Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 10, 1993 TAG: 9311100263
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By STEPHEN FOSTER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
Greiner Inc. of Timonium, Md., has been working for more than a year on the master plan study, sending out surveys to area pilots and gathering statistical data to make forecasts on the usage of the 62-year-old airport, said Mike Knott, project manager. He and other Greiner employees spoke at an informal public workshop at Tech's Donaldson Brown Center Monday night.
Last year, almost 20,000 planes, jets and helicopters took off from and landed at the airport. By 1997, that number is expected to jump to almost 28,000; by 2012, almost 42,000, according to Greiner statistics and predictions.
In comparison, the New River Valley Airport saw around 4,400 takeoffs and landings in 1992, said Airport Manager Bob Adkins.
Among other things, the study is exploring ways to lengthen the university airport's 4,550-foot runway, reduce noise to nearby residences and accommodate pilots' wishes for more T-hangars to house their aircraft. Greiner expects to hold another public meeting in January, and finish the plan two to three months later.
One factor to consider: To the east, U.S. 460 hems in the airport, so any runway extension would have to go the other way, right across a drive that leads to the university's Corporate Research Center, which benefits from the airport's proximity.
Peter Karp, university architect, was quick to point out that the plan is nothing more than that now: ``Just because they get this plan doesn't mean they will implement it.''
Knott said his company's projections of increased airport usage are based on the assumption that improvements will be made.
Construction on a new terminal is expected to begin next year in an unrelated improvement project, Karp said.
The Federal Aviation Administration requires that master study plans for general aviation airports be updated every decade, Knott said. The last university airport study was done in 1985.
Ninety percent of the study's cost - $94,895 - is being paid for by the Federal Aviation Administration, with 5 percent coming from both the Virginia Department of Aviation and the university.
by CNB