Supervisors considering airport upgrade

By Rupert Howell
Supervisors want improvements at Panola County Airport and asked airport manager Randy Turman to provide a list of items needed to be replaced and upgraded during Monday’s meeting of the supervisor board in Sardis.
The county airport has been briefly discussed in past meetings with board president Cole Flint expressing his thought that overflow traffic from Ole Miss football games may be missed due to circumstances that could be easily addressed.
Supervisors appoint an airport board of directors to make recommendations and suggest policy for the airport, but that board rarely meets, according to Supervisor John Thomas.
Turman explained the difference in fueling jet aircraft like those seen during Ole Miss overflow events opposed to general aviation aircraft would require jet pilots to restart their motors to get to fuel tanks and again to leave putting extra “cycles” on their engines which would shorten the time between general maintenance procedures.
He also said the county might want to consider purchasing a used fuel truck to drive up to the jets but noted that wasn’t currently feasible as an attendant is not always on duty. He also explained that another type of movable fuel tank would not work, stating, “You can’t get those (jet) pilots to pump their own fuel.”
Turman also explained that overflow aircraft at the local airport only occurs approximately four times a year—”When Ole Miss is playing somebody big.”
Turman said another problem was lack of rental car agencies that will deliver rental cars to the airport while noting that the Panola County Airport has a courtesy car that may need upgrading.
During Monday’s discussion Turman explained the long-term agreement with the FAA and the Panola County after the FAA learned the jail was being built on airport property.
That property was supposed to be used for aviation only but by the time FAA found out about it the building was halfway built, according to Turman.
The settlement that followed included that inmates would maintain the building and grounds, Turman said, adding that he overhears compliments  on those aspects of the airport facility.
Turman and supervisors also discussed getting a grant writer familiar with airports to look into additional grants for the facility with engineer Stephen Gray explaining the county needs to come up a plan and then go after a grant. Gray said his firm, Elliot and Britt, had contact with those who specialized in airport grant procurement.