Why the Findlay Airport Matters More Than You Might Think

In this episode of Chamber Amplified from the Findlay-Hancock County Chamber of Commerce, Doug sits down with Findlay Municipal Airport Director Amanda McGee to break down how the airport serves as a major economic driver for Findlay and Hancock County.

They discuss:

•  The airport’s impact on local business and industry 
•  How on-demand cargo helps keep production moving 
•  The role it plays in medical and emergency transport 
•  Why the airport is more accessible than many people think 
•  What the future of air travel could look like locally 

Plus, learn how you can help shape the airport’s future through an active community survey.

Music and sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com

Transcript

Welcome And Airport Misconceptions

Doug Jenkins 0:04

Hello everyone and welcome back to Chamber Amplified, brought to you by the Finlay Hancock County Chamber of Commerce. I'm your host, Doug Jenkins. Each week on the podcast, we're talking about the things that matter most to local businesses and organizations, from workforce and leadership development to marketing, IT issues, and just the everyday realities of running something that serves our community. Speaking of serving our community, how much do you think about the Finlay Municipal Airport? Some people might think that it's private, or maybe that it's just for a few executives, or it's just kind of there, and none of that is actually true. The airport actually a major economic development driver. Even back in 2013, it was contributing more than $19 million to the local economy. My guest today is the airport director, Amanda McGee, and we're going to talk about a whole side of the airport that a lot of people don't really think about, like on-demand cargo that keeps factories in the area running, or medical flights and organ transplant flights that go through there. And we also get into what the future of air travel could look like here locally, which is really where I nerd out, and well, you'll just see. Stay tuned for that. There's also a survey going on right now where local businesses can help shape what comes next when it comes to air travel and everything else when it comes to the Finley Airport. So stay tuned for that information as well. Of course, if you enjoy the podcast, don't forget to leave us a rating and review and share it with others. We're on YouTube now as well. So if you like to watch your podcasts, well, you can do that. Just follow the Chamber of Commerce on YouTube. That's a pretty easy way to see what we're up to. Now, let's get into it. But before we talk about what the survey is for and everything like that, I just want to talk about the airport as an economic driver for Finlay and for Hancock County and beyond. When people think about our airport, what do they usually think of and what is it really?

Amanda McGee 1:58

Well, if they think about our airport, um maybe there's misconceptions that only a few uh people get to use it, that it's that you can't come out here, it's private. None of those things are true. This is um a public asset. You absolutely can come and um hang out with us. We love to welcome people and teach them about aviation. We love bringing up the newest generation of aviators as well. Um, so definitely put us on your calendar if you haven't. But as a this airport is actually a huge economic driver that I don't know if people actually realize the impact that the airport has, actually. So I know you all you guys always see planes maybe flying overhead every now and then, things like that, maybe not know what's going on, but a lot of those planes are bringing in um executives and cargo and other people here um to do uh and conduct business in and around Finlay and surrounding areas. Um so fun fact, Doug, in 2013 the ODOT Office of Aviation actually conducted um an impact, an economic impact survey of this airport. And they established in 2013, that was many, many years ago now.

Doug Jenkins 3:25

It's hard to believe how long it's been now. Yeah.

Amanda McGee 3:28

Yeah, I hate to think of it that way. But way back then, this airport contributed to 19 over 19 million dollars into this economy here. That's huge. That's huge. So I really like I really like telling this airport story. I really like people coming out, and I definitely like bragging on this airport and its impact. So yeah, thanks for asking that question.

Cargo Runs And Medical Missions

Doug Jenkins 3:51

Yeah, it's definitely not an insignificant number. And I think people might be lulled into a sense of, oh, it's it's marathon executives, which is true, you do see marathon executives come out there. They have their hanger out there and everything. But the cargo one is one that caught me off guard. And I think we had talked about this you know years ago. Uh, it's something you saw more of an uptick here in just the last six, seven years. Let's talk about the cargo aspect of the municipal airport because that's one that I don't I think that flies under the radar. Pun intended. You know, not even an unintended pun. I intended that pun.

