Airport to get new eight-plex hangar

Improvements set for next year at the McCook Regional Airport include a new eight-plex hangar costing nearly $500,000, with 95 percent of the costs paid by federal funds.

The new hangar would replace five old tee-hangars.

Total cost of the new hangar comes to $475,000, with federal funds at $451,250 and local general funds at $23,750.

Another project slated this year is acquiring easements around the airport to protect space, at $30,260. Most of the costs will be funded by a federal airport improvement grant at $28,747 with $1,513 from general funds.

The easements protect the runway and ensure nothing would be built on surrounding property that would create problems for aircraft landing or taking off.

Also scheduled this year for the airport is a new line striping machine at $10,000, purchased with general fund dollars.

The machine would allow staff at the airport to do more of the touch-up painting needed on an annual basis.

Fencing will also be done this year, at $5,000 with general funds. This would continue the fencing at the south end of the airport.

Future purchases for the airport include a decelerometer at $10,000 using general funds in 2010-11.

This machine would provide more accurate braking action data for aircraft that use the airport during bad weather.