ARDMORE, OK-- Situated next to the golf course, the Lake Murray State Park Airport sits empty most of the time.
"It's been over a month since I've seen an airplane land," said Wesley Chaney, who manages the golf course at Lake Murray State Park.
Records from the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission (OAC) show the unattended air strip also sits on about $450,000 from the FAA. The airport gets $150,000 from the FAA each year. Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) calls the airport an example of wasteful government spending. The airport landed the number four spot in Coburn's 2012 Wastebook.
"It's rarely used," said Chaney, "and some of the pilots that do fly in state that it's not in the best shape."
Records from OAC show no FAA money has been spent on improvement projects since 2008 at Lake Murray State Park Airport. A breakdown of spending at the OAC shows officials spent $5,546 at Lake Murray that year on an electrical project.
OAC records show remaining funds from 2008 were transferred to Duncan Municipal Airport. Records indicate $144,000 went toward Duncan's new airport terminal building. FAA funds from 2009 were split between two other airports OAC's spending breakdown shows $5,153 invested on the Davis Field Taxiway and $144,847 on Ardmore Municipal Airport's drainage system.
"We're making more prudent, wiser, strategic decisions in our system, and addressing higher priority needs," said Victor Bird, Director of the OAC.
With Ardmore Downtown Executive Airport just six miles from Lake Murray State Park Airport, Bird says the airstrip sees five to ten landings a month during peak season, and sometimes no landings at all during low season. Bird says it's more important for the OAC to invest FAA funds on airports with more traffic. OAC records show the airports that received funds allotted to Lake Murray State Park Airport serve major clients that include Halliburton, Michelin, and Dollar General.
"They're some of the most important airports in our system," Bird explained.
The Oklahoma Department of Tourism has tried to shut down Lake Murray State Park Airport for years, but OAC officials say closing the airport would cost Oklahoma taxpayers $184,000. Under FAA guidelines, the airport must stay open for 20 years after the OAC spends money on an improvement project.
"We don't want to pay any money back to Uncle Sam," said Bird.
Bird says Lake Murray State Park Airport is one of 497 up for review by the FAA, if the airport is deemed insignificant to aviation, FAA could cut off funding and OAC officials would close down the airport. Local pilots, like Tyler Barker say they do not want to see the airport shut down.
"This is one resource that once they're gone, they're no longer," said Barker.
Pilots argue closing the airport at Lake Murray State Park is another sign of general aviation dying out. Chaney says he will honor any request from the FAA and OAC, but he also wants to see the land at Lake Murray State Park used in a way that will attract more visitors.
Story and Video: http://www.okcfox.com
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