Falcon Field's fuel operation

will not be used as a bargaining tool to lure a maintenance and avionics

facility to the airport, the Peachtree City Airport Authority has decided.

The authority, however, still

wants to work with officials from Chippewa Aerospace to figure how else

they can land the Myrtle Beach company that is relocating to expand its

business. If the company wants to operate its own fuel farm, it can do

so, authority officials noted.

Chippewa is interested in purchasing

the Hunting facility, which is adjacent to Falcon Field and owned by Hunting

Aviation, a company based in England. The building has frontage on Dividend

Drive and has been vacant for over five years; it previously housed the

Stephens company

At a special called meeting

Monday night, the authority voted to wait six months before considering

any proposals to lease the FBO. That allows the authority time to get

a new airport manager and authority member on board.

Chippewa officials have said

leasing the FBO was not a "make or break" decision that would

drastically affect whether or not it relocated at Falcon Field, said Airport

Authority Chairwoman Cathy Nelmes.

Chippewa Aerospace company

performs aircraft maintenance, avionics, modifications and interior refurbishment

services and would be a welcome addition to the airport, Nelmes said.

"It would be tremendous

to have someone in that facility," Nelmes said Tuesday morning, adding

that Chippewa would service larger aircraft than is currently serviced

in December.

"Their businesses kind

of complement each other," Nelmes said.

The FBO is currently operated

from $120,000 a year in hotel-motel tax revenue, the authority's

only other significant income is from hangar leases and through-the-fence

airport access fees.

During the meeting, Nelmes

said some Falcon Field tenants were concerned about the level of service

dropping off and fuel prices going up if the fuel operation were to be

leased to a private company.

The current level of refueling

service offered by the Falcon Field staff is exceptional, said pilot Bob

Patterson, a former authority member.

"They treat the Cessna

172 guy just like the Lear Jet that comes in here," Patterson said.

Mayor Steve Brown urged the

authority to consider any proposal from Chippewa regarding the FBO. Brown

also said he thought the authority didn't make money off fuel sales,

but he was told that was not the case.

Nelmes said Tuesday that fuel

sales for the past three months have beat projections despite the fact

that winter is traditionally a "down time" for fuel sales.