Ground broken for new Monett airport hangar

A formal groundbreaking for a new hangar at the Monett Regional Airport was held on May 21, kicking off construction planned for several years, waiting for available federal funding. 

The 80-by-80-foot hangar will be located southeast of the terminal building. The hangar project has been in the city’s budget since the 2022-23 fiscal year. Its location will prompt the move of the automated surface weather observatory system (AWOS) to the west side of the current runway, about 600 feet from the south end. A major expense for moving the weather system comes from running electricity to the new site. 

Construction of the hangar will be followed by building a parking lot and access road, followed by building an additional access road. The entire project is expected to cost more than $1.2 million, covered entirely by federal funds. 

The occasion prompted a large gathering of officials in the terminal building. City Administrator Mickey Ary introduced several to make comments. 

Airport Commissioner Ken Gaspar identified the moment showing the city’s commitment to the airport and the AWOS, critical for both pilots and operations. He thanked the Missouri Department of Transportation for its assistance in funneling federal funds to cover the expense for both projects. 

State Representative Mitch Boggs, himself a pilot, commented that he has been amazed at the number of pilots he’s spoken to who stop in Monett to buy fuel. “I’m glad to be the aviation guy in the House,” he added. 

State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick, also on hand, identified the new AWOS system that will be installed as a benefit particularly to pilots landing in Cassville and Mt. Vernon, and likely also Neosho as well. He noted that if the weather observatory in Joplin or Neosho fail, pilots could check Monett as an alternative for an accurate reflection of area weather conditions. Fitzpatrick noted that the previous day had provided “close to minimum visibility,” making weather reporting very important. He noted too that Monett’s hangars were full of planes, making additional storage for aviators’ planes even more important and “a great asset.” 

Jeff Mark from State Senator Mike Moon’s office praised Boggs’ role on the House budget committee as the place where funding starts, as well as Fitzpatrick, for recognizing the strategic value of Monett’s airport and these additions. 

Brian Hunter, vice president of travel for Jack Henry and longtime chairman of Monett’s airport advisory board, noted that Monett’s AWOS system was hooked into the National Weather Service. That enabled Jack Henry pilots to access its data 1,000 miles away to learn conditions when they would return at 10 p.m. that evening. 

Joe Pestka, vice president with the aviation engineering firm Woolpert in Jefferson City, has contributed to projects at the Monett airport for more than two decades. He confirmed that Monett’s present AWOS system, which has been in service for many years, has had growing maintenance issues. While the original plan had been simply to move the AWOS so that the new hangar would not obstruct its monitoring, funding would enable Monett to have a new system with upgraded technology. No decision has been made, he noted, on whether to sell the old system or disassemble it for parts. He noted that as with many government contracts, it could take eight to 10 months to complete installation of the new AWOS. 

Pestka commended those present for their efforts on behalf of the project, noting the difficulty of securing funding these days at the Missouri capitol. 

Suzy McElmurry from the Monett Area Chamber of Commerce concluded the introductory comments by calling the airport “one of the best jewels in Monett.”