Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
Brooten's 100LL Aviation System Is State-Of-The-Art
Brooten now offers 100 LL fuel with a state-of-the-art system and credit card reader located near the terminal building.
John Bohmer, a Brooten native and U.S. Army Air Force pilot in World War II, donated funding for the construction of the terminal building. The airport was named in his honor. He celebrated his 100th birthday in June 2021.
Brooten Municipal Airport/John O. Bohmer Field's recently added fuel system, completed in 2021, includes a 5,000-gallon tank for 100LL.
It was provided and installed by O'Day Tank and Steel LLC, based in Fargo, North Dakota. The project was funded by MnDOT via 70%/30% split, with a private donor contributing to the project.
Paul Jurek, PE, is a senior engineer with Bollig Engineering. He was involved with design and construction of the new aviation fuel system.
"They didn't have fuel on the airport," Jurek said. "There was an agricultural spraying business that brought in its own fuel."
The new state-of-the-art system features a credit card reader on the pump, which is more convenient and secure. It runs remotely through the city's computer system so the clerk can track fuel sales and the gallons left in the tank, saving time and improving accuracy.
The above-ground fuel facility features a dual-walled tank, which is accepted by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) as a means of secondary containment, so a concrete containment basin around the fueling area is not required.
"Typically, at smaller airports we try to serve smaller GA aircraft with 100LL," Jurek said. "There was talk about jet fuel, but there wasn't enough demand to support it."
The new 100LL fuel facility is located near the Brooten airport's arrival/departure building and meeting center, another Bollig project that was completed in 2013.
"Pilots and passengers can use the restroom facilities after fueling up," Jurek said. "It's another amenity for the city to have."
Brooten city officials also hired Bollig to lead a partnership that could develop a plan for the industrial park located between the railroad and the airport.
A high-speed cargo line with limited sightline visibilities created dangerous conditions, which ultimately led to a fatality at a private railroad crossing for a business located in the industrial park, said Angela Holm, AIA, Bollig's aviation lead.
Uniting businesses, Bollig secured a DEED grant to extend water, sewer and roadways through the industrial park, including a new one-mile roadway between a county road and the industrial park, crossing city, airport, railroad, and private land.
The ultimate solution required eight separate projects to address the inter-related problems of the intermodal project. This effort also included creating an Airport Layout Plan showing the new roadway, a runway lighting project, a new terminal building, and reconfiguring the county highway. Other project work included extending a city street, the addition of a turn lane and bypass lane on Highway 55, a new railroad gate installation in cooperation with the Canadian Pacific Railroad and MnDOT, and paving Industrial Park Road.
Bollig helped the city engage nine separate funding partners in order to bring the project to fruition in an affordable and agreeable way for the client. Numerous meetings were required throughout funding acquisition, design, and construction.
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