Peachtree City airport officials Wednesday took the first concrete step toward establishing a restaurant at Falcon Field.

Though such a facility would be some months away from reality, "It's time to get on with it," said Peachtree City Airport Authority member David Good during the group's business meeting Wednesday.

The panel told airport manager Jim Savage to get on with issuing a request for proposals from firms interested in designing and building a restaurant.

Jim Clark of Fayetteville and Ed DeGross of Sharpsburg, owners of Windsock's Limited, said they have worked on a plan for an eatery as a result of many years of flying into Falcon Field, wanting to grab a bite, and "there's nothing out there."

"We've been looking at this ever since the terminal opened," Clark said.

"We think it is definitely needed, because of the growth of Peachtree City, and it would boost the reputation of Falcon Field," he added.

Clark explained that there also is a need for a small catering operation for the business jets that use Falcon Field, and his company has access to people who have done airplane catering and have operated some of Atlanta's better restaurants. Clark and DeGross have drawn up a preliminary plan for extending the Aviation Center to the southeast, where a covered patio, picnic tables and playground equipment are now, to accommodate a restaurant.

Airport manager Jim Savage said he had asked the authority's engineering firm, Wilbur Smith and Associates, to estimate the building costs "just in a preliminary way" based on the Windsock's plan. Construction would cost about $169,00, he said, while extending the parking lot (if required by city codes) would be an additional $137,000.

The next step in the process, authority chairman Bob Patterson said, is the request for proposals. In this process, Windsock's would become a competitor with others who might be interested in opening a restaurant at Falcon Field, Savage said.

Falcon Field also has added a director of aircraft maintenance, R. Dale Donegan, who will "establish and operate a full-service aircraft maintenance facility," Savage said.

Donegan left a similar position at Falcon Field several years ago to start his own business, Aviation Technology Inc., in Griffin. The authority is buying the assets of AvTech, which will provide the necessary tools and equipment, Savage added.