The historic Albert Whitted Airport has been both an icon of adventure and point of community contention. The last decade since the 2003 referendum to keep and improve the municipal airport has seen several changes and when one looks at the airport’s estimated $36 million annual economic activity from a 2010 economic impact study, one may begin to look at the little airport as something of a local cash cow. But what exactly is going on over there? Unless one is a pilot or flies out of there, the property may seem like an off limits zone. The truth is very different and we at iLovetheBurg.com arranged a chat with Airport Manager Richard Lesniak.

Richard ushers us into his office and we mention the 2010 economic impact study. “Every year it (the airport’s economic impact) goes up a few million,” he replies and points out the many master plan improvements that have been implemented, including the upgraded control tower. Where does the money for these improvements come from? “During the last 10 years we’ve been fortunate with Federal and State grant opportunities and been able to find project matches for them.” It turns out that grants from the Federal Aviation Association (FAA) have paid up to 90% and the State up to 80% of the cost of the projects.

We start talking business operations. The land belongs to the city and various private businesses rent space. That makes Richard a sort of public sector landlord and the tenants range from The Hangar restaurant, helicopter tour companies and flight schools. We decide to drop by one of these tenants and meet up with St. Pete Air’s Office Manager Danielle Broussard. What does St. Pete Air do?

“Pretty much everything save sell gas,” replies Danielle and she walks me around the avionics shop and past a few Cessnas that are part of their leaseback program for people who want to fly but don’t own a plane. We bump into Jeff, a leaseback pilot who learned to fly with St. Pete Air.

“Albert Whitted is the most beautiful place to fly. The wildlife, the estuaries…” Jeff glows. “People don’t seem to get that you can fly out of this airport too!” He has charted planes from Albert Whitted to Dallas, Baton Rogue, Destin, Key West and Gettysburg.

St. Pete Air’s flight school is our next stop and Danielle leaves us in the steady hands of flight instructor Bill Auer, the “magic man” who puts us behind the controls of a 172, the reliable training workhorse. We get the plane into position and he calls us in to the tower. “Alright, we’re good to go, hit the throttle.” The engine roars as we race towards the end of the runway and we ease up over the sea! “Bank left,” Bill says calmly. We trim our wings and it isn’t long until we steer with our fingertips. The plane soars above St. Pete, past the beaches, around Egmont Key and over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge before we come in for the landing. We make it, but we’re sure glad Bill is at our side to make the life-saving corrections. It can take as little as two months to get one’s pilot license with a rigorous training regimen and adequate dough.

“So when will you be flying with us?” Danielle asks. Time to buy a piggy bank…

Article Written by Norris Comer, Writer/Editor for iLovetheBurg.com