News
USA Today mentions Benson
Airport in report on wasteful funding
Thelma Grimes/San Pedro Valley News-Sun
The Benson Municipal Airport was mentioned in the Sept. 17 edition of USA Today, listed as a non-passenger airport that receives thousands of dollars every year in grant funding.
The article, written by Thomas Frank, criticizes the federal government for giving out more than $15 billion in grant funding to general aviation airports that are usually tucked away on country roads and industrial byways. This year, small airports will be getting $1.2 billion.
There are 2,834 general aviation airports nationwide, and none of them schedule passenger flights.
Critics of the Airport Improvement Program say these small airports, with mostly recreational planes, are getting billions in grant funding, while the 139 well-known larger airports continue to struggle.
USA Today lists Benson as one of those general aviation airports benefiting from grant funding each year. The airport, located off Ocotillo Road several miles north of 4th Street, was built in the 1990s using $8 million of federal grant funding.
Citing FAA records, Franklin said the Benson Airport sees just 21 planes per day.
Besides receiving federal grant funding, with millions coming this year to expand the runway, the airport is also costly to the city's taxpayers.
City Finance Director Jim Cox estimated that the city lost $60,071 last year, noting that the airport's expenses will always outweigh the revenues.
With about 28 tenants, the 2009-10 budget projects $18,000 in actual revenues. The city's general fund is projected to put $83,800 toward the airport budget to cover an estimated $101,800 in expenses.
Some of those expenses included paying fixed-based operator Southwestern Aviation $1,000 a month to provide security.
Despite the costs, Cox called the airport an asset to the community.
"We are a growing community, and it's more like a city park or swimming pool. We will incur costs to keep it going, but we don't expect the revenues to cover all of them," he said.
Airport tenant Stephen Insalaco said he is disappointed in Frank's article.
"Of all the hundreds of general aviation airports across the country to select as an example, Mr. Frank chose to execute a hidden sneak attack on the Benson Municipal Airport, by name, and criticize the use of these federal funds in this community airport" Insalaco said in a letter. "Mr. Frank deliberately and inadequately describes the value of general aviation airports to small rural communities. General aviation airports provide a wide variety of aviation services to a community, including a staging ground for emergency response aviation aircraft supporting local and governmental law enforcement agencies, aerial fire fighting operations, news reporting platforms, commercial shipping and personnel charter flights, aerial photographic flights and municipal road and traffic advisories. And yes, general aviation airports provide value in general flight instruction."
Insalaco said the benefits of the small-town airport outweigh the costs, and he is grateful that each year the Benson City Council continues to approve funding, and grant matches as needed.
Thelma Grimes/San Pedro Valley News-Sun
The Benson Municipal Airport was mentioned in the Sept. 17 edition of USA Today, listed as a non-passenger airport that receives thousands of dollars every year in grant funding.
The article, written by Thomas Frank, criticizes the federal government for giving out more than $15 billion in grant funding to general aviation airports that are usually tucked away on country roads and industrial byways. This year, small airports will be getting $1.2 billion.
There are 2,834 general aviation airports nationwide, and none of them schedule passenger flights.
Critics of the Airport Improvement Program say these small airports, with mostly recreational planes, are getting billions in grant funding, while the 139 well-known larger airports continue to struggle.
USA Today lists Benson as one of those general aviation airports benefiting from grant funding each year. The airport, located off Ocotillo Road several miles north of 4th Street, was built in the 1990s using $8 million of federal grant funding.
Citing FAA records, Franklin said the Benson Airport sees just 21 planes per day.
Besides receiving federal grant funding, with millions coming this year to expand the runway, the airport is also costly to the city's taxpayers.
City Finance Director Jim Cox estimated that the city lost $60,071 last year, noting that the airport's expenses will always outweigh the revenues.
With about 28 tenants, the 2009-10 budget projects $18,000 in actual revenues. The city's general fund is projected to put $83,800 toward the airport budget to cover an estimated $101,800 in expenses.
Some of those expenses included paying fixed-based operator Southwestern Aviation $1,000 a month to provide security.
Despite the costs, Cox called the airport an asset to the community.
"We are a growing community, and it's more like a city park or swimming pool. We will incur costs to keep it going, but we don't expect the revenues to cover all of them," he said.
Airport tenant Stephen Insalaco said he is disappointed in Frank's article.
"Of all the hundreds of general aviation airports across the country to select as an example, Mr. Frank chose to execute a hidden sneak attack on the Benson Municipal Airport, by name, and criticize the use of these federal funds in this community airport" Insalaco said in a letter. "Mr. Frank deliberately and inadequately describes the value of general aviation airports to small rural communities. General aviation airports provide a wide variety of aviation services to a community, including a staging ground for emergency response aviation aircraft supporting local and governmental law enforcement agencies, aerial fire fighting operations, news reporting platforms, commercial shipping and personnel charter flights, aerial photographic flights and municipal road and traffic advisories. And yes, general aviation airports provide value in general flight instruction."
Insalaco said the benefits of the small-town airport outweigh the costs, and he is grateful that each year the Benson City Council continues to approve funding, and grant matches as needed.
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