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Top Story - Runway repairs
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Sealing and painting
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In advance of winter, crews are engaged in runway crack sealing, runway painting, and taxiway painting. Repairs will improve the appearance and protect the runway from additional damage in advance of major resurfacing down the road. In the spring, the parking lot will be sealed and painted.
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Major happenings
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Maintenance hangar leased
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The large maintenance hangar and office has been leased in its entirety to an aviation group seeking to provide "technically advanced aircraft" flight training and general aircraft maintenance. The group plans to upgrade the building and sub-lease hangar space and office space. An aviation themed dental facility is a potential lessee for part of the office area.
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Runway resurfacing and widening project
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Planning is ongoing for complete resurfacing of our aging runway and installing new lighting and signage. Engineering plans are by and large complete and the airport board is currently evaluating our easement agreements with adjacent landowners. More to come.
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New fuel supplier
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The airport has switched to a new fuel supplier (Shell Aviation) from our previous supplier (Phillips 66). We expect improved wholesale pricing and better support for maintaining our fueling facilities. A downside to the change is the lack of an available consumer Shell Aviation credit card. The airport has also purchased our fuel trucks from Phillips in order to save money over the long term, while maintaining the trucks ourselves with our own volunteer expertise.
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Obstruction clearance and night approaches
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Brandywine is in the ongoing process of reducing obstructions that are growing into our approach paths, limiting the availability of night instrument approaches. The airport board is partnering with our engineering firm and the PennDot Bureau of Aviation to work with local landowners to have trees topped or taken down at no expense to the owners. Subsequently, the FAA will survey and fly our approaches in order to reinstate our GPS and VOR night approaches.
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New corporate box hangar construction
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The airport is in the planning phase to build four new large box hangars on the south side of the East Ramp to accommodate large aircraft. The project is partly financed by the Bureau of Aviation's Economic Development "Multi-Modal" program. Proceeds from the sale will help provide funding for future projects, including runway refurbishment. To make room, some outside aircraft will be relocated to other tie-down areas on the airport. The airport is soliciting deposits for the new hangars. Contact Dan Sundt (dsundt@verizon.net).
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Pilot Spotlights
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Dave Miller
Dave has been around the airport since the early 90's when he owned a Cessna 170 that he used for travel with his family (wife, two boys). After a long flight to Sun 'N Fun, he decided he needed to go faster and he purchased a 1959 V-Tail Bonanza, which he has flown many times to Canada, Michigan, Florida, and North Carolina to visit his two grand daughters.
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Dave was a "BB Stacker" for 3 1/2 years in the Air Force in the 1960's. That is, he was a munitions specialist, with 3 of his years spent in Germany. Dave is also a retired airline pilot (33 years), having flown for Altair Airlines (B99 Queen Air, Nord) and Republic Airlines (later Northwest) in the DC9 as Captain and many others as first officer and flight engineer (F28 Fokker, 727, 757). He is a CFI, having taught at Perkiomen for three years. He is a volunteer at Rose Tree Fire Company #1. He has an antique Harley and Triumph and '35 Ford V8 Cabriolet. Visit Dave at Hanger B-10.
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Mark Knox
Mark Knox is owner of Hangar A11 where he has his 1967 Cherokee 180, purchased new by his father, George Knox. Mark has fond memories of flying in the Cherokee with his dad. His father George, as many locals might know, was the owner of Knox Rentals (and the car wash) in West Chester. George passed away in 2013. Mark is refurbishing the Cherokee and expects it to be flying again soon.
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Mark is a corporate aircraft mechanic, working on the Falcon 900 at Philadelphia International Airport. Visit Mark at Hangar A11.
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