Claremont Municipal Airport – Claremont, New Hampshire, USA

August 29, 2024

Claremont Municipal Airport

The General Aviation Pillar of New Hampshire

Operational excellence and community integration trigger growth and success in Claremont

The Claremont Municipal Airport, located in the stunning state of New Hampshire is expertly balancing capital infrastructure improvements with all that is needed to cater to increasing aviation demand. This dynamic airport is also busy laying the foundation for its community to become a future point of attraction for travelers.

The airport has made key runway improvements, taxiway relocations, and the installation of advanced weather reporting systems.

Such enhancements ensure the airport meets safety standards and accommodates increasing traffic, laying a solid foundation for future growth.

At Claremont, maintaining a positive and welcoming environment is essential.

The airport’s leadership strives to create a space where residents and visitors can enjoy the airport, whether through community events or simply offering a spot to watch planes take off and land.

Additionally, a focus on customer service is critical. The airport always ensures that pilots and passengers have a seamless and enjoyable experience.

Fortunately, it’s able to easily and amply provide amenities such as fuel services, aircraft maintenance, and pilot lounges, despite its small size.

The Claremont Municipal Airport continues to manifest its success in the form of a vibrant, bustling hub of activity.

With well-maintained infrastructure, strong community ties, and satisfied users, the airport has become a vital part of the local economy and a cherished asset for the community it serves.

The Aviation Hub of the Community

The Claremont Municipal Airport is a public-use facility that sits about a mile west of the city’s main business district. It is publicly owned by the City of Claremont and managed by the city.

Over time, the airport has become a cornerstone of its community and has undergone significant changes and advancements under the leadership of its new manager.

With dual roles as Airport Manager and Fire Chief, James Chamberlain has seamlessly navigated his way through the complexities of airport management while maintaining his responsibilities as Fire Chief.

Chamberlain took over the dual roles of Airport Manager and Fire Chief last May. The unique combination of these responsibilities dates back to the 1980s when the fire chief was given additional management duties, initially including the municipal library and the airport.

Over time, as the library’s demands grew, those responsibilities were separated, leaving the airport under the fire chief’s purview.

“The airport has made significant advancements in infrastructure and day-to-day operations… so it certainly does add a lot to the role of being both the Fire Chief and Airport Manager,” Chamberlain says.

With 18 years of firefighting experience, he found himself out of his comfort zone when he took on the airport management role. However, this transition has been immensely rewarding for Chamberlain in the sense of professional growth.

The airport covers about 120 acres and has a single asphalt-paved runway that is 75 feet wide and more than half a mile in length.

“We are strictly a general aviation airport. We do approximately 4000 takeoffs each year and are supplemented with FBOs through CNH Aviation, who assists us with our day-to-operations,” Chamberlain says, highlighting the collaborative nature of the airport’s management.

The majority of Claremont’s operations require collaboration in some form or another, and fortunately for the airport and its staff, the aviation industry has proven itself to be a warm and welcoming environment in that regard.

One of the most striking aspects of Chamberlain’s experience has been the supportiveness of the people within the aviation community.

“I learned very early on that there are a plethora of folks that I can call who are more than willing to help and offer support, guidance, their thoughts… which has been very helpful for me,” Chamberlain says, commenting on just how eye-opening of a community the aviation industry is.

This camaraderie has made his transition smoother and has reinforced the community spirit that is essential for the airport’s success

But it has also created an organic objective that the airport has been steadily growing towards under Chamberlain’s leadership.

The airport aims to be a community hub where families can visit and enjoy watching planes take off and land. This community focus is crucial in making the airport a niche destination within the region.

In this case, engaging with the community will foster a sense of ownership and support for the airport’s initiatives.

Ongoing Developments and Partnerships

Accomplishing this vision for the airport first means being able to accommodate it, so the airport is in the process of several developments to upgrade both its infrastructure and economic viability.

The airport is currently in the second phase of its taxiway relocation project, moving Taxiway A from entering the main apron.

Additionally, there are plans to remove hazard beacons around the city, both projects being grant-funded and expected to be completed this year.

Long-term goals include private hangar development, the installation of a weather reporting system, and routine infrastructure maintenance such as pavement upkeep and fuel farm upgrades.

These projects are part of a broader vision to take the airport to the next level which involves it playing a larger, vital role in the economic development of Claremont.

This overlaps with the city’s aim of transitioning into a destination community, attracting visitors with its downtown development and mill district refurbishment.

The airport is seen as a pivotal infrastructure piece in this transition, facilitating travel and supporting local businesses.

The other component to this transition are the businesses themselves and how well they can collaborate with the city and airport.

Therefore, Chamberlain is working towards welcoming more businesses to the airport property, which could enhance the airport’s role as an economic gateway to the community.

Key partnerships with organizations like Pine Hill Construction and Stantec Engineering have been instrumental in the airport’s upgrades and overall development.

“They have been absolutely wonderful to deal with and extremely helpful to me, being a new airport manager. This just shows how open, friendly, and willing to help everyone is. I can’t thank these companies enough for their assistance,” Chamberlain explains.

Equally important to airport leadership is fostering relationships with key stakeholders, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and state transportation departments.

These partnerships are crucial for securing grants and funding for development projects.

Also, collaboration with aviation-related businesses, such as Fixed-Base Operators (FBOs) and private hangar developers and mechanics like Ascutney Aviation, can further enhance the airport’s offerings and attract more users.

Fortunately, the airport can place so much focus on external development due to its pristine internal management and support. So, Claremont Municipal Airport is well-positioned in terms of workforce development.

The airport is unmanned, with much of the day-to-day operations handled by the FBOs under CNH Aviation. This setup minimizes dependency on a large workforce, allowing Chamberlain and his team to focus on the budgetary and strategic aspects of airport management.

The airport also has pre-established plans for handling incidents such as plane crashes or accidents, detailing who to contact and what resources to deploy.

While there are no immediate plans for extensive safety upgrades, the existing framework already ensures efficient emergency response.

The Vision for the Claremont Community

With a strong vision in mind, Claremont’s economic development department actively promotes the city as a destination.

As it continues to develop its amenities and infrastructure the Claremont Municipal Airport is seeking to make its allure synonymous with the allure of Claremont itself.

The airport contributes to this effort by providing a gateway for visitors to explore the redeveloped Pleasant Street downtown area and the refurbished mill district on Water Street, home to notable spots like the Common Man Restaurant.

So, with this in mind, improving accessibility between the airport and the Claremont community will be a consistent point of focus moving forward.

With a leader like Chamberlain, who holds a deep passion for administration and change management, the airport will undoubtedly see its goals come to fruition.

The focus is on setting long-term, community-oriented visions and goals while also emphasizing the importance of developing leadership qualities in staff coming up through the ranks, underscoring the value of succession planning.

Looking ahead, the next 18 months will see the completion of current projects such as the taxiway relocation and hazard beacon removal.

The development of private hangars and the implementation of a weather reporting system are also on the horizon.

These initiatives, coupled with such forward-thinking leadership, will pave the way for a brighter future for Claremont Municipal Airport.

“I want people in the community to be able to go to the airport and have a place where they can just bring their families and watch the planes take off,” Chamberlain says, expressing the future sentiment that he hopes the airport will be able to carry through the city Claremont.

In summary, the Claremont Municipal Airport is poised for growth and success.

With a strong community focus, ongoing infrastructure improvements, and strategic partnerships, the airport is well on its way to becoming a key player in Claremont’s economic and social landscape.