Photo above – (left to right): Eric Kuester — Chairman, Moore County Airport Business Advisory Committee; Tom McPherson — Secretary/Treasurer, Moore County Airport Authority; Frank Quis — Chairman, Moore County Commissioners; Tom McInnis — State Senator, 25th District, including Moore County; Catherine Graham — Vice chairman, Moore County Commissioners; Wayne Vest — Moore County Manager; Jamie Boles — State Representative, 52nd District, including Moore County; Maura Lerman — wife of late Moore County Airport Authority member Barry Lerman; Mike Jones — Chairman, Moore County Airport Authority; and Scotty Malta — Manager, Moore County Airport. Photo by John Gessner.
The official groundbreaking ceremony for the Moore County Airport Hangar Expansion Project was held in late May at the construction site for the new aircraft hangars. State Senator Tom McInnis (R) of the 25th District, State Representative Jamie Boles (R) of the 52nd District, members of the Moore County Commissioners, Moore County Airport Authority and Senior Airport staff were on hand for the ceremony.
The project, recently approved by the Moore County Commissioners and Airport Authority members, will include the construction of two separate buildings containing five 60’ X 60’ hangars, 12 T-hangars, storage units and restroom facilities. The new hangars are scheduled to be completed in early 2023.
“We are thrilled to being moving forward with our new hangar expansion, as an initiative of the airport’s strategic plan,” said Mike Jones, Chairman of the Moore County Airport Authority. “The continued growth and enhancement of our services and facilities is our number one priority, and we are hopeful, with the required funding, to build two more sets of these hangars in the near future.”
The hangar expansion project was designed by Talbert & Bright of Wilmington, NC, who specialize in planning and engineering for aviation solutions. The site development is being conducted by the Fred Smith Company of Raleigh, NC, and the actual hangar construction will be completed by Daniels & Daniels Construction Company of Goldsboro, NC. Funding for the project infrastructure and site prep was provided by a State Transportation Infrastructure grant, and the actual building will be funded directly by the Moore County Airport. Once completed, the total cost for the project will be close to $7 million.
“The demand for new hangar spaces at our airport has been incredible,” added Moore County Airport Manager Scotty Malta. “We currently have over 40 customers waiting for hangar space for their aircraft, and the new hangars will accommodate up to 25 planes, based on the size. With 100 existing base customers, we are working diligently to make sure our pilots and owners have the proper space desired for their aircraft.”
An average 3600 square foot hangar can accommodate a single medium-size jet or up to three single engine airplanes.
After completion, the Moore County Airport will dedicate the new hangar building in honor of Barry Lerman, former Vice-Chairman of the Airport Authority, who passed away earlier this year. Lerman was instrumental in getting the approvals and funding for the hangar expansion project.
In addition to McInnis and Boles, dignitaries and officials taking part in the groundbreaking included: Chairman of the Moore County Commissioners Frank Quis; Vice-Chairman of the Moore County Commissioners Catherine Graham; Moore County Manager Wayne Vest; Airport Authority Chairman Mike Jones; Airport Authority Member Tom McPherson; Airport Manager Scotty Malta; and Chairman of the newly-formed Moore County Airport Business Advisory Committee Eric Kuester.
