At the age of 15, Doug Dodge drove his motorcycle to James Clements Municipal Airport and begged the manager, Al Hoffman, to throw him off a plane to simply parachute.
And he looked at me and said, ‘Wouldn’t you rather be told to fly?’And I said, ‘Yes, but I can’t,’ and he said, ‘Are you looking for a job?’And I said, “Yes!” And that was the end, I started running and being informed to fly.
This year, Dodge finished a 32-year career as an airport manager and handed over the keys to Jeff Koons. Koons assumes control at a time when the city is investing in the modernization of the Class B general aviation airport located at M-13. The main airport hangar built in 1928, but the site was used as an airfield since 1905. Click here to learn more about the history of the airport.
James Clements Airport was built on the site of an old airfield. Over the years, the airport has played a vital role in local and national history. For Dodge, however, the airport is a non-public story.
“I grew up in love with planes,” Dodge said.
He learned to fly before he could drive. In 1974, Dodge began flying at air displays in the United States and Canada.
Henry Dora was the first pilot to fly alone from the airport on August 25, 1912. Through the air shows, he met prominent airmen who added Paul Tibbets, who flew the Enola Gay B-29 that dropped the Little Boy atomic bomb in Hiroshima in the end. World War II; Chuck Yeager, an aircraft powered by a Bell X-1 rocket, Glorious Glennis, broke the sound mark in 1947; and Charles McGee, one of the pilots of all The African-American Aviators of World War II Tuskegee whose red markings gave them the nickname “Red Tails”. He also met the much-decorated Jimmy Doolittle, best known for Doolittle’s foray into Japan in 1942.
“And I was able to fly with a lot of my heroes and things like that,” Dodge says. “I’m very fortunate to have met so many. ” For more information about Dodge and its air show functionality, click here.
A plaque explains the history of the airport and administrative construction. A hangar and administrative construction were carried out in 1930. Dodge also operates Acro Specialties, his own at the airport.
“To exclude air shows, prototype and build experimental aircraft parts,” Dodge says. “By doing what I do, I’ve avoided adapting an airplane mechanic. I’ve been more of an experimenter and basically specialized in high-performance aerobatic aircraft. You don’t need to be a mechanic to do this kind of thing. “
Now retired, Dodge is the new manager Koons as he learns of his new role.
Like Dodge, Koons has been fascinated with airplanes and flight. Between 1995 and 1999, Koons served in the U. S. Navy. But it’s not the first time He originally hoped to enter as an aircraft mechanic, but replaced the courses and instead attended the U. S. Navy School of Soldiers. But it’s not the first time In Fresno, California, to discharge your authorization to inspect the fuselage and power plant of the Federal Aviation Authority.
The land used as an airfield for about 15 years before the structure of the airport. Koons is also a pilot student and lately is taking courses at the airport to download his pilot’s license.
Koons, new to Bay City, said he’s lived all over the country. Today, the culture of airport managers living on the current grounds of the airport administration building continues. The airport operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with an employee, so it is to live there.
“We love the area,” he said. Everybody talks about food, so lately we’re getting ahead of ourselves with hunting a few establishments, now that things are starting to wake up. And until now, they were right. “
Jeff Koons, the new administrator of the municipal airport, takes over at a time when the city is investing in improvements. Koons and his circle of relatives are preferably located to model everything Bay City has to offer.
“It’s a road leading to the city,” Dodge says. “We have other people who come enough to do business in the city. There’s nothing in Bay City that’s less than 15 minutes away. “
Bay City manager Dana Muscott is confident that Koons and the airport are on the brink of regional economics.
The Bay City Chamber of Commerce made the decision that the network needed an airport in 1926. The first hangar opened in 1930. ” I’ve noticed that James Clements Airport is an inexpensive tool for our city,” Muscott says.
