Runway Closures Stall Business at Lake in the Hills Airport (3CK) Chicago/Lake In The Hills, Illinois.

Airport-based business owners said they wished village officials had given them more warning on exact times of the closures so they could prepare.

Jim Finefield, left, owner of Finefield Aviation, and Lynn Hadler, owner of Motive Services Co., both based at Lake in the Hills Airport, are concerned that a 13-day runway closure will affect their businesses.

Photo Credit: Stephanie Price
 

Photo Credit: Stephanie Price 
Signs notify visitors and tenants at Lake in the Hills Airport of the temporary runway closures due to construction of taxiway improvements.
 

Lynn Hadler, owner of Lake in the Hills Airport-based Motive Services Co., was not happy to learn about a 13-day stretch of projected runway closures.

The closures started Oct. 10 and will close the airport's runway on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Hadler wishes the village had given him — and other business operators at the airport — ample notice of the closures. Construction of the taxiway and connecting pieces to the old runway will occur from Oct. 10 to Oct. 26.

“The problem is that they just sprung this on us at the last minute,” said Hadler, whose business is focused on airplane maintenance and repair. “We had a pilots meeting last month, and they didn’t tell us anything about it. All they said was the taxiway repairs would require minimal disturbance.”

Hadler said that on Sept. 27, he received an e-mail notice from airport manager Manny Gomez about the upcoming closures. In turn, Hadler asked if the village intended to collect lease fees during that time. He also requested the specific dates and times of the closures so he could reschedule customer appointments.

He said the response he received from Gomez was less than helpful.

“Basically, he emailed me back saying the village does intend to collect fees, and if I’d like to discontinue my lease I should put it in writing,” Hadler said.

Hadler said many of his customers fly in from other airports. Closing the airport runway for the majority of the day requires major rescheduling and potential loss of income.

Jim Finefield, owner of Finefield Aviation, also an aircraft maintenance and repair service, said on Monday he had a client fly into Lake in the Hills Airport at 6 a.m. just to get an oil change before the runway closure took affect at 8 a.m.

Of the nine planes his company was working on Monday afternoon, six are based at other airports.

“This definitely affects our business,” Finefield said. “We also test fly every airplane we repair, and with the airport closed most of the day we can’t do that. We also pick up and deliver airplanes.”

Finefield said he only learned of the precise times for the runway closures on Oct. 6.

“That’s the big thing,” Finefield said. “If they could have just given us at least two weeks’ notice it would have helped.”

Gomez explained that he only finalized the construction dates and hours with Curran, the contractor, last week.

"I think everybody knew the runway would be closed at some point," Gomez said. "We can't have planes out there while construction is going on."

"The contract between IDOT and Curran allows for 18 days of runway closure. I worked with Curran to decrease that time. As soon as the runway was closed this morning, Curran had two crews working nonstop."

Gomez hopes Curran finishes the necessary work before the 13 days.

"I know the business owners are upset, and I don't blame them," Gomez said. "But this contract was signed in June 2010, and I can't break it. We're both working together to minimize the impact on the business, but I can't minimize it to nothing."

Hadler said he is fortunate to have work appointments for planes based at the Lake in the Hills airport, but he empathizes with the flight school businesses that need to be in the air to make money.

An instructor at Blue Skies did not want to comment on the runway closures, but said the company typically gives lessons “24/7.”

Dan Watson, spokesman for the Lake in the Hills Pilot Association, confirmed the flight schools and service business alike will be hurt by the scheduled closures. These businesses rely on the planes coming and going each day, he said.

“The village has the runway open on the weekends, but that doesn’t help because most of the mechanics aren’t out there on the weekends anyway,” Watson said. “And, during the week, the flight schools typically have three to four customers every day just before lunchtime.”

Lake in the Hills Public Works Director Fred Mullard said the village, after hearing from the airport-based businesses, contacted the contractor conducting the taxiway construction and decreased the scheduled runway closures from 18 to 13 days.

“Basically, the airport is closed during the day, and then there’s a three-hour open window for planes to come in and out, and then it’s closed again at night,” Mullard said. “I know the business owners are concerned about (the runway closures). Obviously, it has an impact on their business.”

Watson said the schedule for the runway closures was modified to allow continuation of the Young Eagles Rally over the weekend and the Air Expo scheduled for Oct. 22.

http://lakeinthehills.patch.com