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<p>J.R. Norvell, project manager for T-O Engineers, left, talks with Gene Soper, 85, during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a recently renovated public aircraft ramp at the Coeur d’Alene Airport Wednesday in Hayden.</p>
<p>The prop of a1973 M-4 Maule, driven by Gene Soper, cuts streamers as it taxies passed by during the ribbon-cutting.</p>
HAYDEN - The Coeur d'Alene Airport on Wednesday unveiled its new welcome mat for air travelers.
The $600,000 parking area improvement project included an increased structural base course, a new asphalt section, new aircraft tiedowns, new security fencing and gates and lighting upgrades.
Greg Delavan, director for the county's airport, said the project is a critical step in ensuring the airport can fulfill its mission of helping create economic development for North Idaho.
"Because of the changes in the community during the past 20 years, we're getting more people visiting the area with their own aircraft," Delavan said. "Whether they are here for a few days or a few months, they have to have a place to park their airplane. This gives us a connection between the air transportation system and the community.
"If they don't have a viable place (to park their aircraft), they may go somewhere else. It's an entry point for some of our valued visitors who bring economic activity to Kootenai County. It's where the airplane rubber meets the road."
Delavan said the area will serve as a meet-and-greet place for people who want to use the airport, but don't have a hangar here like many locals do.
Users of the parking area pay a sliding fee scale to park there, including $5 per night for a standard single-engine plane or $20 per week.
"It's not very expensive, but it provides revenue for us to maintain it," Delavan said.
He said grants from the Federal Aviation Administration funded about 90 percent of the project, while the remaining 10 percent was split between the county and state as a local match.
"This was paid for with Aviation Trust Fund dollars," Delavan said. "It's how the system takes care of itself. It's industry-based user fees paying for the facilities."
The new parking area will have 33 tiedowns - the same number as the previous lot that was constructed in 1979 - but was built to serve aviators for years to come.
The airport's importance to the region has been in the spotlight this summer with firefighting efforts.
Bud McConnaughey, aviation officer for the U.S. Forest Service, said the airport's location made it possible for the agency to not only attack North Idaho fires from Coeur d'Alene but also fires from Moses Lake to Missoula.
"We have an enviable relationship between the Forest Service and the Coeur d'Alene Airport," McConnaughey said.
County Commissioner David Stewart said 1.7 million gallons of fire retardant flew from the airport, shattering the previous record of 980,000 gallons in 1967.
"It's one thing to talk about numbers, but it's another thing to talk about the operating effort," Stewart said. "We received some complaints about the number of airplanes flying in and out, but once we told them it was for firefighting efforts we didn't hear any. We also didn't have any complaints from the agencies fighting fires about how the airport was managed."