Manufacturer May Be Building On RC Club's Airstrip

The 36 members of the Eastern Idaho Aeromodelers, who have been leasing a patch of ground at Pocatello Regional Airport for $261 per year for their flying club, have been informed by the airport manager that a manufacturer is eyeing the site, and that they may have to move.

Pocatello Sectional

The club is well-established at the airport, and has built structures on the property along with a sprinkler system and both a paved and a grass runway. The runways are both about 450 feet long by 40 feet wide. The Idaho State Journal reports that the facility is well regarded among RC clubs in a 4 state area.

The club, which has been at the airport for more than 20 years, says the facility is worth about $30,000, and that it would take 10-15 years to raise the necessary funds to replicate it in another location.

There appears to be surprisingly little animosity about the move from either party. The club has already approached the county commissioners about finding a new site for their activities, and Airport Director David Allen has had nothing but kind words for the club. Allen told the paper the club won't be displaced prematurely. "It's come down to doing what we're supposed to do at the airport. We've just decided we have to press ahead, and we've found tenants willing to work ahead on that."

The lease stipulates that either party can offer 90 days notice to terminate the agreement, and that notice has not yet been given. Allen said he gave the club a heads-up at its last meeting to give them ample time to find a new site.

Along with the county commission, the club has talked with officials at the Bannock County Fairgrounds and some gravel pit owners in the area as potential sites for relocation.

FMI: www.pocatello.us/airport/index.htm