By LEE COLEMAN
New aircraft hangers and other improvements have been made at Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport in Queensbury to meet an increased demand from the owners of both small and large aircraft.
“There is a very large demand for T-hangers used by small, general aviation aircraft,” said Robin Mapp, airport manager for Warren County.
He said a $1 million project added eight new aircraft hangers several years ago. Ninety percent of the cost of the construction was paid by the New York State Department of Transportation.
Construction of new hangers by airport owner Warren County and by Rich Air, the airport’s fixed base operator (FBO), are underway this year as well.
This year the county finished another six-bay hanger and later in 2025 will demolish an old hanger built in the early 1940s and replace it with another six-bay hanger.
At the same time Rich Air has its own hangers, including recently completed hangers for larger aircraft such as Gulfstream 650 jets, said Stephen Abbott, Rich Air’s general manager.
Rich Air manages approximately 70,000 square feet of hanger space and 37 T-hangers for smaller planes. The fixed base operator also provides fuel and repair services.
The county, with funding from the Federal Aviation Administration, has also completed a new building to house snow removal equipment replacing an older facility from the 1940s. Runway lighting – specifically taxi way lights – were upgraded to energy efficient LED lights to enhance visibility and reduce maintenance costs.
Mapp said projects planned for this year feature the installation of solar arrays on two unused land sites. The renewable energy initiative is expected to generate approximately $130,000 each year for the county.
The county has also identified more than 200 acres across ten designated development areas, offering opportunities for both aeronautical and non-aeronautical uses, Mapp said. Each of these development areas requires compliance with FAA regulations such as airspace reviews and environmental assessments.
The Airport master plan is also being updated, outlining a 20-year vision for the airport’s development. The master plan can be reviewed on the county website (warrencountyny.gov).
The airport property includes 500 acres with north-south and east-west runways. It is just three miles from downtown Glens Falls and serves the aviation needs of the southern Adirondacks, Lake George, and the greater Glens Falls-Capital Region area. The airport is named in honor of Floyd Bennett, who was born in Warrensburg in 1890 and was the pilot for Admiral Richard E. Byrd’s flight over or near the North Pole in 1926. He died in 1928 from injuries (pneumonia) after a rescue mission.
Some years ago the airport had commercial flights coming in on a regular basis. For example Mohawk Airlines offered service in an out of the airport back in the 1960s ending in the early 1970s. The airport’s terminal building and tower remain in place, serving as office space for county and Rich Air personnel. The county has three full-time employees at the airport and Rich Air has about seven or eight employees at the airport.
Rich Air built four large hangers in recent years for jet aircraft. Only two of these hangers are still available for use by privately-owned jets and charter jets, Abbott explained.
He said the number of flights coming into the airport each day varies depending on the time of the year. The busiest time for the airport is between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Airport manager Mapp said a typical off-season day may see 10 flights coming into the airport. During the Saratoga horse racing season in July and August as many as 50 flights may land at the airport from “all different parts of the country,” Mapp said.
“We get a mix of everything,” Abbott said about flights coming into the airport. He said it might be people flying in to visit the Sagamore resort on Lake George or people coming in to attend performances at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. During the Adirondack Thunder season in Glens Falls, professional hockey scouts may fly in to observe up and coming Thunder players.
“We service anything and everything,” Abbott said. Rich Air also makes ground transport arrangements for people staying at local hotels. He said Rich Air has arrangements with some hotels and limo drivers offering reduced rates.
Rich Air works with some local businesses year-round, such as the Sagamore and Irving Tissue. These businesses like the convenience of the airport. “There are no lines, no waiting,” Abbott said. For these businesses “time is money” and they save time by flying into Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport.
“We are always looking at ways to improve the airport. Working with the county is a win-win situation,” Abbott said.
Abbott noted that Rich Air services all type of aviation missions at the airport not just ones for based aircraft and corporate charters. New York State Police, US military and other government aircraft and Med Flights aircraft use the airport. He said the airport is a “vital lifeline and benefit to the region!”
The airport also offers community services such as airport tours and flight instruction (leafair.net). The 109th Airlift Wing of the New York Air National Guard flies its large C-130 Hercules planes into the airport on training missions. Another common sight in the skies around the airport are Army National Guard helicopters. The Blackhawk helicopters from the Army Aviation Support facility No. 3 in Latham use the airport for nighttime training operations thanks to the airport’s pilot controlled lighting system.