HOULTON, Maine — The Houlton Rotary Club met at noon on Monday Aug. 31, in a remote meeting, with the main reminder to everyone was the E-Waste Day event to be held on Sept. 12, at the Catholic Church parking lot.
Rotarian Matt Nightingale hosted Chris Stewart, director of Public Works for Houlton, a position that Steward has held for six years. Two years ago Stewart was appointed as the Houlton Airport Director and since then he has learned a lot about aviation.
Stewart gave a brief history of the airport. The facility served the United States Government throughout World War II and was deeded to the Town of Houlton in 1947. It has 1,015 acres and two runways.
Presently there are 21 airplanes housed in the hangar at Houlton International and there is around the clock coverage of the facility. A lot of fuel is sold at the airport, about 18,000 gallons of low level fuel and around 18,000 gallons of jet fuel last year alone. The USDA distributed 380,000 rabies vaccines from planes using the airport for staging this effort. Life Flight uses the airport once or twice a week and also Angel Flight Service uses the Houlton Airport.
There is an airport committee that meets periodically and there is a Houlton Flight Club. The club dates back to the 1940’s, ceased to exist in the 1980’s but has been resurrected over the past several years. Residents are able to take flight instruction. Rotarian Fred Grant expressed his experience as one of the most rewarding in his life in Houlton and mentioned that this has opened his eyes to the value of the Houlton International Airport.
Beals Aircraft Service is a huge asset to the airport and attracts a considerable amount of flight traffic with its excellent service and reputation.
For 20 years a master plan has been in the making to develop a new taxi way to runway 5-23. At a cost of $4.7 million funded by the FAA with the town’s share also funded by the FAA, the project is moving forward. A total of $300,000 will be allocated for tree remove to remove obstructions to the flight path. Soderberg Construction of Caribou has won the bid and will sub-contract some of the work. Some asphalt will be removed and some equipment will be upgraded as well and new and improved lighting will be installed. DEP will oversee the work on the wetlands.
The project will begin at the end of September 2020 and it is expected that the airport will remain functional throughout the project with maybe only a week long closure. This project will expand the airport and make it safer and create a more efficiently run operation. Future plans involve purchasing more acreage to be able to extend the runway for larger aircraft.
During Stewart’s questions and answers part of the Rotary meeting it was learned that the FAA bases its funding on the amount of air traffic in and out of a facility. The airport does not charge for landing fees, but benefits from fuel sales. Also, a part-time flight instructor is in demand since the loss of Terry Larson. An instructor does fly up from Old Town to instruct new pilots and advancing pilots. The flight club encourages non-flying members as well as flying members. The cost is $50 per month or $600 per year and $85 per hour to use their plane.
The Houlton International Airport is a hidden gem as it sits in a valley and flights do not take off over the Town. One suggestion from Rotarian Max Lynds is to restore the World War II Tower since it is one of two left in the country and could attract visitors to such an historic site.
