Harrison Area Pilots Association - Fly Harrison

 Clare County Cleaver

Excerpt and photo by DIANNE ALWARD-BIERY  Cleaver Senior Staff Writer

October 8, 2025

HARRISON – The September meeting of the Clare County Airport Committee began with approval of the day’s agenda and August 2025 meeting minutes. Members attending were Commissioners Gabe Ambrozaitis, chair, and David Hoefling. Commissioner Rickie Fancon was once again absent.

Emerson Corder’s Airport Manager’s Report was brief, addressing his attendance at a Gladwin Pilots Association meeting; the repairs made to Hangar No. 6; and that Hangar No. 7 is up for sale with an asking price of $20,000. Corder also noted that he and Ambrozaitis had signed up for Airport 101 to be offered in October.

He also informed of an incident the Sunday prior wherein severe weather interrupted a pilot’s flight to Traverse City and necessitated he land his Comanche at 80D, where it remained parked, secured with airport tie-downs. Unable to reach Great Lakes ATC [Air Traffic Control] – with both unable to hear the other – he had landed. With the pilot’s last known information being above Harrison, ATC had contacted local law enforcement, and when the pilot landed a deputy was already on scene, and spoke with the pilot to assure he was safely on the ground. The pilot then contacted the FAA to inform them of what had happened and that he was all right.

Corder said the pilot had tried to fly out again that same afternoon, but weather dictated he circle back and land again.

Ambrozaitis pointed out that if there had been a terminal available to the pilot, he could simply have called ATC as soon as he landed.

Under Old Business, the Turf Runway 9/27 leveling, fertilizing and seeding continue to be on hold as the cost is currently prohibitive; that project will be revisited with the new fiscal year which began Oct. 1. Corder is pursuing companies to do surveying and staking of the airport property to include Lot A and Lot B. That will be revisited with the new fiscal year which began Oct. 1. It had been thought that the Michigan Army National Guard 107th Engineer Battalion out of Ishpeming could possibly undertake that work as part of Innovative Readiness Training. Unfortunately, Ambrozaitis learned that unit’s new assignments have made them unavailable.

 Ambrozaitis noted that the Multi-Unit Agreement had been completed, but on hold pending new discussions with the City of Harrison and Hayes Township.

The last Old Business item getting addressed was the culvert on the south entrance approach from the intersection of Industrial Way and Transportation Way. Ambrozaitis reported that the Clare County Road Commission had provided a solution and had the area staked out, but was waiting on Miss Dig for final clearance. There was certainty this work would be complete before the Oct. 11 Fly-In: timing being important as that entrance is the one to be used by visitors to the event.

Under New Business, Ambrozaitis further explained that the Michigan Army National Guard yearly planning meeting in September had been completed and that the unit which had done the airport survey was now tasked with an NOS [Notification of Sourcing, which is the first step toward mobilization] for 2027. This would make the 107th unavailable in 2026 or 2027. Their commander, CW3 Jeanotte had indicated he would be contacting the 507th Engineer Battalion out of Kalamazoo to see if it could take on the airport projects. It was explained that the survey work done earlier by the 107th was not able to be fully completed, because the property descriptions were not included. A simple oversight that, unfortunately, is sometimes part of the learning process.

Meanwhile, it’s all hands on deck to determine what can be done prior to that. To that end, Corder has been working at completing tie-down installations, as well as working on the plan for upgrading and completing the airport terminal building.

Ambrozaitis further explained the status of the MDOT grants, specifically that the crack sealing had been completed by the road commission, and that the airport lighting contract with J. Ranck Electric had been completed and sent to MDOT. It had been signed, and the expectation was the work should begin Nov. 1.

He also sought to clear up some misperceptions/allegations made on social media about the lighting contract and the bid. The two estimates requested were a complete bid for all the work, and the other an ala carte style estimate. Ambrozaitis said that when he and the county administrator reviewed those, it was decided to submit the $255,000 estimate received Nov. 14. [That was the $250,000 from J. Ranck Electric plus the $5,000 that pilot John Parrish was going to donate.] The other estimated received was for $217,125 which was the ala carte estimate. That bid was submitted for the grant, and approved. Then a Request for Proposal was posted, and again only one bid was received, which was for $207,375 from J. Ranck.

Ambrozaitis emphasized that it didn’t really matter what the estimates were, because in the end the only bid submitted was for $207,375 from J. Ranck.

“There was no inflation, everything’s transparent,” he said. “It’s all above board, nothing underhanded whatsoever.”

Ambrozaitis also touched on the Michigan Association of Airport Executives Conference he attended Sept. 8-11 in Shanty Creek and some of the topics presented. One thing talked about there was independent fee estimates, previously done by MDOT, and now falling to airport managers – who may or may not be engineers. This puts the cost of engaging an engineering firm to validate that a bid makes sense back on the airport.

Another topic was Strategic Planning for Airport Success, a lot of which Ambrozaitis said was already being done at 80D

He also noted that Matt Barresi, Otsego County administrator, had presented a class on How to Ask Your Municipality for Airport Money [drawing chuckles from the audience]. Again, nearly everything mentioned is already being done at Clare County Airport 80D and Clare Municipal Airport.

The topic of Provisional Licenses was presented by Stephanie Whitinger of MDOT Aeronautics, who had been involved with goings on at 80D. Ambrozaitis added: “We are in compliance.”

There also was a review of the Economic Benefits Assessment Tool, a process which had been applied for a presentation done earlier this year for the Clare County Board of Commissioners. That presentation had shown that, as is, 80D generates a direct benefit to the county of nearly $1.1 million and a multiplied effect of nearly $2.227 million.

At the Michigan Aeronautics Commission meeting, Work Force Development grants were announced as well, with 10 $5,000 grants being awarded across the state.

Another class was There’s a Crane Where? which dealt with the way to have the FAA and MDOT Aeronautics notify the airport if something is being built within a certain number of miles of the airport. That then triggers the airport manager’s ability to review and submit comments to the FAA of whether or not that work would be a factor for the airport. Ambrozaitis said he has had four such instances: a cell tower being constructed at the intersection of U.S. 127 and Surrey Road; the crane for the bridge on Colonville Road; another crane on the south side of Clare where, he said with finger quotes: “Amazon is not putting in a distribution center”; and the DTE solar panel farm in the northeast corner of Arthur Township.

That conference also included an update by Nate Ward of Beta Technologies on The Future of Aviation: Electric Horizons – yeah, electric planes. Ambrozaitis said their ambitious plan was for installing chargers, costing roughly $320,000 each, plus a pricey battery conditioner. For additional cost, a car charger could also be installed next to it. The company’s desire is to have chargers in Grand Rapids, Traverse City, Chippewa County [Kinross], and Pontiac/Flint, with the potential to branch out from there.

Then the meeting moved to the upcoming Oct. 11 Fall Colors Fly-In at 80D. Corder explained that he had been speaking with Dennis Spender, president of the Gladwin Pilots Association, which will be hosting its own fundraising Chili/Chili Dog Fall Colors Fly-In event at the Gladwin Zettel Airport from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 11.

The Clare County event will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. that day and will feature free coffee and doughnuts with Jackie’s Airport Restaurant open for those who wish to purchase breakfast or lunch. The public is encouraged to come out and enjoy this family-friendly event.

The next regular meeting of the Clare County Airport Committee will be at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28 in the Board of Commissioners Room in the Clare County Building, 225 W. Main St. in Harrison.