Friday, January 2, 2004
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Friday, January 2, 2004 |
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Savage reflects on tenure as airport manager By MICHAEL BOYLAN Peachtree City resident Jim Savage has been involved with airplanes since he learned to fly at the age of 16. He has worked in aviation ever since, starting with a part-time job at a fixed based operation and followed by time in the Air National Guard, 24 years as a pilot with Eastern Airlines and close to 13 years as the airport manager at Falcon Field in Peachtree City. While he will continue working with airports in the future as part of his new job with Wilbur Smith Associates, his time at Falcon Field is near an end. This was not his choice. Earlier this year, the Airport Authority voted to offer Savage early retirement. They wished to find a new airport manager who would not only handle day-to-day operations but also aid in business development of the airport. It was a close vote that divided the authority and though it is working toward a common goal, it still finds itself divided at times even now. The authority hopes to have a new airport manager in place by the end of 2003, but it is likely that the position will not be awarded until early 2004, due mainly to a late start on the search. Savage has been involved with Falcon Field since its very early days. He was a member of the Peachtree City Council in the early 1980s for two terms, which is when the city established the Airport Authority and bought the airport a few years later. At the time, four of the five people on council were pilots who had good knowledge of the aviation business. The privately owned airport that just sat there soon began to attract businesses to the community. “It was a time of significant change in Peachtree City,” said Savage, who recalled that the city had virtually no income at that time and the developers were relied on to control things. “A structure was established and controls were put in place, things like zoning and a land use plan.” Peachtree City started to become the community it is today. In 1991, there were 80 airplanes at Falcon Field with one row of T-hangars and 16 private hangars. Savage was the airport project director and would be named airport manager a year later. Falcon Field had a relatively new runway and had just added an instrument approach. Today, there are close to 170 planes at the airport, three rows of hangars and 35 private hangars with three more on the way. Savage estimates that Falcon Field has approximately 55,000 operations a year and expects that number to double in 20 years. In the early years of Savage’s tenure, the airport began to grow, but there were still problems that reminded everyone that Falcon Field’s growth was still in its infancy. One such problem was deer on the runway. The airport got a federal grant to build a fence, and while the airport is not completely fenced in and some animals are still seen from time to time, the number of deer on the runway has decreased significantly. Another change was the addition of the Great Georgia Air Show. Previously, the airport hosted static displays of aircraft but the air shows have brought in some additional income and more importantly a lot of awareness of Falcon Field to the community. In 1998, Falcon Field underwent its most significant change when the airport authority took over the running of the fixed base operation, which gave the airport a significant source of income. Previously, the FBO was run by outside companies. When the opportunity arose, the airport authority took it over, but had to overcome some obstacles to make it profitable. “The main obstacles we had to overcome were the high prices and the poor service that the previous operator had,” said Savage. Prices were lowered and the service that the airport provided became a lot better. “One of the things that I am very proud of is that in the five years since we have operated the FBO, we have not had one service-oriented complaint,” said Savage, who also recalled that pilots based at other local airports would often stop at Falcon Field for the lower prices and better service. “People want to be at this airport,” said Savage. “That’s why we’re growing.” At a recent meeting of the airport authority, Savage stated that the airport had had three record months in a row. One of the factors contributing to the success, according to Savage, is the growth of corporate business at the airport. He feels that the corporate market will get stronger as the airport eventually gets bigger hangars and bigger airplanes. Savage also thinks that the airport will grow in a broad spectrum with sport aviators, light twins and larger corporate aircraft using Falcon Field. Savage feels a sense of pride in what he and his staff have accomplished over the years but also sadness that he will not be around to see the airport complete its growth and become a self-sustaining entity. Currently, Falcon Field makes enough money to operate but not enough to complete its capital improvement projects. Savage believes that when the hangars under construction and the additional 20 acres next to them are completed and moved into, the airport will generate enough money to be self-sufficient. “I can see that it is about to take off,” said Savage. “When everything is developed this place will see a lot of activity.” Savage’s vision of where Falcon Field should go is a continued focus on service, the operation of a first-class facility and good prices. Starting in 2004, Savage will work part-time with Wilbur Smith Associates as an aviation specialist. His job will be to ensure that projects at other general aviation airports are completed correctly. One of Wilbur Smith’s clients is Falcon Field, so Savage could possibly still be involved with the airport, but even if his work doesn’t bring him back to this neck of the woods, it will still be close to his heart.
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