Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
CHAPPELL--The Chappell Community Development Office and Chappell Airport Authority announced that the Billy G. Ray Field received a $1,197,000 grant from the Nebraska Department of Transportation – Aeronautics.
Chappell Municipal Airport was built in 1968 when Interstate 80 came into Chappell. Billy Ray, along with several other citizens, formed a group to develop the local infrastructure including the airport, golf course, and lake. Ray was instrumental in the construction of the airport, being he was the pilot of a B-24 Liberator in World War II. Ray continued to fly until the age of 88. Chris Ray, son of Billy Ray, took over the position of manager at the airport and has held that position for the last 18 years.
The airport has brought many benefits to the City of Chappell. Planes and helicopters fly in to give emergency medical transportation to patients, private pilots in the area use the facility for various reasons, and businesses in the Chappell area regularly use the facility.
The runway and lighting have not been upgraded in 30 years, which has made the runway nearly unusable. Parts to repair the lights are a struggle to acquire as they no longer exist. The grant will enable the airport to completely rehabilitate the entire asphalt runway with a two-inch overlay on the full-depth reclamation (FDR) of the existing asphalt. The complete overhaul of the runway will also include upgrading the lights, beacon, and wind cone on the runway. The Community Development Office and Chappell Airport Authority are currently working on funding for these upgrades as it is an additional cost over the $1,197,000 in grant funding. It is critical to get this project started and a complete overhaul done so all pilots and planes can once again utilize our airport. The Community Development Office would like to send out a big thank you to Chris Ray, the Chappell Airport Authority, and our community members who wrote letters of support for us for this grant, which made this project possible
Reader Comments(0)