Airport opened for aviator use

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

— The Crystal Lake Airport, which has long been a landmark in Decatur as Peterson Farms’ private airport, was re-opened in January of 2010 for general aviation use.

Crystal Lake Aviation, a subsidiary of Oceans, Pools, Spas and More, Inc., worked with Peterson Farms to revitalize the airport and make it available to pilots and airplane owners, according to airport manager Mike Mitchell.

Anyone can land a plane at the airport, and the hangarfacilities are also available for rent, Mitchell explained.

As an added bonus, Oceans, Pools, Spas and More has moved its business offices from Lowell to the Crystal Lake Airport, he said.

“My plans for the Crystal Lake Airport are to turn it into something that will benefit Decatur and allow surrounding businesses that have aviation needs to have an alternative to driving to Siloam or Bentonville. That’s my hope, that we will become something that is an asset to the community,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell’s idea to re-open the airport was born when his family moved its airplane to the Crystal Lake Airport. After looking at the facilities - which had been inactive for a little more than a year and used for storage - Mitchell was amazed by the potential and began meeting with Peterson Farms to reach some type of an agreementto renovate and reopen the airport, he said.

Crystal Lake Airport has a lot to offer. The 75-foot wide, 3,865-foot long runway is able to accommodate medium-sized private jets, Mitchell said. The airport has two instrument approaches and visual approach slope indicator lights, which help pilots find the correct slope to approach on a landing. Communications at Crystal Lake Airport are tied directly to Razorback Approach, which controls all the air traffic in northwest Arkansas, he said. Crystal Lake Airport is a FAA-registered airport and is part of the national airport system, Mitchell said.

The airport’s passenger lounge was designed to create first impressions. In the hay-day of Peterson Farms, international clients were regularly flown into Crystal Lake Airport for business, and they got their first taste of the company when they stepped off the runway into the passenger lounge with Peterson’s signature native stone walls and a stunning view of the lake.

The airport also has a flight planning room with all the resources a pilot needs. An entire wall of the room is covered from floor to ceiling with a giant flight map of the United States and parts of Canada and Mexico. The map has a string attached to Decatur and, by pulling the magnetic end of the string to any location on the map, one can tell how many miles away it is.

The airport has three large aircraft hangars, each of which can accommodate multiple planes. Several of the hangar spaces are already rented out, but there is still some space available, Mitchell said.

While Crystal Lake Aviation does not offer charter flights, local charter flight operators can land in Decatur to pick up passengers.

Safety and security are a priority at Crystal Lake Airport, Mitchell said. The airport is enclosed by a fence and has a security gate that only allows authorized people to enter. Since 9/11, airport security has become a big issue across the country, but many people may not realize that all pilots are constantly watching for security breaches, Mitchell said. Pilots participate in a program called General Aviation Secure that allows them to report any suspicious activity to an 800 number.

Mitchell’s involvement with aviation began with his parents’ influence. His mother was a stewardess in the early days of passenger aviation. His father learned to fly in World War II and went on to become the chief pilot of Delta Airlines.

Mitchell flew his first plane when he was 16 years old but didn’t get his pilot’s license until about 10 years ago.

Mitchell said he mainly uses aviation as a means of transportation because of his limited time, but he likes the exhilaration he feels when he first leaves the ground. Flying one’s own plane also has a lot of practical advantages, he said. One doesn’t have to arrive early, wait for the plane or make a connecting flight. Owning a plane allows pilots and passengers to depart or arrive whenever they want to, traveling on their own schedule, Mitchell explained.

“That’s a feeling of freedom - people that are bound to the earth, they just really can’t know what it’s like,” Mitchell said.

For more information on Crystal Lake Aviation, call Mike Mitchell at 752-5100 or 752-8000.

News, Pages 1 on 03/09/2011