Though Poised for Commercial Growth, GA Still a Priority at Stillwater Regional Airport
Stillwater Flight Center, the lone FBO at Stillwater Regional Airport (KSWO), has recently expanded to better meet the pilots’ needs. Just in time for the busy season of Big XII charters, the newly acquired space in the main terminal will include a briefing room, pilots’ lounge and sleeping area. All of this is conveniently located adjacent to the line service office.
This expansion comes after years of FBO space and amenities having been on the back burner since commercial flights were introduced at the airport three years ago. At that time, the FBO converted most of its space to accommodate commercial air service.
“I commend the owner and management of Stillwater Flight Center for their commitment to our pilots” said Paul Priegel, Airport Director, Stillwater Regional Airport. “They’ve made improvements and a tremendous investment to ensure they’re able to offer pilots the amenities they expect. While many enhancements have been made to the terminal to support commercial growth, the FBO is also very dedicated to serving the needs of our general and corporate aviation pilots.”
In June, the Federal Aviation Administration announced it awarded Stillwater Regional Airport – Oklahoma’s fourth largest airport – a $5.2 million grant to fund phase one of a multi-year apron reconstruction and expansion project. This project is part of over $25 million in surface improvements ongoing or planned during the next 4 years, which also includes completing a parallel taxiway for the primary runway and rehabilitation of their secondary runway. The apron expansion will provide more separation and space for aircraft parking and commercial operations. It will also link the airport to a soon-to-be constructed, state-of-the-art Oklahoma State University Flight Center and eventually a new commercial air service terminal. Out of the more than 80,000 takeoffs and landings annually at SWO, roughly 65 percent of the traffic comes from the OSU Flight Center.
The commitment to general and corporate aviation extends beyond the FBO operations to the education of future aviators. In fact, most of the staff at Stillwater Flight Center are part-time college students. Through their partnership with OSU, which has one of the largest aviation and space programs in the country, the FBO provides an unbeatable experience to OSU students as they begin their aviation career.
Stillwater Flight Center has been serving Stillwater Regional Airport since 1984 and is a Phillips 66® Aviation branded FBO. All line service technicians are NATA Safety 1st trained. To learn more about Stillwater Flight Center, visit stillwaterflightcenter.com
To learn more about Stillwater Regional Airport, visit flystillwaterok.com