The

Peachtree City Airport Authority honored its outgoing

chairman at its final meeting of 1999, recognizing seven

years of service to the city's aviation community.

Robert

Patterson was presented with a card and a framed aerial

photograph of Falcon Field at the Dec. 8 meeting.

Patterson thanked the authority, airport manager Jim

Savage, the mayor and council of Peachtree City, and the

many others who are regular attendees of authority

meetings for their part in the airport's success.

"My

mission has been to have the best general aviation

airport in the United States," said Patterson, who

served 33 years in the U.S. Air Force. "I think

we're pretty far along on that."

While he

acknowledged that not all of his goals have been reached,

he said that the facility is on its way to eventually

becoming fully self-sustaining, with no financial support

from the city being necessary.

"Peachtree

City is a special place," Patterson said. "It

needs a special airport."

He added

that he would soon be joining the audience members at

authority meetings, and he noted the approach of the year

2000 by commenting on how far the aviation industry has

come in the 20th century.

In other

business, Savage reported that hangar identification

signs on all of the T-hangars and private hangars in

Hangar Area A have been installed. This should make it

easier for tenants, visitors, airport staff and emergency

personnel to locate the units from a distance. The total

cost was less than $500.

The South

Hangar project is on hold due to some issues involving

the acquisition of 2.21 acres of land from Peachtree City

Holdings, Savage said. In question is the ownership of

Stallings Road and who will participate, and at what

financial level, in the eventual paving of the road.

With the

holidays and winter weather imminent, it may be necessary

to delay the start of the project until late February or

March, depending on when an agreement is reached. Douglas

Warner, the authority's attorney, is continuing to work

with PCH to reach an agreement, Savage reported.

Construction

of the hangar on lot D24 has begun. This is the last

short private hangar that can be built in Hangar Area A

until a short taxiway is added near the airport beacon,

according to Savage.