Amanda McGee 4:23

I love it. Yeah, so we get a lot of on-demand cargo. So from what I understand, that it is cheaper to fly in cargo um at the drop of a dime than it is to have these factory lines stop. So we do often get cargo for um surrounding companies in the area. Whirlpool is a big one. We do see a lot of whirlpool cargo, but we also handle precious cargo. And what I mean for that, this airport has seen um patients come through here that are either going to the um nearby facilities in the area or we've been part of something called angel flights. Oh, yeah. If you haven't, if you haven't heard of them, please look them up. They're a great organization, but these are pilots that are volunteering their time and their gas money to fly patients uh to treatment facilities that may not have the resources to do otherwise. So we get to be a part of that, and that's pretty special. And even more so, we see a lot of organ donation um going on here as well. Um, teams from all over, uh surgical teams from all over will come here, be able to retrieve um those precious organs and take them in an expeditious manner uh to their intended recipients. So that's really special for us. We we are honored to be a part of that.

Staying Safe Without A Tower

Doug Jenkins 5:48

It's uh that is awesome. And what what the craziest part to me is this is all done, it's a pretty busy municipal airport. It's all done without an air traffic controller, uh, which just blows my mind on how that works. Uh and actually, if you can explain a little bit how it does, because I kind of get it, but how do people share the skies when they're coming at landing and taking off from the airport?

Amanda McGee 6:13

That's a great question. And um, I'm gonna explain it to the best of my ability. I'm not a pilot shocker, I know. Um, but this airspace is actually controlled under the Toledo Tower.

Doug Jenkins 6:25

Okay.

Amanda McGee 6:25

So they actually do uh keep eyes out in the sky for us here, but pilots can fly in here. Um they have GPS, they have um other tracking devices where they can see one another in the air, and they also use radios uh to communicate. Um, and more importantly, even if none of those things existed, there are actually actually standardized patterns that they have to fly in and around this airspace. So, no, we don't have a tower here. Um, however, uh we do run a safe operation here.

Fuel Sales Keep It Running

Doug Jenkins 7:01

I just I know like people can land at all times. I've seen the lights uh turn up very early in the morning, uh sometimes uh in a previous life when I was working in radio and getting in uh uh at early hours. Those those would be coming on. It was always interesting to see. We talked about how this can be an economic driver for area businesses. Uh, like you said, you know, you get that uh they need that instant delivery and to keep the lines running. That's a big thing. It's also uh an economic impact for the city itself in terms of fuel sales, uh, which is another thing that I don't think people think about a lot. But because there's so much traffic coming in and out, it's essentially a gas station for people.

Private Pilots And Training Traffic

Amanda McGee 7:40

That's exactly right. We have two types of fuel that we retail um here at the airport, uh Jet A, which is similar to a kerosene and viscosity, and then we are diesel, excuse me. And then we also have 100 low lead, and that's similar to maybe a gasoline. Um, so we boast that we are one of the cheapest fuel options in this area, actually, which does draw a lot of people to us. We're not contracted with a specific vendor, so we're able to shop around for those cost savings for our customers. But that doesn't mean that we skimp on quality either. We have a rigorous um quality assurance program um that we follow to make sure that what we are putting into the plane is the cleanest um it can be. Um, so yeah, that's one of the main ways that this airport um uh that makes money. And so, yeah, fuel sales are imperative for us here, for sure.

Doug Jenkins 8:46

In terms of just usage of it, obviously we've talked about corporate use, we've talked about people stopping off, but how many just private aviators uh do you have out there that have their Cessna stored and uh just like to get up and and fly a little bit?

Amanda McGee 9:00

Yeah, we love our tenants here. Um, we try to make it hard for them to leave, right? We want to make them as comfortable as possible. We have 25 tenants on the field, um, 25 aircraft on the field here that are private use, private owned aircraft. Yeah.

