Ready for take-off

After announcing Newton Municipal Airport-Earl Johnson Field was eligible for a substantial federal grant to fund parking apron improvements, U.S. Congressman Dave Loebsack, D-Iowa, visited the aviation facility Monday and discussed the benefits of general aviation and its role as an economic development tool for the community.

Loebsack was welcomed by Johnson Aviation, Inc. President Ethan Nasalroad and Community Services Manager Brian Laube, Economic Development Specialist Craig Armstrong and City Planner Brian Dunkelberger of the City of Newton, who all discussed the “complicated process” of receiving the Federal Aviation Administration grant.

“But it’s really essential to keep this airport running to do these kinds of upgrades,” Loebsack told the Newton Daily News. “… The different companies and the (Iowa Speedway) racetrack that it services is really, absolutely critical for the economy here in Newton to have this airport.”

Upon the Newton City Council’s approval of the $511,595 project bid from the Marshalltown-based contractor Con-Struct, Inc., it is necessary for the city to submit its application for funding assistance from the FAA grant to cover the design and construction costs of the apron improvements.

The city will pay a 10 percent share, roughly $60,867; while the other 90 percent will be covered by the FAA.

While touring the facility, Nasalroad and Loebsack frequently referred to the Newton Municipal Airport as an important economic development tool for Newton. The congressman — whose district extends from central Iowa, including Jasper County, to the southeastern section of the state — said most people might not think about an general aviation airport’s role in the community.

“They think of people who have planes that go out and fly them recreationally and that sort of thing, but it’s much more than that,” Loebsack said. “…But making sure that something is available here so the companies that are in Newton have access to Newton to wherever they may be coming in is really critical.”

Located near the Iowa Speedway, the Newton Municipal Airport has a strong relationship with the racetrack operations and is pivotal in transporting drivers, which inevitably stimulates the town’s economy during race weekends.

Theoretically, Armstrong said if a NASCAR Cup Series race was held at the Iowa Speedway at some point in time after 2020, the estimated economic impact of the area could be around $50 million. However, that decision is entirely up to NASCAR. If it happened, it would likely require an expansion of the Newton airport to allow for more aircraft.

Nasalroad claimed studies have shown commercial service and a general aviation airport are some of the most important things employers look for in a town. The reason for that, he said, is companies oftentimes need a readily available airport to transport staffers or job superintendents to conduct business operations, oversee a factory or complete a construction project.

About 80 percent of the people flying from Newton Municipal Airport are the “worker bees” getting to and from projects, Nasalroad said.

"They use these small airports, and their time is so precious that they need to be to get right from Newton or to Newton or to (another) small town," he added. "There are literally thousands of towns serviced by general aviation airports. Whereas the airlines there's only a couple hundred. It's a time thing."

FAA funds “anything that is horizontal and a little bit of vertical” at the Newton Municipal Airport, most prominently the safety measures, runway maintenance and pavement conditions. Money accumulated from the FAA, Nasalroad said, comes from gas taxes and ticket fees, among other things.

“That money goes into aviation and stays in aviation,” Nasalroad said.

From a federal standpoint, Loebsack said his role to make sure the FAA continues to receive funding at the levels that it needs so it can be allocating the moneys for other projects like the apron improvements at Newton Municipal Airport. Nasalroad thanked the congressman for his support of general aviation.

“The best thing we can do, I think, at the congressional level, is try to make sure we get the appropriations process done on time,” Loebsack said, referring to the Sept. 30 deadline. “… That can throw a wrench into the FAA’s funding. And that means an airport like this that has a grant application in, they might not hear in a timely fashion if we don’t regularize that appropriations process.”

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 6560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com