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TEMPLE, TX – Temple Draughon-Miller Regional Airport is getting a new hangar space to store aircraft for pilots in search of space.
This project was approved by the city council in early June, it will cost around $ 250,000, but the good thing is that it doesn’t cost the taxpayer anything. The hangar to be built is privately owned and will be financed on an existing concrete slab of the airport.
However, it took some research before the council approved the project. Mayor Tim Davis says this is a win-win situation for the city, the airport and the investor.
“Anything we can do to make low-spending income makes sense for the City of Temple,” said Mayor Davis.
The construction of the hangar will not take long, the contracts should start this month and after that it will take 3 months until the places are free. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the influx of private aviation has increased and airports such as the Draughon-Miller have seen more air traffic.
“General aviation has just flourished during the Covid period and with that came a demand, and that demand is that we need seats to park our aircraft,” said airport director Sean Parker.
Parker is excited to begin this work because he has seen the need grow as the temple population has increased over the years.
“We’re seeing a big ripple effect with the population growth in Austin. It’s starting to come north and we’re really starting to see this here in Temple,” said Parker.
The airport currently has around 96 aircraft with 100 more on a waiting list. Parker started working at the airport in 2019, when there were only 50 pilots looking for space, but that changed over the course of the year.
“We tell people it could be 2 to 3 years before we have room for you to get your plane to Temple. Projects like this help us a lot,” said Parker.
Once completed, the hanger can hold 12 to 14 aircraft, depending on its size. With the privately financed hangar, the space will be rented through the airport and the city of Temple.
“We’re really excited when these private organizations come along, let’s see, we want to start a business, help you and help us at the same time,” said Parker.
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