WASCO, Calif. (KERO) — The Wasco Airport has been without federal funding for years, now with higher flight totals, the Kern Department of Airports hopes to see federal dollars return to it for restoration.
- 23ABC spoke with Ron Brewster, the director for the Kern County Department of Airports, who oversees several different airports across the region. Brewster said over the last few years, federal funding for the small airport has dried up due to a lack of use at the airport. Brewster noted with more people flying in and out of the small, general services airport, the County hopes to see federal dollars return.
- Brewster said the county hopes to revitalize the space using the funding by updating hangars and other buildings on the property.
- In the meantime, the county is doing what it can to revitalize the airport. At Tuesday's Board of Supervisors meeting,
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Did you know Wasco has an airport? I’m Sam Hoyle, your Wasco Neighborhood Reporter. It’s run by the Kern County Department of Airports and while there doesn’t appear to be much going on right now, the county has plans to revitalize the space.
According to Ron Brewster, Director for Kern County Department of Airports, the airport has been around since the 1930s and was, like Minter Field in Shafter, used as a training ground for pilots during World War II.
Since then, the runway has been used by students, private pilots, and ag professionals for crop dusting, but more recently the airport has remained relatively quiet.
“I'd say over the last 20 to 30 years, it was a base for aerial applicators, crop dusters if you will, that since retired out so it's kind of turning over a new leaf here. Getting back into general aviation," said Brewster.
Brewster tells 23ABC Wasco is classified as an NPIAS airport, or part of a national airport system, but because of low flight counts in recent years, they’ve gone without FAA funding for several years.
Now, with more planes flying in and out of the area, Brewster is hopeful they’ll see federal funding once again.
“The federal fiscal year is different than the normal county fiscal year and different than the calendar year. So, they run from October to the end of September. So, when the new fiscal year opens in October, and they recognize the new number counts, we – we're anticipating having those funds back available at that time," said Brewster.
Brewster said the plan is to take that funding and update the airport, the facilities on site, and the asphalt on the property, among other things, but that doesn’t mean the county is just letting the airport waffle on its own. At Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, the county heard a request to update the edge lighting of the runway.
Brewster says the current lighting is old and unable to be repaired and adding the new lighting, will give pilots who need to land a plane at night a safe option.
“In the event of an emergency, you can get down. So, some airports have lights and some airports don't have lights. So, during the nighttime, you have fewer opportunities in which to land an aircraft if you need to get it down,” said Brewster. “ This [request] here is going to the board as the enterprise dollars to be repaired. As we go forward, we do have a lot of projects scheduled over the next couple of years too, which is in anticipation of getting those federal dollars back to this airport.”
Brewster did note that all of these changes aren’t going to happen overnight, and as more information becomes available, we’ll update you on air and online.=
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