Biz Connect: Madison Municipal Airport

Sometimes the most vital elements of a community are a little off the beaten path. Take the Madison Municipal Airport for example. Although it is about four miles west of the central business district of Madison, it is one of the major keys to business development. Many high profile visitors have recently received a warm welcome at the Madison Airport: Hanover College President Sue DeWine, racecar driver A.J. Foyt, and Governor Mitch Daniels to name a few. In fact, flights are coming in and out of Madison every day, the majority of which are business related.

While many area corporations benefit from the public airport, small business owners also enjoy this facility. In fact, four Madison business owners have made the Municipal Airport their home-base. Cliff Robinson – Aerobatics; Ralph Rogers – Rogers Aviation; Mark Wilkerson – Aero-Color Paint and Restoration; and Jack Olds –and Over and Under Crop Dusting and Aircraft Services.  Tourists and long-time Madison residents alike can gain a new perspective on the city by taking a plane ride or even flying lessons at the airport.

The airport board values aviation education. To help encourage youth interesting in flying, the board recently established the Riley Aviation Scholarship Fund for aspiring pilots. Plans are in the works to set up flight simulation software at the airport, and the fund is now augmented with three $50-dollar awards from King Schools, which will renew annually. 

The airport is also essential to the Air Methods medical emergency transport service in Trimble County.  In the event of bad weather the helicopter must be stored, and a quick flight to Madison meets that need while keeping the helicopter ready to serve the community almost immediately after the storm has passed.  “The Madison airport is only a ten minute flight from the Air Methods landing pad,” said Debbie Crawford, Air Show Coordinator. The helicopter can also refuel at Madison, a great alternative to refueling in Louisville, which would put them out of service for a longer period of time.

Even though Bowman Field is only about 38 miles away, many Louisville residents choose to store their aircraft in Madison because of the convenience and low cost. “Indiana is favorable to aircraft ownership because of the low registration fees,” said Dick Goodman President of Madison Chemical. This is extremely attractive to business owners as is the facility itself.

The airport is the “front door” of the community, and we get many compliments about our facility,” said Goodman. For visitors looking to retire or relocate to Madison, the airport is the first and last thing they see.   

Within the past two decades the local government began to see the cosmetic importance of Madison’s “front door,” and gave the facility a makeover. Going from essentially a “double-wide” trailer, the Madison’s airport is now a modern, multi-room facility complete with meeting room, pilot lounge, kitchen, and attractive waiting room with a vaulted ceiling and an abundance of natural light.   

Currently, about 35 hangers are in use on the airport property with 54 aircraft based on the field. This includes single engine, multi-engine and jet. The transferrable land lease agreement sweetens the deal for those in the market for aircraft storage; in Indiana there are not taxes on the hanger itself and the fees are minimal.

The Chicago Airport District Office has said we are a “model airport,” said Rogers. The 5,000 by 75-foot runway and 1,400-foot medium intensity approach lighting system can accommodate a range of small to large aircrafts including Citations, Falcons and Learjets. There are about 13,000 take offs and landings there each year enabling not only corporations but also supporting local agriculture, sports and travel. Clearly the airport represents a key component of our local infrastructure.