Doug Jenkins 9:19

You mentioned earlier that uh, you know, you it's a giveaway a little bit more about aviation. Do people do their do they do flight school out of there or maybe take their early flight lessons there before they go on to like a program in a bowling green or something like that?

Amanda McGee 9:34

So while we don't have a flight school on the ground here at the moment, um we there are several flight school options in the area. Um there are um, but what we do offer those flight schools are two lovely gigantic runways that are really wide, really long, and it they don't have to um they don't have to make that hard choice on how they're gonna land. They can land safely in any kind of um wind direction because they have several options here. So we do get a lot of people that are doing uh what's called touch and goes. They literally will fly in, approach, uh shoot the approach to land, and then they will touch the runway and then continue and take off again. Um and we see them from uh Bowling Green State University as well.

Family Festival And Vintage Aircraft

Doug Jenkins 10:29

So yeah. You mentioned the touch and goes that I remember when it was working at the radio station, so it's closer to the airport there. It's not just the little ones that will do a touch and go. There was one day a giant military aircraft. I don't remember what it was. I don't know if you were out there at the time, but it sounded like the world was ending when it flew overhead. Uh, and they did just a quick touch and go. They didn't think they stopped there, but uh definitely got low under the radar that way. So that is you guys have had some events over the years too to bring out that type of uh aircraft so people can see the old military uh that style things like that, uh, which is a lot of fun. Are any of those in the hopper for the year?

Amanda McGee 11:12

Yeah, so thank you. We have hosted a couple of events in the past and had some really cool aircraft out here. Um we took a year off last year. We were under a lot of construction, had a lot of uh things going on, um, so we weren't able to facilitate it. However, this year, mark your calendars, August 15th. We are hosting a flying-in family festival. Um, yeah, we'll have food vendors, craft vendors, bounce houses, and of course, vintage aircraft for our guests to look at. Um, but that will be on August 15th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Doug Jenkins 11:50

I think you guys had the B17 out there a few years ago, which I love. That was my grandpa's plane uh in World War II. Uh I've gotten to fly one before uh in the nose cone of it, which was really cool. Um so that uh that was awesome that you guys were able to do that. So let's talk about the future of the airport and uh first let's talk about the survey uh that you have uh coming out and and just what that is and and how people can get involved.

Master Plan Survey And Public Input

Amanda McGee 12:16

Well, it should be out now. Uh so we partnered with both the Finley Hancock Alliance uh to get it into their April newsletter as well as the Finley Hancock County Economic Development newsletter called the Formula. Um so if you are on their mailing list or emailing list, you should have access to those. We are asking. So this airport is undergoing um a master plan um rewrite, if you will. We had a master plan and that we have done all the things and brought that those all to fruition. Now we need a new one, right? So we are being very thoughtful as we march through this process, and in doing so, I want to hear what the needs of our uh stakeholders are. I want to hear from businesses in and around the area of how this airport can better be positioned to serve them. Um, because if I make it to my siloed specifications, that's not really helping anyone. So we definitely want to have as much input as possible as possible. So I really want people, encourage people to get involved via the survey. But even more, there will be public meetings being held in the city as well as at the airport in the future. So be on the lookout for those opportunities as well.

Air Taxis And Advanced Air Mobility

Doug Jenkins 13:44

So definitely take part in the survey, especially if you're in the business community. I think uh you'd be well served to do that. I'm really excited about the future of air travel and not just from the macro lens. I think you know, even to smaller communities like ours, there are gonna be some cool things coming down the pipeline in the next 10, 15 years that are gonna seem very out of the jetsons. Um and really is going to make it easier to get to a Columbus or a Detroit. Uh and I we've talked a little bit about it. I know you've talked to our youth leadership group about it as well, but what do you see coming down the pipeline in terms of things like that?

Amanda McGee 14:23

Yeah, so the buzzwords right now are AAM, which stand for advanced air mobility. Right. And so actually, you are, I don't think you'll even have to wait 10 or 15 years.

