Jefferson County Airpark

6 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 11 been,” Thaxton says of Pier Aviation. Avgas (or aviation gasoline) has never been cheap. These days, it’s averaging about $7 a gallon on the East Coast. Yet Thaxton says the Jefferson County Airpark works hard to keep it down. “We try to keep our fuel prices as competitive as possible,” he adds. Relatedly, the airport’s fixed-based operation (or FBO) is controlled by Jefferson County itself, as Thaxton reveals. It’s a not- uncommon practice amongst a host of regional airports across America. “We run it,” says Thaxton, “and we’ve got 24-hour jet fuel and have gas available. We’ve got a fuel- truck crew car. We’re in the process of adding a GPU (or a ground-power unit; vehicles usually powered by Diesel fuel and supplying power to parked aircraft) and just trying to become more capable—taking baby steps—and trying to accommodate larger airplanes and make them feel like we can accommodate them and that, whatever their needs are, we can take care of them.” In addition, the Jefferson County Airpark co- operates with officials of the Federal Aviation, the Ohio Department of Transportation, and other state, county, and local government entities. At the time of our interview, it was 11 a.m., and Thaxton added that three corporate flights had already been through the airport. “For a small airport,” he observes, “that’s a pretty big deal, in my opinion. We’ve got people coming in from all over the country. I don’t know exactly what their businesses were or why they were here, but all of them were happy to see a modern, clean FBO and were happy with the services they received. It’s just been a constant incline for the corporate side. The idea is if it makes sense to the pilots geographically, we are a really good alternative to some of the