When he was a student at Indiana State University, Scott Noth learned how to fly an airplane in the university’s flight academy at Terre Haute International Airport-Hulman Field. Now, he’s passing along that knowledge to younger pilots-to-be, as a flight instructor.
“It’s nice because it’s not too far from campus,” Noth said, an eye toward the quiet runway, in between giving lessons on a recent afternoon.
ISU’s Flight Academy is largely credited for a spike in overall airport operations. The airport has seen a 72-percent increase in activity from January 2013 through December 2015, operations director Kara McIntosh said. The flight academy opened in fall 2013.
Terre Haute is the third-busiest airport in Indiana, behind Indianapolis and Lafayette. The jump could translate into more federal funding and future expansion projects, McIntosh said.
“The busier we are,” she said, “the more need we have for hangars if more people are based here.”
In 2015, 65,283 operations were recorded, compared with 48,797 in 2014, 27,413 in 2013.
FAA funding is tied to operations data and the number of planes based at an airport.
If a plane takes off between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., when ISU is in session, there’s most likely a flight academy pilot aboard.
Chief flight instructor Kevin Donnar said the academy averages 40 to 45 flights a day, but is capable of about 60. Students can access the runways seven days a week during the semesters.
ISU has 13 planes at its disposal.
“The demand for our aircraft has skyrocketed due to our enrollment,” he said.
About 115 students are enrolled in the aviation technology program, Donnar said, a number that has increased each year.
Students benefit from a 24-hour air traffic control tower, on-site mechanic and public safety presence. Noth said the airport is just the right size for training, giving pilots-in-training a taste of how a fairly busy facility operates.
The control tower, itself, is a major asset, flight instructor Aaron Walsh said. Some of his colleagues come from smaller, uncontrolled airfields.
“It gives [students] more the real-world experience that they can’t get from an uncontrolled [airport],” he said.
Until the academy opened, ISU had a contract with Peru Municipal Airport and Sky King Airport for the aviation program.
As the academy continues to grow, other factors also play into the busy runways.
McIntosh said more corporations are flying in, with Terre Haute an ideal place for fuel stops away from the traffic at Indianapolis International.
“It’s very convenient for everybody,” she said.
Duke Energy, Casey's General Store, Furniture Row, Great Dane and the Bureau of Federal Prisons are among corporations regularly using the airport.
Those extra fuel stops generate more revenue for the airport. Fuel sales increased 23 percent between 2014 and 2015, McIntosh said.
The airport collects 10 cents on each purchase from Hoosier Aviation, the airport’s fueling company.