Doug Jenkins 14:36

That's good because I'm not getting any younger.

Amanda McGee 14:38

Those aircraft are in the air now, they are in their beta testing phase. In fact, um, down in Dayton, Joby has already got uh manned drones in the air that are testing these uh these uh technologies out. But we want to position airports like Finley um to be able to handle that kind of traffic because those think of it like a taxi, if you will. So instead of having to make that long drive up to Toledo or maybe fight through traffic all the way to Detroit to catch a commercial flight, you can come to your local airport, Finley Airport, park your car, get on one of these manned drones that will act as a taxi and take you to those hubs like uh Detroit and or Toledo. So we are very much interested in that. I am keeping my finger on the pulse as those uh technologies progress for sure.

Doug Jenkins 15:38

It's great that it's happening, like the testing's happening down in Dayton. It's not too far from home here. But to your point that it's already happening, I think I just read a news story where uh one of the first taxi flights from New York to LaGuardia, uh from like lower Manhattan to LaGuardia or whatever has taken place. Uh, it only took like 10 minutes. I'm not sure how long of a drive that is, but I feel like it's longer than 10 minutes. Um I'm sure, yeah. And then in the the Summer Olympics uh in 2028, I believe they have air taxis lined up to service that, which I think will be a really good proof of concept. But I just love the idea of anything that we can do here in Finley that connects us quick more quickly to a Columbus, to a Detroit, even Cleveland or Cincinnati, depending on what the range of these things are, uh, is gonna be great, not only for just catching a commercial flight, but I don't know if I want to go down to a Cincinnati Reds game and don't particularly feel like making the two and a half hour drive to find parking and everything down there. Seems like a fun option.

Amanda McGee 16:37

That's right, yeah. Very much.

How To Connect With The Airport

Doug Jenkins 16:40

There you go. That's uh me looking ahead to the Jetson. So again, if people want to take part in the survey, what are the places they need to be looking for that?

Amanda McGee 16:48

Uh, they need to be looking at the Finlay Hancock Alliance newsletter as well as the formula, which is the newsletter that the Finlay Hancock County Economic Development Team puts out every month.

Doug Jenkins 17:00

Very good. And Amanda, if people just want to learn more about the airport in general, if they want to stop out and see you, or uh, what's the best way to schedule something?

Amanda McGee 17:08

Yeah, please just stop out and see us. We are always welcoming. Um, but they can either call the airport at 419-422-4182, or they can email us at airport at familyohio.gov.

Doug Jenkins 17:22

Definitely worth checking out. There is definitely more going on there than I think a lot of people realize. So I make sure you get eyes on it. It's pretty cool. Amanda, thanks for joining us on the podcast today.

Amanda McGee 17:32

Oh, thanks for having me, Doug.

Recap And Chamber Support

Doug Jenkins 17:34

So, in recapping today's episode, the airport is pretty active if you haven't been out there and quite economically important. There is a lot that goes on beyond the things that you might just think fly in and out of there. Certainly it supports local businesses with cargo and executive travel, but the community as well, with medical and emergency transports going in and out of there, and it generates revenue for the city through fuel sales and traffic, which is pretty cool. Of course, if you would like to see where the future of the airport goes or have a say in how that goes, you can take the survey uh that is in or online, will be rather in our online newsletter. It will be in economic developments newsletter as well, or just get a hold of Amanda and check it out in person. There's a lot going on out there and definitely worth taking a visit. That'll do it for another edition of Chamber Amplified. This is a free podcast available to the community, made possible by the investment of our members here at the Finley Hancock County Chamber of Commerce. If you're looking at ways to get your business involved in the community, a lot of times the chamber is the best place to start. And if you'd like to learn more, you can just send me an email, d Jenkins at Finlay Hancock Chamber.com, and we can talk about how an investment in the chamber not only helps your business, but the business community as a whole. Thanks again for listening. We'll see you next time on Chamber Amplified from the Finlay Hancock County Chamber of Commerce.