Friedman gets Eccles land and $12 million FAA grant

Friedman Memorial Airport took the first step toward completing a three-year, $15 million development plan for the facility on Sept. 4.

At a press conference last Tuesday morning, airport officials announced the purchase of 40 acres of land from Spencer Eccles, who owns the Flying Hat Ranch just south of the airport on the west side of State Highway 75. The purchase price was $4.3 million.

The purchase allows for a runway shift of 350 feet to the south, and all buildings on the east side to be moved to the southwest corner of the airfield.

"This project is huge," said Friedman manager Rick Baird. "The airport will not look like it does now four years from now; from Highway 75, you will only see the runway," he said.

The master plan has aircraft parking moved to the east, which will decrease noise, Baird said.

"The FAA’s priority is safety. The authority’s priority is safety, and operating a more neighbor friendly operation," he said of the new layout.

The land acquisition was the deciding factor for a $12 million grant awarded to Friedman from the Federal Aviation Administration.

To qualify for the grant, the money had to be earmarked for a project before the end of the fiscal year Oct. 1.

"We just squeaked by," said Friedman Authority chairman Tom Blanchard.

The master plan will not increase the capabilities of the airport.

"We are expanding the land base; we are not improving our capability of handing big jets or more traffic," Baird said.

Pavement strength determines the size jet an airport can handle, and the pavement at Friedman can handle up to a 110-passenger jet.

Baird said the airport is looking at regional carriers with a 30- to 80-passenger load maximum.

The purchase is the culmination of a seven-year process that began when the Federal Aviation Administration mandated that Friedman address safety deviations, including intrusions into the primary safety zones.

Friedman hopes to work with Hailey and Blaine County to ensure that zoning near the airport prohibits residential use.