August 2, 2023 |
Photo – Aerial view of Dixon Airport looking North East – Courtesy airnav.com
Dixon Airport near Savery is out of room for airplanes, county officials learned yesterday.
During the Carbon County Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, Planning and Development Director Sarah Brugger said Dixon Airport had officially run out of hangar space. Brugger said she was still receiving applications for plane hangars despite there being no additional buildings. The last two applications will be processed, but Brugger said she is unable to provide any more indoor aircraft storage.
Commission Chairwoman Sue Jones said she tried to bring together officials from the Federal Aviation Administration and the Wyoming Department of Transportation Aeronautics Division at an airport capital improvement project meeting. Chairwoman Jones said Dixon Airport is growing faster than the county can handle. However, she said the FAA isn’t interested in funding the construction of more hangars.
The county would be required to pay for more hangars to be built. Chairwoman Jones said the airport master plan establishes a place to build a few more hangars. She said to prevent damage to the aircraft, the county would be responsible for paving a path from the runway to the additional hangar spaces.
Chairwoman Jones said more planes have been landing at Dixon Airport lately. She said the 3 Forks Ranch in nearby Savery used to fly guests into the airport, but visitors are now choosing to use their own aircraft. Jones said residents with private planes are also using the airport.
In January of this year, Jeremy McCallister of T-O Engineers told the county commissioners that Dixon Airport needed major improvements to accommodate the size and number of planes landing at the small-town runway.
At yesterday’s meeting, Chairwoman Jones said the federal government was offering a $15 million grant to pay for the runway upgrade. She said the county would need to take money from Airport Improvement Program entitlements and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to cover the grant match and pay for additional improvements.
Chairwoman Jones said the airport is expanding. She said more information will be available as the project moves forward. The county commission chairwoman said she wants to ensure everyone who wants a hangar will be able to get one, especially locals.
While the Dixon airport is currently at maximum capacity, Chairwoman Jones said more space will be available in the future.
