Sky's the limit for manager's passion

MONTEZUMA - Aviation has long held a place in Steve Shin-abery's heart.

As the new manager of Lakefield Airport, Shinabery aims to share that passion for flying with the public, especially young children.

"If a teacher or principal calls me, sure, I would be interested in having them come out and taking them on a little tour and try to explain to them about a little country airport out in the middle of the cornfield, what we do every day," Shinabery told the newspaper on Monday while pointing out the airport's key features. "I'm all for supporting the airport anyway I can, especially the little kids."

Airport authority president Gary Lefeld last month said the board had recently hired Shin-abery to helm the airport. The position had been vacant for about a year, Lefeld said, adding that prior to Shinabery's hiring, Dick Murray had served as interim manager before resigning in December. It's an hourly position, and Shinabery will earn about $20,000 annually, Lefeld said.

Shinabery, 62, lives in St. Marys with his wife, Chris. The two run Shinco Lawn Service. Shinabery worked at Huffy's for 20 years and Honda for 22 years, from which he recently retired.

"Ever since I was a kid, I was involved with model airplanes, and it's just kind of revolved around that. And I started flying in my young adulthood," Shin-abery said.

Lakefield is familiar ground for Shinabery, who said he once had worked at the airport with former managers Jim and Terry Zimmerman, running operations on the weekends to give them some time off.

"This was the first place I ever rode in a plane," he said. "It wasn't an asphalt runway then. It was grass."  

Shinabery once flew Cessna 150s and 172s and was at one point in his life an avid skydiver, having made more than 200 jumps before giving up the hobby.

"I've always been interested in aviation, and I've owned quite a few planes, some by myself and some with other people," Shinabery pointed out. "Even if I don't fly, I still like being around planes. I love being around airplanes for some reason. My wife will tell you."

As manager, Shinabery said he's responsible for the airport's day-to-day operations, among them is testing the density and temperature of fuel before it's offloaded by truck into the tanks. Government regulations on fuel and tanks are "very strict," he said.

He also must inspect the underground tanks daily, checking for leaks and rust that could contaminate the fuel.

The airport hangars are home to about 30 planes, he said. The county-owned facility does a mix of business involving privately owned small planes mainly used for pleasure trips as well as a charter flight service, Island Seas, owned by Rockford pilot Charles "Chuck" Black.

The airport often sees large jets that transport business officials to and from the area, Shinabery said. Lakefield is very important for county economic development, and all but four counties in Ohio have airports.

Later on in the day, Shin-abery was expecting the arrival of a multimillion-dollar jet owned by a race team that often frequents Rossburg's Eldora Speedway.

"I don't want to say who it is, but it's not Tony Stewart," Shinabery said. "We get quite a bit of those in here, and Stewart does fly in and out of there."

Lakefield is in the midst of a major expansion. County commissioners in 2016 approved a funding plan to construct a $745,630 hangar.

The 10-unit T-hangar was necessary due to the loss of storage space at the airport, according to county officials. Hangars are a vital revenue source for the airport.

"This airport is going to be expanded," Shinabery said. "Right now we went from like a 3,800-foot-long runway to a 4,400-foot (runway) and eventually it's going to be - I might never see it in my lifetime - up to around 5,500 feet."

That project, he said, is contingent on Federal Aviation Administration grants and would help Lakefield better accommodate more and bigger jets.

"Some of these jets coming in and out … can't take off and land with full tanks out here because (they) just won't get off the ground - not enough room," he said.

Black recently fired off a litany of accusations and complaints about how the airport was being managed to county commissioners, issues that he said had been mounting for years. However, he had told the newspaper he is optimistic airport personnel issues can be resolved with new management.

Shinabery said he's aware of some of Black's concerns but noted he doesn't want to comment on the issues as he seeks to turn the page.

"This is today," he said. "I'm the guy in the middle and so I've got to please the people who fly in and out of here and do business here, but my boss is the airport authority," he said.

Airport authority board members are appointed by county commissioners.  

One of Shinabery's biggest goals is to cast a light on the airport.

"I like to promote this airport. I like to see big people out here. I like to see the little guys with the little airplanes. I love to have the Civil Air Patrol out here. Anything to get people interested in aviation, I support," he said.

The local air patrol, a U.S. Air Force auxiliary, is made up of cadets, aged 12 to 21 years old, and senior members, and provides aerospace education, cadet programs and emergency services.

"A lot of people don't even know we have an airport here," he said. "This is a public facility. It's open to anybody. If I'm here, the door's open. I don't care if it's a truck driver coming in."