HOULTON, Maine — Town councilors on Monday evening waived hangar fees for the Houlton Flying Club.
Terry Beals, president of the club, appeared before the council to request the $900 fee waiver and answer any questions.
“We are a non-profit organization, and our goal is to promote aviation and educate future pilots,” he told councilors.
The Houlton Flying Club was established at Houlton International Airport decades ago, although it took a brief hiatus after membership declined in the 1980’s, according to Beals.
“If you could help us by waiving the fees, it would help us to do the job that we’d like to do,” he said. “We as a club feel that any viable airport needs a flying club, which also goes along with partnership with town. We have a great asset out there at the airport. We need to take advantage of it.”
The council also waived the fees last year.
Matt Nightingale, who is the treasurer for the organization, told councilors that the club has 20 members, and ten of them are pilots taking training classes. He said the club has a plane, which has flown over 290 hours with 90 percent of those hours being logged by pilots in training.
Councilor Hal Britton questioned Beals about the benefits of waiving the fee for the town.
“If you think ahead, it benefits the town to support the club,” he said. “People would buy their own planes, pay hangar rent to the town, and we will sell more fuel.”
Councilor Joe McKenna was in favor of the idea, saying he felt that giving up $900 was a “small price to pay.”
Councilors agreed, and voted unanimously to waive the fee.
