Airport of the Month - Project Spotlight

When Orville stepped off the Wright Flyer on Dec. 17, 1903, the first thing he said was, "Where's the bathroom?"

Well, maybe not. But once flights got longer toilets became a high priority after landing. When flight plans and IFR clearances were invented, a telephone became the second thing pilots needed.

Back in the "old days" rural airports often had an "out house" and a phone booth to fill the need. If phone booths are a mystery to you, think "Tardis."

As General Aviation evolved, what Minnesotans call Arrival/Departure or A/D buildings became common. Often resembling a small house, they frequently had a wall decorated with a bunch of aeronautical charts stuck together. The airport you were at would be at the center of the charts, marked by a tack and protractor.

A piece of twine tied to the tack and a graphic scale was used for instant flight planning. The proliferation of cell phones made the land line obsolete. Computers have done away with the map and string, but the toilet's importance remains constant.

In the 21st Century an A/D building should have restrooms, meeting areas, and space for flight planning. Often there's kitchen and a lounge for pilots.

The new building at the Mahnomen County Airport has all of that and is the perfect example of a modern Arrival/Departure building.

Mahnomen County put all the right stuff in its building. The kitchen has a microwave and fridge so pilots waiting for passengers can bring some leftovers to heat up.

An excellent view of the airport can be enjoyed from the pilot's lounge, and the flight planning room is perfect. If you came for a meeting, space is available for that, too. The entire facility is fully accessible and whimsically decorated with model aircraft.

Prior to opening the new building, Mahnomen greeted pilots and passengers with a converted garden shed. There actually was an outhouse. That must have been a lot of fun when it was 20 below.

While the old building's architectural style was early "Menards" the new one is striking. Tasteful styled in "Industrial Modern" with 1,145 square feet of well-designed space, it has extensive glass for passive solar heating and the ceiling has exposed truss work.

The first airport in Mahnomen opened in 1956 and was replaced at the current site in 1974. The "new" airport now has two runways and a spacious parking apron.

A 3,400-foot paved and lighted runway with RNAV approaches is primary and the secondary is 2,700 feet of turf. Self-service fuel is available, and a courtesy car will get you where you need to go.

A reason to go there (besides seeing the new building) would be to visit the Shooting Star Casino. Operated by

the White Earth Ojibwe, the casino is just 4 miles from the airport and has a free shuttle service. If you have too

much fun at the Casino you can camp on the airport and sleep it off, but the hotel adjacent to the Casino has more luxurious accommodations.

Brig. Gen. Clayton Isaacson was born in Mahnomen and is a member of the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame. Isaacson became famous as a World War II ace and later commander of the Air Force's "Fighter Weapons School" in Nevada.

Less well-known is he qualified as a paratrooper because he wanted a challenge and made a combat jump at the age of 64 to rescue hostages in the Congo.

An open house was held in Mahnomen on Sept. 22, 2019,

to dedicate the building. Prior to the dedication, the "Mahnomen Pioneer" interviewed Jon Large. Large noted that the airport was a self-funded entity that required no additional tax funds for revenue.

About the new building Large said, "I believe it's going to create a very welcoming addition to the airport. This is a big improvement. It has the ability to help the community and we're glad we can do it."

Large is the go-to guy for all things airport in Mahnomen. As county engineer, he skillfully oversees other infrastructure. Also a talented airplane pilot, Large knows how aviation works.

Engineering and Flying are an excellent combination of skills for a member of the human species. Large's blend makes him perfect for the airport job. He seems like a very reasonable guy until you discover that like Isaacson he jumped out of perfectly good airplanes. Must be something in the water.