It has been 12 years since a commercial flight departed from Southern Illinois Airport, but the site remains one of the busiest airfields in the state.
According to a report by the Federal Aviation Administration, the airport is the seventh busiest field in Illinois out of 136 available to the public's use. That means more planes took off and landed at the airport between Carbondale and Murphysboro than from terminals still offering commercial flights such as Peoria, Bloomington, Moline and Rockford.
Those numbers are expected to increase in the next two years as new $80 million developments begin to take shape starting this fall, said airport manager Gary Shafer.
Through federal grants and tax dollars, the airport operates a police force to protect equipment on the grounds, a weather center that reports to the National Weather Service and seven air traffic controllers who operate the field's control tower.
Gary Whitney, one of the air traffic controllers, said the airport's number of takeoffs and landings, which were used to construct the report, are reported to the FAA on an hourly basis.
Whitney said he oversees air traffic within five miles of the tower, which on occasion means commercial flights en route to their destinations.
Shafer said the airport's numbers are high because of the practice takeoffs and landings, known as a touch and go, by students in the SIUC aviation program, which is based on site. Two of the airfields ahead of SI Airport on the FAA's list, Champaign's Willard Airport and the St. Louis Downtown Airport, also have aviation schools based on their grounds that boost their numbers.
The SIUC aviation program offers associate degrees in flight instruction and aircraft technology and a bachelor's degree in airport management. Program Chairman Dave NewMyer said the school turns away more than 150 potential pilots each year because of the limited number of spots in the program.
"I'm surprised there hasn't been more complaining as students wait for a flight instructor," he said.
With the number of job opportunities opening up, NewMyer said it has become difficult for the program to keep a consistent number of flight instructors on staff. He said a student majoring in flight may wait in line for an instructor.
John Cotter, interim-chair of the technology program, said the demand for maintenance workers has grown beyond the number of students studying to enter the job field. He said the average graduate from SIUC's maintenance program receives nearly 15 job opportunities after graduation.
NewMyer said the aviation program hopes to further expand its services if the state legislature approves funding for the proposed Transportation and Education Center. If approved, the $46 million building would allow the program to house its larger aircraft and have more simulators to prepare more flight students at one time.
But Shafer said the state no longer offers grants airports used to receive. Though SI Airport still collects $1 million from federal grants and has taxpayer support, state money is used to improve parking lots, roads and runways.
"We're not desperate yet," he said. "Our pavements are still in good shape, which is important for an airport."
But as the state cuts financial support, the federal government is funding the merger of National Guard units in Carbondale, Marion and Cairo, and the construction of the largest armory south of Mount Vernon on the airport's east side. Though no aircraft would be stationed at the new $12 million armory, Shafer said he hopes the new armory attracts upstate air units.
The aviation school has a career day this weekend at the airport, which means high school students considering aviation will listen to NewMyer, alumni who learned to fly and tinker with engines at SI Airport since 1960 and current students like Dustin Dellutri, a junior from Bartlett studying aviation flight, who came to SIUC because of the airports' condition.
"Compared to other places, it's pretty well maintained," Dellutri said.
Daily Egyptian reporter Barton Lorimor can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 274 or barton.lorimor@siude.com.
