Montgomery County News

Danielle Cummings
Mount Ida’s Bearce Airport has experienced growth and improvement in the past two years under the leadership of property manager Leon Turnage.
Turnage, of Weatherford, TX, took over management of the city owned Airport when he signed a forty year lease, two years ago.
Previously the airport was operated by Doctor James Fowler.
Since that time, two types of fuel has been made available, runway lights are being replaced and currently the runway is being widened from 50 feet to 75 feet, courtesy of Federal Aviation Administration funding.

The work on the runway is being done by a construction company out of Fayetteville called Total Site Development. Currently they are completing dirt work, leveling, paving and all related labor insuring the new section of the runway meets and exceeds FAA standards.
According to Turnage, the late summers wet weather has pushed completion back about three weeks. The original goal was to close the airport down to begin construction after the last active week of Camp Ozark in late August, which would allow enough time to finish before winter arrived. 
Now that Hurricane’s Gustav and Ike have passed through, progress is being made with an eye to the sky for any other of Mother Nature’s obstacles.
Traditionally Camp Ozark has utilized the Bearce Airport to the greatest degree, especially on weekends throughout the summer with sometimes as many as 15 planes on the runway at once. Lake Ouachita guests use Bearce as well as various others for a variety of reasons.
The addition of fuel and the increased width of the runway, will open the airport with more safety and increased traffic potential. Future plans are to move the fuel tanks to a more convenient location on the grounds, making fueling up similar to a trip to the gas station where you swipe your credit card to pay and you are right back on the road… or the air in this case.
Another potential benefit for the Bearce Airport and the Montgomery County area, is the possibility of Air Evac taking up residence inside the helicopter hangar. The Air Evac Lifeteam is the largest independently owned and operated membership-supported air medical service in the United States. The company offers air ambulance services to rural markets based primarily throughout the south. Currently medical air transport services come from De Queen and other areas. Air Evac is reviewing the Montgomery County area with the possibility of a local location opening, benefitting patrons of Lake Ouachita, the Caddo River, Camp Ozark, and local medical services and residential care.
From a release from Senators Mark Pryor and Blance Lincoln and Representative Mike Ross, “Local airports are vital to economic development in our state, allowing business leaders and others to travel directly to Arkansas communities. These funds will allow airport officials to make needed upgrades, which are critical for the safety and convenience of passengers. I’m pleased to see Bearce Airport receive this money,” said Lincoln.
“Safe and reliable transportation infrastructure is a critical component to economic development in Arkansas,” said Pryor. “Reinvesting these federal dollars into the Bearce Airport will benefit local businesses and residents alike.”
“Developing our state’s infrastructure is key to furthering the Arkansas economy,” said Ross. “I am proud to join my colleagues in announcing these federal funds that will help communities like Mount Ida to attract more business and, in turn, grow their economies and add more jobs.”
The Federal Aviation Administration awarded the Bearce Airport funding in the amount of $155,000 to widen the runway along with airports in Fordyce, Camden and El Dorado.
The completed runway will be 75 feet wide and 4,000 feet long. 

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