's a demand," Wallis said about the need for more hangar space. "We have 34 people on the hangar waiting list. The area is growing. More people are moving here with aircraft, and also there are just more people who can afford aircraft."

As of now, there are no plans to bring commercial aircraft to the facility, Wallis said. The authority, however wants to see more corporate hangars built as well as a terminal building. Wallis said officials will start designing a terminal building next year and begin construction around the year 2009.