NRMA NEWS FOR THE WEEK OF JUNE 16TH, 2002
Welcome to the 48th issue of NRMA News - an almost weekly, sometimes monthly, summary of events at New Richmond Municipal Airport. This newsletter is sent to approximately 200 individuals associated with NRMA.
WEB SITE ADDRESS . . . Check out the airport website at: http://www.nrairport.com . . . .
PLANNING
NRMA has money set aside in the 2002 budget for planning and design of future projects. A public hearing will be held during the next Airport Commission meeting, which is scheduled for Wednesday, June 26th at 6:30 PM in hangar 6-1 to discuss planning. All hangar owners and airport users are invited to attend. The items listed for future projects include: reconstruction of runway 14-32, adding 1000' to runway 14-32 and the parallel taxiway, additional taxilanes in the north hangar area, creation of an aviation business area, creation of a residential airpark, land acquisition, security fencing and gates, and access road construction. I must emphasize the above projects are not a sure thing. They are a listing of possible projects that may occur during the next five to six years. Funding at the state and local levels is the key to any airport project.
I would like your input on what you want for improvements here at NRMA. Please take a few minutes to complete the on-line form at: http://www.nrairport.com/future1.htm .
Also, as always, we will be having a cook-out following the meeting/public hearing. Everyone is invited!
GREAT ATTENDANCE
Thanks to everyone who attended the FAA Aviation Safety Seminar held on May 2nd. Over 130 people attended the event, which was a 65% increase over the seminar held in 2001.
ONLY THREE LEFT
A new north hangar layout is available for download from the hangar construction page located at: http://www.nrairport.com/new%20hangars.htm . Only 3 hangars remain out of the original 32 or 33 spaces. Sixteen hangars are up or are nearing completion with the rest to follow shortly.
THINGS THAT BREAK AT AIRPORTS
The spring weather has not been kind to the various electronic equipment at NRMA. The Ground Communications Outlet, the device used to obtain instrument clearances on the ground at NRMA, suffered a power surge in mid-April, which rendered the unit unusable. It was returned to the factory for service - twice. It still doesn't work. Plan on having the unit out of service for the next two to three weeks.
The Non-Directional Beacon was also out of service for approximately three weeks due to an antenna failure. Heavy snow the last weekend in April caused the antenna to snap. The antenna was re-installed and the unit was re-commissioned in May.
For a one-week period in May the Automated Weather Observation Station reported, "Visibility missing. Present weather identification not available." Apparently a sensor went out and was subsequently replaced by the AWOS technicians from CLH, Inc. out of Minneapolis. In the early morning hours of June 9th, the AWOS suffered a lightning strike, this time damaging the ceiling sensor. For the past 9 days, the AWOS was not reporting cloud height. The AWOS techs were back out today to make the repairs. Everything is now back in service.
NEW THINGS @ NRMA
- A floating "L" shaped dock was constructed by airport personnel in late May and installed near the sea-plane ramp about 10 days ago.
- The grass runway was recently thatched, fertilized, and sprayed for weeds - for the first time in about 35 years.
- New runway markers with reflectors will be installed along the grass runway next week.
- The pilot lounge in the Griggs Aviation hangar at NRMA underwent a slight makeover last week - stop by and check it out.
- The white fence posts south of Airport Road were removed last week to make way for a park-like picnic area. A few picnic tables, a grill, and possibly even a small picnic shelter are planned for the area.
- A new flower garden is under construction near the auto parking lot entrance on the south end of the airport.
- The Town of Star Prairie and St. Croix County Highway Department cleared the way for signs designating the north hangar area. Two new signs were installed north and south of the north hangar area on CTH CC.
- Twenty-Eight lilac bushes were planted along the airport property line at the request of our neighbors.
NATURAL GAS
Xcel Energy announced tentative plans to install natural gas lines in the north hangar area beginning in mid to late August. If you still want gas service and have not notified me yet, please let me know. I will forward the appropriate info to Xcel. Please send an e-mail to mike@nrairport.com
SEA-PLANE FLY-IN
Bill Lawson announced plans for a sea-plane fly-in scheduled for Saturday, June 29th along the west shore of Bass Lake. A flyer is available at: http://www.nrairport.com/lawsonflyin.htm
THE NRMA ADOPT-A-DUCK PROGRAM
We have plenty of geese, ducks, seagulls, and other wildlife at NRMA, but these particular ducks were different. During the first half of May, I noticed five white ducks walking up Airport Road here at NRMA shortly after a thunderstorm moved through the area. The ducks made their way through the parking lot, into the drainage ditch near hangar 1-2 where they paddled around for a minute or two, and eventually waddled into the south hangar area where they spent the night on the apron to hangar 2-6. The ducks eventually made their way to a semi-permanent home under a trailer sitting outside of hangar 5-7. A local hangar owner informed me he saw a lady removing the ducks from her car along the south shore of Hatfield Lake a few hours prior to their appearance at the airport. After six days at NRMA, a new home was finally found for the ducks near Barron, Wisconsin - thanks to the help of several volunteers.
I'd love to hear your comments/suggestions http://www.nrairport.com/comments.htm
Thanks!
Mike Demulling
NRMA Manager
mike@nrairport.com