THE MISSISSIPPI PRESS

Airport flying high in Ocean Springs:
By WALTER A. SKUPIEN JR.
Ocean Springs Bureau OCEAN SPRINGS

  Bill and Rosemary McWhirter have gone from ground zero to almost cruising speed in five years.
And that's not bad on 3,500 feet of runway.
  The McWhirters purchased the Ocean Springs Airport in 1992. At the time, the airport located at Gulf Park Estates had among its properties a small operations building and an unfinished hanger. Facilities were in disrepair.
  The McWhirters embarked on a major program to turn their airport into one where pilots who owned planes would want to park their craft. That meant an airport where pilot-owners could find excellent repair work, be able to update their aircraft with the latest technological advances and also feel comfortable about coming out and doing some hanger flying." Hangar flying, Bill explained, was meeting and talking over old times and experiences.
  This month they are observing their fifth year of operation and following an aviation only get-together, they're planning an open house for the general public. Today the airport can handle small single and twin-engine aircraft.  The McWhirters checked off with pride the improvements they have made:

A modern and airy 30-foot-by-30-foot reception area with floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the runway and houses an operations center and kitchen area.
A briefing room for pilots and instructors.
A classroom for  primary and instrument training.
A pilot's lounge that offers updated weather information every 15 minutes
There's also an additional TV for playing video games or watching educational videos.
A room with a surveillance camera for administering Federal Aviation Administration tests.
Private offices.
Blacktopped parking areas for cars and airplanes.
Four new hangers for individual planes.
A larger hangar in which up to 35 small planes can be stored.
New fencing around the facility.
Charter service for those wanting to go flying.
The McWhirters have attracted related businesses that are housed at the airport.
These include: McDonald;s Air Services offering mechanical repairs and
updating of aircraft; Rafferty Communications, an FAA certified repair station dealing with electronic equipment, auto pilots, radios and navigational equipment; Triple A Upholstery
specializing in repairs and new coverings; Eastern Aircraft Sales, a Piper dealership.
  The past five years have not been easy, the McWhirters said, but the Gautier residents are glad they followed their dream. Bill, 60, said his interest in aviation began when he flew at 19. He later received a pilot's license in 1968, but. didn't do any further flying until 1989.
Then he bought his first plane and the couple took weekend jaunts to visit relatives.
  "I didn't know I married a pilot, "Rosemary said, "I was new to aviation."
   Bill was serving as director of offshore operations for TRW, a company involved in credit reporting, aeronautical services and making air bags and steering units for vehicles.
   Rosemary worked for Storage Technology in New Jersey, where they were living. One day they were thumbing through a trade magazine, decided they wanted to buy an airport and saw a listing for the Ocean Springs location.  It took a year for their dream to come to fruition.  They visited the local airport in July 1991. When they called back in October to make an offer, they discovered a deal was in the making. They had also looked at several  other locations including sites in North Carolina and South Carolina. A year later a message was left  on  the answering machine at their home asking if they were still interested. "We were so lucky," Rosemary said. Their house sold the first day it was
listed. Bill took early retirement and Rosemary quit her job.

  "Within three months we changed jobs and homes," she said. "The way it's turned out was good for us. It was a good opportunity, the timing was good and we love the city of Ocean Springs. It has a charm (about it)." The McWhirters say that private citizens' ownership of an airport is a "rarity" because of the costs involved. They have to make it on their own. They don't receive any federal funding.
   They view their major competition as the Gulfport-Biloxi Regional Airport and to a lesser degree, the Stennis International Airport in Hancock County and the Trent Lott International Airport north of Moss Point. Even so, they are managing to build up their customer base with about 30 planes. Their goal is 80 solid clients.
    The McWhirters say there's a feeling of "family" at the airport which was demonstrated during the course of  their renovation work when some of the pilots "helped out fixing up the place. They want to be a part of it. They're good decent people from all walks of life," they said.
   "We don't get all of them (prospects), but those you have you cherish," they said. "We have good, safe facilities; one pilot says we take care of his plane like we do our own."
    They indicate they've turned the corner financially at the airport and see great potential because general aviation is growing and more people are e purchasing planes for personal use.

8600 Blueberry Road
Ocean Springs, MS 39564
email: romac@cableone.net
phone: (228)872-1962
fax: (228)872-1962