Dr. Frank Middleton named chairman of Aviation Commission

ALBANY — Dr. Frank Middleton was named chairman of the Albany-Dougherty Aviation Commission by unanimous vote at the commission’s monthly meeting Monday evening.

Middleton replaces Dr. William Mayher, who resigned from the board for health reasons before passing away Jan. 31.

Keith Fletcher was unanimously selected as vice chairman of the board.

“Billy was a friend, and I miss him very much,” Aviation Commissioner Charles Gillespie said at the start of Monday’s meeting. “But Billy had gotten to the point (healthwise) that he didn’t want to go forward.”

After observing a moment of silence in Mayher’s honor, the board welcomed its newest member, Ken Hodges.

“The Albany airport has always been near and dear to my heart for a number of years,” Hodges said. “I look forward to serving with each of you on this board.”

During the meeting, which in addition to election of officers included a briefing on the Jan. 31 crash at the Southwest Georgia Regional Airport that left three people dead, the board discussed needed improvements on the hangars and other fixed-base operations components at the airport.

Gillespie mentioned obtaining portable jetways that would protect passengers boarding and deplaning from inclement weather, and Fletcher said that (not having such structures in place) was a common complaint among passengers.

Elizabeth Knowles, the airport’s administrative manager, said funds generated at the airport had balances of $147,000 (Passenger Facility Charges) and around $1 million (Customer Facility Charges), but that those funds could only be spent on specific items.

“I would think David (Hamilton, the city’s Transportation director) would make a specific proposal to the city for funding, and (City Manager) Sharon (Subadan) would use that information to make a proposal to the City Commission for funding improvements,” Bob Langstaff, the outgoing vice chairman who conducted the meeting, said. Langstaff serves of the City Commission.

Board member Gloria Gaines suggested the commission update its master plan to account for specific needs at the airport, and Langstaff said he’d look into the possibility of having a facilitator conduct a “mini-retreat” with the commission prior to its next scheduled meeting March 14.

Gillespie also asked the board to consider naming the conference room at the airport terminal in honor of Mayher.