What's on the Horizon for the LITH Airport?

Some municipalities build swimming pools. Others acquire golf courses. Still others hone in on park preservation and community centers. But few towns can boast about operating their own airport.

Lake in the Hills has owned and operated Lake in the Hills Airport since 1984. Over the years, many changes have impacted the airport, which originally opened in 1957 -- long before housing and commercial growth enveloped the 155-acre site at 8407 Pyott Rd.

One issue that remains constant, however, is the village's continued efforts to ensure the airport remains a good neighbor to the surrounding communities and to heighten its safety level to standards set forth by the Federal Aviation Authority.  

Lake in the Hills Patch recently sat down with Airport Manager T.J. Moore to discuss issues regarding the Lake in the Hills Airport and changes on the horizon.

Lake in the Hills Patch: How many aircraft are based at Lake in the Hills Airport, and from which communities do your patrons hail?

T.J. Moore: Right now, we have about 130 aircrafts based at the airport. And we have people [pilots and patrons] from Crystal Lake, Barrington and Elgin and as far south as Country Club Hills. We also have some who come from far North. We have about 40,000 annual [take-offs and landings].

Lake in the Hills Patch: How much of an economic impact does the Lake in the Hills Airport have on the region?

Moore: One report in 2000 estimated the airport generates an economic impact of $19 million annually to McHenry County. We have many corporate businesses that charter flights, and land at the airport to do business here. And, if they happen to go out to lunch, that impacts the local economy. We have several businesses located at the airport [including a flight training school, aircraft rentals, charter services, engine and maintenance repair] that employ several full- and part-time workers.

Lake in the Hills Patch: What was the driving force behind the nearly completed village construction project that involved moving Pyott Road further east?

Moore: The whole idea behind moving Pyott Road was to move cars away from the runway. The Federal Aviation Administration comes in and evaluates the airport in terms of flight safety, and recommends what we should do in terms of making the airport as safe as possible.

Lake in the Hills Patch: A taxiway improvement project is currently underway. What will this project involve?

Moore: Again, it's about safety. Right now the taxiway is right next to the runway, and you don't want someone to confuse the two. You also don't want one plane on the runway and another plane on the taxiway so close to each other that their wings touch. We're going to move the taxiway closer to the buildings so it's farther away from the runway.

Lake in the Hills Patch: How much of the taxiway improvements have been completed?

Moore: The taxiway project will be done in multiple phases. Right now, it's a massive grading project. We're moving dirt and grading the future taxiway. When we're finished with that, we will pave a portion of the new taxiway and acquire hangars to set alongside it. Down the line, we'll finish paving the other portion. In the meantime, we'll be using the existing taxiway until the new one is done.

Lake in the Hills Patch: Are there future plans for expanding the runway or building a new runway?

Moore: We're only going to have one runway. Years ago, when the airport was first opened there was a grassy north-south directional runway. That was done away with, as were any plans to build a permanent north-side runway. We will widen the existing runway from 50 to 100 feet for insurance purposes. It's safer to have a wider runway, but we will not expand the length. It will stay at 3,800 feet.

Lake in the Hills Patch: Future plans also call for building a new parking apron, and removing the existing administration building and fuel farm? When will these projects be completed?

Moore: Again, the plan is to move the administration building and fuel tanks farther from the runway. While at one time, the fuel tanks were sufficient in their present location, we now plan to move them farther away. We go to the state every year with an approximate cost of the projects, and we try to complete whichever projects we can afford based on what we feel is most needed.

Lake in the Hills Patch: In June, Illinois Department of Transportation's Division of Aeronautics awarded Lake in the Hills Airport the Reliever Airport of the Year award. What were the specifications for winning this honor?

Moore: A reliever airport is designated by IDOT and the Federal Aviation Administration to take aviation commuter traffic away from the larger commercial airports. The award is based on our safety record and our cooperation with IDOT and the Federal Aviation Administration.

Lake in the Hills Patch: How much do Lake in the Hills residents contribute to the improvement projects and the general day-to-day operations of the airport?

Moore: For capital improvements, 95 percent of the funds come from the federal government, 2.5 percent come from the Illinois Department of Transportation's Division of Aeronautics and the final 2.5 percent comes from the village. In terms of daily operation and management of the airport, no money is taken from the village's general revenue fund. The airport operates 100 percent on money it generates.

The airport budget for 2010 is $492,440, and that money is generated by fuel sales, leasing of hangars, leasing of property and tie-down fees. We work very hard to offer some of the cheapest aviation fuel. People fly in to the airport just to refuel.