Business View Magazine | August 2019

155 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE AUGUST 2019 would like to accommodate the 60 people on the wait list for T-hangars as well. Certainly, people would like ground leases to build corporate hangars or we could build some ourself.” Building new hangars is part of the Lee Gilmer’s Airport Layout Plan (ALP). Another element of the plan is building a new terminal. “Our terminal was built in 1943,” Poole notes. “It’s very cool, it’s very nostalgic. It’s very iconic. People who come in and out of our Airport and see our terminal are blown away. It’s like stepping back into the past. But it’s getting a needed facelift: new carpet, new paint, new roof, to preserve the integrity of the building. But we would certainly like to expand; build a new terminal; something that would be of this era and help us grow. The existing terminal is small, so it limits us as far as holding business meetings and such.” Finally, the ALP calls for a runway extension. “Our main runway, 5/23 is 5,500 feet,” Poole adds. “Ideally, we would like to get to 6,000 feet. This would provide more opportunities for our Corporate users. So, new hangars, and a new terminal are all in our 20-year Airport Layout Plan.” Meanwhile, in a bid to attract new corporate travel in the present moment, Poole touts some of Lee Gilmer Regional Airport’s achievements and advantages. “I’m quite often reminded that our Airport is a ‘High Quality Airport.’ We’ve put many things in place over the last 20 years that have helped us achieve that level. We have high intensity approach lighting; we have an Instrument Landing System (ILS) that works in conjunction with it; we have a parallel taxiway; and we are right in the middle of a project called the Runway Safety Area Improvement - Phase One. We’re getting high-intensity, LED, runway lights. Our lighting was about 20 years old and it’s time to upgrade with the new technology. We’re one of just a few other airports in Georgia that will have LED lights. And our FBO, Champion Aviation has been in business a long time and they offer great services for our corporate travelers.” Finally, Poole also touts the City of Gainesville. “Gainesville is a neat town,” she declares. This city of 40,000, some 55 miles northeast of Atlanta, LEE GI LMER MEMOR I AL A I RPORT pictured Falcon jet owned by Fieldale Farms Corp.