Business View Magazine | April 2019

86 we compete with one another to sell fuel and other aircraft services,” he states. “Each airport has its own niche. For example, Stafford Air- port has a military fuel contract, so they get a lot of support from Marine helicopters and other military aircraft that might be passing through. Nearby Culpeper Airport serves the GA community, but unlike Warrenton and Stafford is not a reliever airport. The way I attract folks here is to sell our fuel at a very good price and we have quite a few pilots who regularly choose to stop in and purchase fuel. Another factor is that we are outside the SFRA (the Special Flight Rules Area – an area of airspace that requires ready identification, location, and control of aircraft prior to entry/exit). Many of my tenants are not actually from the local area; they’re from Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax and Prince William areas to the north. They’re willing to make the additional drive to get here and avoid the extra requirements for get- ting in and out of the SFRA.” Since taking the helm at Warrenton-Fauquier, Darrah reports that there has been “quite a bit of activity, at the airport. When I first got here, we needed to finish up our environmental as- sessments, including a historical environmen- tal assessment,” he explains. “It turned out that there once was a homestead here and a fairly large structure with a foundation and lots of artifacts ranging from 1740 up through the present. In addition, we installed additional lighting and a gated facility with a keypad to update and increase security, along with a drainage project and other, general site devel- opment. Taxiway and runway rehabilitation are planned in about three or four years and we’ll THE WARRENTON-FAUQUIER AIRPORT