The economic effect on the airport is felt state-round, according to a 2018 study through the Michigan Department of Transportation’s Aeronautics Office (MDOT). The study estimates that the economic effect on the airport is $8 million locally and $10 million across the state. Each stopover at the airport spends an average of $248 on the area. Money is used for everything from food to manufacturing. Approximately another 20,000 people stop at the airport each year.
Water landings are common at the oceanfront airport and have an effect on water accumulation as the city invests in innovations for heating and air conditioning systems, as well as the roofing and lighting of the administrative building. Improvements will increase the life of the trail from 10 to 15 years, says Tim Botzau, who runs the city’s parks department.
“I think if we could expand our runways, we could attract bigger corporate planes, which would bring business to our city and its surroundings,” Muscott says. pilots. “
MDOT estimates that the economic effect on the airport is $8 million locally and $10 million across the state. Or a stopover in your friends and family. ” We have a remarkable named board that has the vision to take us to the next point and Jeff with his vision,” Muscott adds.
Scott Holman, president, owner and spouse of Bay Cast Technologies in Bay City, is chairman of James Clements’ advisory committee. Holman has been a pilot since 2014 and rents a hangar at the airport.
Approximately another 20,000 people stop at the airport each year, spending an average of $248 each in the region. “I was worried about need,” Holman says, talking about the airport before its updates. Holman says he was worried after traveling all over the country and making a stopover at other airports. Although Clements Airport was one of the most charming in which he had made a stopover, he thought innovations were needed. Holman approached Muscott to comment on his concerns.
“She is very interested in transforming this airport, and because of the settings in our network, just as a way to attract other people to the network and enjoy our restaurants and hotels and some of the activities we seek to promote,” Holman said.
Holman sees Bay City move from a production to a more touristy destination.
“People come to make antiques and stay for the weekend events, water and tourist activities we have here,” Holman says. He added that pilots like to fly in the cities and spend the night enjoying some meals and seeing the sights. “The airport wants to be designed to be very responsive to other people flying to attract them. “
The Advisory Committee plans to travel to 25 other airports across the country to conduct investigations and research missions to see what is right and what is wrong. Holman hopes to use this data to have a comparative investigation to provide the city for James Clements Airport.
Bay City recently invested in innovations for the runway and management building. “There are things that are popular right now,” Holman says. “Believe it or not, you can camp at any airport as long as it is not prohibited in particular. “
Holman hopes to set up a camp near the seaplane base on the Saginaw River and also has the idea of turning the third floor of administrative construction into AirBNB.
Apart from Koons, there is no other at the 260-acre airport. The city’s parks department is helping with land maintenance, but many fall into Koons. “During the summer, 90% of my time I spend cutting the lawn,” Koons says. In winter, snow removal is your job. Throughout the year, keeping the luminaires running is one of their goals.
Jeff says he’s fascinated by aviation. While managing the airport, Koons remained busy running two other jobs at the same time. Working remotely as Operations Manager for Constant Aviation, Koons is guilty of multiple service technicians anywhere, from Dallas, California, to Seattle, operating with aviation aircraft.
Koons also owns and operates Southern Sierra Aviation, which focuses on repairing and rebuilding small aircraft in an airport hangar. At the time of maintenance, Koons runs on a Cessna 182.
Koons hopes rekindle of runways and taxiways will attract more business. You can imagine attractors like barbecues, takeaway breakfasts and food truck events at the airport. Koons also asked pilots what they would like to have at their disposal when they stop at the airport. Building.
Koons has already installed a high-speed fiber optic Internet connection in construction for pilots. It also serves Black Rifle Coffee, a veterans-owned company that supports veterans, law enforcement, and first responders at the airport. to have on site.
Holman’s with Koon’s paintings at the airport.
“If you go to the airport right now, you’re traveling at any time of the day, get a radio call from our new airport manager, ‘Hey, how are you?You want something?” Holman said.
“It’s not entirely unique, but it’s weird. You’ll find them in the user there near the fuel pumps, and it puts a very smart face for the city of Bay City at our airport. Nor is it unusual to have the director who lives at the airport, it is a kind of old school ».