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In Times Of Turbulence

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By GEORGE H. NEWMAN

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 24, 2008

PLANT CITY - The managing operators of Plant City Airport are used to challenges to their business.

Since taking over the operation of the airport, Stanley Pure, 58, and his son Martin, 34, have faced a continuation of restricted airspace following the Sept. 11 attacks; airplane and airport insurance rates reaching new altitudes, and the rising cost of aviation fuel.

But the Pures, who said they got into the business because they love to fly, are finding ways to make the airport survive in a turbulent market.

"We knew that we had some big challenges to overcome," Stanley Pure said from his home in Atlanta. "Some of the challenges facing us then have been eclipsed by one single hurdle: the high cost of aviation fuel."

Although the 100 octane fuel sold at general aviation airports like Plant City's typically sells for about $7 per gallon, the Pures keep the cost 50 to 60 cents per gallon lower to help attract aviators. They also use aircraft repair services, affordable hangar space and a flight school to lure more business.

"We can save aviators $200 or $300 each time they fill a 300- or 400-gallon tank," Martin Pure said. "But while gas prices might entice someone to land here to fill up if it didn't take the plane too far off course, that is just a small piece of the puzzle. We have also assembled a strong maintenance team that is bringing business to the airport even when the takeoff and landing numbers continue to go down."
Pilot Kevin Klotz, flying to St. Petersburg from the Bahamas, landed May 19 at Plant City Airport and fits the profile of the typical customer, Martin Pure said. Klotz dropped off two passengers who had accompanied him on a fishing expedition and topped off his Piper Aerostar's fuel tanks before continuing on his way.

"That is what we often see," Martin Pure said. "When it's convenient for them, pilots will take on fuel here before flying to their destination."

Still, fuel sales are off 15 to 20 percent from the 130,000 gallons sold in fiscal 2006-07.

Martin Pure and his father have managed Plant City Airport since they bought the service contract from David Mitchell in July 2004. The airports is owned by the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority.

"We have taken our little airport and made it available for aviation mechanics to work in," Stanley Pure said. "Our hangar rates are competitive and far more available than many of the surrounding airfields. We offer a great location where aviators and mechanics can bring their planes for maintenance without a lot of traffic and hassles."

One of the complaints Mitchell had when he operated the 200-acre airport was there wasn't enough hangar space.

In 2005, the aviation authority built a T hangar that houses 10 airplanes, Martin Pure said.

A T hangar is an enclosed steel structure that has entrance doors on each side and allows planes to be parked side by side out of the weather in separated compartments.

The aviation authority was going to build another T hangar, but the Pures convinced the agency to build a 12,000-square-foot bulk hangar instead. The open hangar, which will accommodate maintenance and overnight storage, will better suit the needs of the airport, Stanley Pure said.

The new hangar will be ready for use by the end of June.

"We have leased space in the new hangar to Mark Harris, a former military turbine aircraft mechanic who has built a solid reputation in the industry," Pure said. "Mark has all the tools, physically and mentally, to attract large aircraft owners to our airport."

Harris and his team of mechanics are sharing space in a 12,000-square-foot bulk hangar that was built when Mitchell operated the airport. Harris will have more space for his business in the new hangar at the airport, 4007 Airport Road.

The Plant City Airport Services Flight School has also become an important part of the puzzle for financial success, Stanley Pure said.

"We have purchased two more planes and hired new instructors to accommodate an increase in student pilots coming to us from around the region," he said

The addition of the 2006 Diamond DA40 and 1978 Cessna gives the flight school seven aircraft.

"Other airports in the area have drastically cut back on their flight schools or eliminated them altogether," Pure said. "We made a conscious decision to provide those students with the opportunity to learn how to fly."

One of the flight instructors at the airport, Wayne Wall, 62, is the chief flight instructor for fixed-wing aircraft at the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. Wall recently qualified Sheriff David Gee for his private aviation license at the facilities.

Gee made headlines last year when the single-engine Cessna he was flying out of the airport struck a large turkey buzzard at about 300 feet.

"Gee did a tremendous job maintaining control of the aircraft and returning to the airport," Wall said. "People on the ground heard the impact. The left wing aileron was damaged, limiting the plane's maneuverability. It made me proud that David, with a minimum of solo flying time after certification, was able to land that plane safely."

Wall, who has been flying for 40 years, became licensed as a fixed-wing instructor about nine years ago. He became part of the flight school at Plant City Airport when Mitchell, a retired Hillsborough County sheriff's deputy, operated the facility.

"A lot of things had to come together to make the flight school and the entire airport a going concern," Wall said. "David Mitchell, the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority and Stanley and Martin Pure have been a positive influence on the overall success of the entire operation."

Alan Van Gee, a fixed-wing instructor at the flight school, gives the Pures a lot of credit for its success.

"They are very people-oriented," Van Gee said. "They care about the instructors and the students. Their attention to airplane maintenance, and flight school space and equipment has drawn student pilots from other facilities.

"Management at the airport has done a great job in making a big difference around here."

Martin Pure said he and his father have done what was needed to keep the airport operating while general aviation flying has declined.

"General aviation goes through changes all the time," Martin Pure said. "We have to recognize those changes and make adjustments to stay ahead of the curve. The county aviation authority has helped us achieve our goals. But we still have a ways to go.

"My father and I love flying. Making the Plant City Airport a successful operation is something we are passionate and determined to see happen."

Reporter George H. Newman can be reached at (813) 865-4451 or gnewman@tampatrib.com.

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