{"id":27418,"date":"2023-12-18T17:24:39","date_gmt":"2023-12-18T17:24:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/saj.pachecostudios.com?p=27418"},"modified":"2023-12-18T17:24:40","modified_gmt":"2023-12-18T17:24:40","slug":"murfreesboro-airport-receives-2022-faa-general-aviation-airport-safety-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/state-news\/tennessee\/murfreesboro-airport-receives-2022-faa-general-aviation-airport-safety-award\/%20","title":{"rendered":"Murfreesboro Airport receives 2022 FAA General Aviation Airport Safety Award"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>Photo above &#8211; Mayor Shane McFarland addresses gathering at Murfreesboro Municipal Airport, Dec. 14, 2023 (Photo: Jim Davis)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Tennessee Department of Transportation Aeronautics\nDivision presented Murfreesboro Municipal Airport with the 2022 Federal\nAviation Administration Southern Region General Aviation Airport Safety Award,\nThursday, Dec. 14, 2023, during a special award ceremony at the airport\nattended by the City Council, City administrators and Airport staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/409808968_688641460109435_7929931125114448661_n-edit.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-27420\" width=\"290\" height=\"188\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/409808968_688641460109435_7929931125114448661_n-edit.jpg 600w, https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/409808968_688641460109435_7929931125114448661_n-edit-300x196.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 290px) 100vw, 290px\" \/><figcaption><em>John Saalwaechter, left, Director of Tennessee Aeronautics Division and Bob Hill, FAA FSDO Safety Team Manager, Dec. 14, 2023. <br>(Photo: Jim Davis)  <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The FAA formally recognized the Murfreesboro Municipal\nAirport Oct. 17, 2023, during the FAA Southern Region meeting in Atlanta where\nJohn Saalwaechter, Tennessee Department of Transportation Director of\nAeronautics, received the award on behalf of the Airport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis award is a great example of how the airport team and\nthe City Council put safety first,\u201d said Mayor Shane McFarland. \u201cAlthough there\nare various challenges, our team continues to be dedicated to providing the\nsafest environment for our aviation customers and our residents in the City.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe are proud of this recognition from the FAA Southern\nRegion,\u201d said Murfreesboro Municipal Airport Director Chad Gehrke. \u201cMany people\nshould be commended for the arduous work in addressing safety and capacity\nconcerns at the airport over the past few years. That includes the Airport\nCommission, City staff, elected officials, Middle Tennessee State University\nAerospace staff and students, and expertise from consultants.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The FAA Southern Region Airport Safety Awards program\nrecognizes general aviation airports that have taken actions, instituted\nprograms, or otherwise operated in such a manner deserving of special\nrecognition for improving airport safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/411178671_688646133442301_3923389764736399247_nedit.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-27421\" width=\"275\" height=\"222\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/411178671_688646133442301_3923389764736399247_nedit.jpg 500w, https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/411178671_688646133442301_3923389764736399247_nedit-300x242.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 275px) 100vw, 275px\" \/><figcaption><em> L\/R Steve Waldron, Chairman, Murfreesboro Airport Commission, Chad Gehrke, Director, Murfreesboro Municipal Airport, holding 2022 FAA Southern Region General Aviation Airport Safety Award, Dec. 14, 2023. <\/em><br><em>(Photo: Jim Davis) <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Gehrke specifically credited the support and advice of key\npartners and consultants for the improved safety, among them Les Goldsmith and\nVirtower. \u201cThe expertise and capabilities that Les and Virtower brought to our\nairport operations was a game changer,\u201d added Gehrke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gehrke also recognized consultant Dave Byers for his\nexpertise and knowledge of FAA regulations, data collection, and creating\nStandard Operating Procedures (SOP) to enhancing safety operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>MTSU and Murfreesboro Aviation cooperated with the study and\nadoption of the Standard Operating Procedures. MTSU Aerospace created an\nAviation Safety Director position and hired additional faculty and staff in the\ninterest of flight training safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAdopting the SOPs is the key factor in improving Airport\nsafety while reducing complaints from neighbors and pilots, but it took the\ninitiative of the City leaders and Airport Commissioners to recognize the\nconcerns and address the issues,\u201d said Gehrke. \u201cRecognition from the FAA\nconfirms that we are moving in the right direction enhancing safety for\naviators and non-aviators.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.murfreesborotn.gov\/95\/Airport\">Murfreesboro Municipal Airport<\/a> accomplished the following which significantly enhanced airport safety:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Installed operations data collecting equipment\n(Virtower) (First in the state of TN)<\/li><li>Conducted Airport Safety and Capacity Study<\/li><li>Consulted with Nashville Flight Standards\nDistrict Office (FSDO), Nashville Air Traffic Control (ATC), and Memphis\nAirport District Office (ADO)<\/li><li>Conducted multiple stakeholder and operator\nmeetings to discuss alternatives<\/li><li>Collaboratively created set of Standard\nOperating Procedures (SOPs)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe members of the Airport Commission, but especially the\nairport staff, took a very proactive role in utilizing some new technology via\nVirtower,\u201d said Airport Commission Chairman Steve Waldron. \u201cThis provided\nairport staff new data to effectively update the standard operating procedures\nalong with other changes that applied to all airport users. This in turn\ncreated a more efficient and safer airport environment. Everyone involved with\nthe airport is honored to be chosen by the Federal Aviation Administration,\nSouthern Region for this award.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Murfreesboro joins recent Safety Award winners, including\nNaples Airport Authority, Naples Florida (2021), Lakeland Linder International\nAirport, Lakeland, Florida (2020), Rocky Mount, Wilson Regional Airport, Elm\nCity, North Carolina (2019) and Flagler Executive Airport, Palm Coast, Florida\n(2018).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In September, the Murfreesboro City Council gave approval\nfor the Municipal Airport to submit application to participate in the FAA\nFederal Contract Tower Program. If approved by the FAA, an air traffic control\ntower could be operational in three to five years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Murfreesboro Municipal Airport recently underwent required maintenance of the Runway, Taxiway and Apron for safety enhancements as part of FAA requirements. During the process, CityTV produced a video, including aerial drone footage of the work <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/jQqCEz4Hh3I?si=8D24dfAxsrexZ_wJ\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/jQqCEz4Hh3I?si=8D24dfAxsrexZ_wJ<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Airport\u2019s 16,000-square-foot terminal includes a large\nmain lobby with raised and ground level observation areas, lounge seating, a\nlarge leasable Business Center, smaller conference room space, pilot lounge,\nand office space. The new Hangar 1 enhanced the Airport\u2019s infrastructure with a\nmodern, versatile hangar facility, allowing the expansion of Mike Jones\nAircraft Sales, and creation of highly skilled jobs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Photo above &#8211; Mayor Shane McFarland addresses gathering at Murfreesboro Municipal Airport, Dec. 14, 2023 (Photo: Jim Davis) The Tennessee Department of Transportation Aeronautics Division presented Murfreesboro Municipal Airport with the 2022 Federal Aviation Administration Southern Region General Aviation Airport Safety Award, Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023, during a special award ceremony at the airport attended [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":27419,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[61],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27418","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tennessee"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mayor-FAA-award.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27418","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27418"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27418\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27422,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27418\/revisions\/27422"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27419"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27418"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27418"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27418"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}