Port of Othello discusses potential for Othello Airport FBO

OTHELLO — The Port of Othello heard aircraft broker Kevin Raver speak about his informal proposal for starting a Fixed-Based Operator at the Othello Municipal Airport, which Raver said would facilitate fuel sales, provide maintenance and could help prepare the airport for community events or training certifications. 

According to the National Air Transportation Association website, a Fixed-Based Operator is an organization that leases land at an airport and provides services such as fueling, hangaring, tie-down and parking, aircraft rental, aircraft maintenance, flight instruction or similar services.

The discussion was very preliminary, and no concrete plans or proposals have been put in place as of yet. 

“What I would really like is to have an FBO there, a maintenance shop, for just general aviation,” Raver said. “The amount of people that come through here wanting that or asking for that for Central Washington, it's massive.”

Raver outlined what he said was the need for an FBO in Othello, specifically.

“It has come to my attention how much interest there is for an FBO in Othello,” Raver said. “It's just kind of a gateway of sorts to Idaho. I don’t know how much you know about backcountry flying and big tire-type planes, but they come through here, I mean they land on the grass sometimes.”

Raver then explained his plans for the future. 

”The facilities for this FBO will be down the road. This is kind of just to show my face and show you that I'm actually serious about this,” Raver said. “The idea would be to build a hanger for a maintenance shop and it's organically going to turn into, with the network we have and the type of planes that come through here, it would turn into a full-fledged FBO.”

Commissioner Deena Vietzke said the Port had considered an FBO or lounge in the airport previously but did not want to burden the Port’s only staff, Executive Director Chris Faix and Executive Assistant Carmen Derting, with cleaning and tending to the lounge. With someone else in charge of that responsibility, Vietzke said she was in favor of the idea.

Raver said he has an extensive background in fuel sales and aviation, as well as experience with the Othello Airport. 

Faix said the port would hypothetically lease their recently upgraded fuel pumps to Raver for him to take over selling the fuel at the airport, which the port is currently responsible for. 

“We're one of only two ports around here still that do our own fuel. Pretty much everybody has somebody doing their fuel for them,” Faix said.

Raver said the FBO could help facilitate community events like an airshow similar to Moses Lake’s annual event. 

Vietzke said she had attended an airshow in Western Washington and thought it would be a good idea to bring to Othello.

“They had food vendors, they had music,” she said. “There were a lot of people. It was really cool and I wondered, you know, it's not money but it kind of would give the community an idea.”

Faux said an event like that would potentially work if there is someone to advertise and push for it in the community. 

Commissioner Gary Weaver discussed the possibility of the FBO being a foundation for starting a training or certification course at the airport for Othello students.

“I would really like to see a program with the school. I mean aviation in the schools is huge. (The aviation industry) said in 10 years they're going to be short, like, 50,000 pilots worldwide for the commercial aspect,” Weaver said. “It seems to be the right time to get the kids started. If we could get somebody out there with a (Certified Flight Instructor certification), and we could get a program started at the high school with somebody for high school credit…Get them there and get them ready to go so when they do graduate, they can step right into, like, Big Bend (Community College) and they don't have to start from ground zero.”

Both Vitzke and Faix said they liked the training idea.

Faix told Raver to come back to the board when he has a more formal proposal and they would continue the discussion. 

Gabriel Davis may be reached at gdavis@columbiabasinherald.com. Download the Columbia Basin Herald app on iOS and Android.

    Port of Othello commissioners and staff discuss the possibilities of starting a Fixed-Based Operator at the Othello Municipal Airport during Tuesday morning’s regular port meeting.
  

    Aircraft broker Kevin Raver gives an informal presentation to the Port of Othello on starting a Fixed-Base Operator at the Othello Municipal Airport to provide fueling and maintenance services for aircraft.