The Bartow Executive Airport

other aircraft to provide situational awareness and allow for self-separation. “This is our alternative to looking out the window with binoculars,” says Helms. “We don’t have radar here, so it provides air traffic control with an additional layer of awareness. It’s helpful in that it does provide a little bit of relief to the pilots, but we can’t rely on it because not every aircraft is equipped yet. But we implemented ADS-B into our tower and all of our aircraft that we own (rental and flight instruction), which is nice, because as soon as our aircraft lift off, we can track them wherever they go, in real time.” A major project for the near future will incorporate the conversion of 20 acres of what used to be a concrete parking apron, used since the 1960s as part of the industrial park. “We’re transitioning those 20 acres of pavement back into aviation for airport development,” Helms explains. “That will be coming online in 2021, once the current lease expires. It’s going to be used for aircraft parking and developable space for aviation business. We’re going to split it into land lease units for businesses or private owners to build aircraft hangars and it already has airfield access. Normally, at most airports, if a private developer wants to build a hangar, for whatever purpose, they would have to build a hangar, a taxiway that gives them access to the main taxiways, and they would have to build a parking apron and ramp area in front of that hangar for pulling the aircraft in and out of the hangar; whereas here, all they would have to do is just build the hangar. And we have enough space to build several hangars around that area.” “Another reason for adding in that area is because we’re at 100-percent occupancy and we don’t have any property readily available for airside development,” Helms continues. “We’re using ramp area for aircraft that would normally want to be located in a hangar. They’re waiting for that extra ramp area to open up so that hangars can be constructed to accommodate them. It’s kind of hard to grow when there’s no room at the inn, so to THE BARTOW EXECUT I VE A I RPORT