A statue of Clayton Scott, the Renton Airport’s namesake, stands at the main entrance.

The Renton Corporate Aviation Center and Surrounding Controversy

“Fly With The Best”

Indisputable Facts!

· Boeing has abandoned 13-14 acres of land at the airport and has plans to abandon more.

· The Airport has lost substantial rental income from these properties that MUST be replaced.

· The City of Renton commissioned a study to determine the best use of the land.

· There were 4 plans put forth.

· A consensus was reached that the best use of the land would be a Corporate Aviation Center.

· This determination has raised concerns by the affected communities.

Where Does Pro-Flight Stand?

We hope to grow our company regardless of which option is decided upon. Growth is a core component of any business, but we have no desire or need to grow Pro-Flight in an irresponsible manner. We submitted a proposal to the City for the construction and operation of the Corporate Aviation Center in response to the City’s RFP in November.  Our proposal outlines a plan to responsibly manage noise by implementing a new  FBO business model that shifts the traditional profit center from fuel sales to management fees.  This compensation model allows us to pursue “zero noise impact” tenants such as aircraft component manufacturers or educational institutions.

 

Something HAS to happen!

· The City of Renton must be fiscally responsible.  The City manages the property at the airport.  It is imprudent of ANY property manager to leave rentable space vacant, especially when there is such strong demand.

· Any redevelopment of this land WILL bring additional traffic and the noise issues that accompany it.

· This increase in traffic can be managed and, I believe, the noise situation can be improved so it is less intrusive than now.

· To mitigate future noise issues,  we believe a comprehensive plan, including a viable business model which doesn’t  inherently promote noise, should be implemented.

My name is Bernie Paholke.  Since 1994,  my wife Diane and I have owned and operated Pro-Flight Aviation, the largest FBO on the Renton Airport.  We are publishing this website to offer our expertise and opinions regarding this issue and to better position ourselves to responsibly grow our company, utilizing the space that has become available at the Airport.  We are intimately familiar with operations at Renton Airport and understand the far reaching effects of any decisions made regarding the Corporate Aviation Center.

The current controversy concerns the increase of aircraft traffic into and out of the Renton Airport.  As one might expect, there are opposing viewpoints about what should be done.  Some neighborhoods are adversely affected by the jets and others are more concerned about the propeller driven training aircraft flying the traffic pattern.

The most heated comments concern the Boeing Field closure last summer.  Many citizens were adversely impacted by the huge, short term, increase in jet traffic and are worried that a Corporate Aviation Center will re-create that level of traffic on a permanent basis.  Speaking as a professional in the middle of the situation,  it is doubtful this will ever occur again.  If it does, it will be beyond everyone’s control but we will all be better prepared.

Please Remember...

Our response to the City’s RFP was not a reaction to the current discussions.  Instead, we believe it genuinely demonstrates our forward-thinking and proactive approach to the Renton Airport and surrounding communities, which we are part of, and upon which our livelihood depends.

 Please look around this website and let me know if you have any questions or comments.