York County Airports Get Grants

By Christina Kauffman, The York Dispatch, Pa.

Jul. 25–Two York County airports are among 18 statewide to win state grants to improve their facilities.

The state’s Bureau of Aviation announced this week that it will distribute $3.9 million, with a combined $180,000 going to York Airport and Baublitz Airport.

York Airport in Jackson Township will receive $93,750 to remove trees and electrical poles to improve its landing access.

There are trees and power poles close to the end of the runway that must be moved in order for the public airport to be authorized to use a new instrument approach, or landing system, said Tim Tate, vice-president of York Aviation Inc., which operates York Airport.

“Instrument approach” is a path pilots fly to find the end of the runway when weather is bad. The current system allows pilots to land when clouds are 500 feet or higher.

Under the new, more accurate system, they will be able to land when there are clouds between 300 and 350 feet from the ground, Tate said.

The Federal Aviation Administration won’t approve the new system until all of the “protected airspace” is cleared,” he said.

The grant will pay for about 75 percent of the cost of the changes, with the airport paying the other 25 percent, he said.

Tate said that, over the years, state grants have provided the funds to “really improve and upgrade” the airport.

He said the airport is important to the local economy, with a lot of business traffic in and out of the facility, and the grant will expand the conditions under which people can use it.

“It is an amenity for our community that people just don’t think about all of the time,” he said.

Baublitz Airport in Chanceford Township will get $90,000 to buy more land, said one of the owners, Bruce Eveler.

“We’re hopefully trying to buy some land to ease the neighboring properties,” he said.

The land deal is not finalized, but would include property on the north and south sides to give a “bigger buffer,” Eveler said.

Funding for the grants comes from collection of a state jet fuel tax. The grants are supplemented with a 25 percent match from the airports, according to state officials.

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