Business View Magazine - Nov 2023

310 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 11 had the result, Buchna notes, of pushing out a lot of recreational flights in the world of general aviation. These high fuel costs put a real damper on much aviation activity, he adds, and there’s a ripple effect throughout the entire industry. On a more positive note, Pennsylvania enjoyed good weather this past summer, and that meant time for rehabbing at the airport. Repainting taxiway lines was one area of focus, per the standards of the Federal Aviation Administration part 139 requirements. Another was rehabilitating the airport’s fuel farm to the tune of some $1.05 million. This large-scale project included replacing all the fuel tanks and piping. Plus, general aviators can now pump their own Avgas (100LL) thanks to the new self-service option. Further, the terminal apron enjoyed a recent resurfacing project of some $2.2 million. In addition, post-COVID, labor shortages have been a factor with a big impact on the American economy. However, as Buchna points out, that has mercifully not been a local factor for the Venango Regional Airport. “We’ve been pretty lucky over the last couple of years,” he shares. “We’ve hired three people, and we’ve still got two on board.” Generally speaking, says Buchna, the airport maintains a full complement of staffers. “We feel pretty good, as far as our manpower goes,” he adds, “but I would guess if we had to expand it at a drastic rate, for some reason, that we would probably feel some of that same pain as some of the large organizations do.” Much improvement Elsewhere, the airport has enjoyed something of a facelift. The terminal building had its entire roof replaced. “Which was a good thing,” says Buchna, “because our old roof was starting to wear out pretty good. We’d probably had it since the building was originally built.” Uncompromising safety, as you might expect, is a top priority for the airport. Buchna says that continually ensuring the approaches are free of obstructions is a crucial matter, also in accord with FAA requirements. Relatedly, he adds that the airport is ready to start the design phase of full runway rehabilitation. The main runway will get, milled, and resurfaced, and then will come all new lines, painting, markings, and more, all thanks to efforts approved by and funded by the FAA. Talking of rehabbing, another rehab project includes turning an old hangar into a firefighter building. Buchna says it will need new siding, a new roof, and more to help keep the steel structure in place. Plus, new heating will also be needed. The upshot is the airport’s fire-truck will thus be nearer the terminal building, helping ensure greater safety. Returning to the topic of high prices for aviation fuel, Buchna says it’s a challenge.