The flying club hopes to sell fuel at the airport

The Houston District supports the Houston Flying Club’s move to fully establish the Houston Airport as a going concern.

This time, he provided a letter of support for the club’s application, through the Bulkley-Nechako Regional District, for a provincial grant to cover the costs of implementing an automated service. sale of fuel.

Such a service would meet current demand and create an additional incentive for residents and others to use the facilities, noted the flying club’s secretary-treasurer, Sue Jones, in a letter delivered to the council at its meeting on 7 may.

The club has already ordered a fuel tank using $25,500 from an initial grant, but is now seeking money for a metered fuel delivery system and a system to use credit cards to carry out payment.

In total, it is asking the provincial government for $85,000 through the Bulkley-Nechako Regional District for the purchase of the two systems, shipping costs and sales taxes.

A successful grant application would restore the fuel sales service that existed at the airport until the 1990s.

The airport will also benefit from nearly 6,000 feet of eight-foot-high fencing, which Jones said is necessary to keep humans as well as bears and other large animals off the runway surface.

The fence is from TC Energy as well as $1,200 for installation costs.

“As aviation grows and the demand for pilots increases, requests for ground and flight training are common,” Jones added.

“Currently, the Houston Flying Club has a request to partner with the Vanderhoof Flying Club to obtain a satellite flight training location (at the airport). Fuel is a necessary requirement for flight school operations.

At first the club thought there might be an honor system or having a volunteer on site to sell fuel, but that has now changed.

“We recognize that we need to have the whole project in place to ensure peace of mind of secure payments and security,” Jones said of the point-of-sale electronic payment system.

In the meantime, club members continue their volunteer work to renovate the main airport building.

And clearing of trees next to the track to better provide sightlines for drivers will resume once spring weather fully arrives.