Mar. 8—The interior of the Terre Haute Regional Airport terminal will soon be remodeled to accommodate new flight school classrooms.
The airport's board of directors Wednesday approved a request from Hoosier Aviation to install moveable glass panel walls that will create six individual classrooms in a 570-aquare-foot area.
The classrooms, each about 8-feet by 12-feet, will have walls that can be moved to make the entire area open for larger events.
Additionally, an east entrance into the airport will be remodeled, removing a reverse L-shaped entrance and converting that into a straight entrance.
The change will allow more visibility to the airport's restaurant. As part of the remodeling, the airport will install a dual swinging glass door into the main hallway that can be locked in the evening. That door also will have fold-away capability, allowing the entire space to be opened if desired.
Airport Director Jeff Hauser said the area currently has couches and is an unused space.
"It would quite the area," Hauser said, adding the project is estimated to cost $50,000 to $75,000 to be paid by Hoosier Aviation.
Jordan and Nicole Brown, the owners and operators of Hoosier Aviation, purchased the fixed base operator (FBO), which provides fuel and aviation services, at Terre Haute's Hulman Field in late October 2011. The company also offers flight instruction.
"Each room will be big enough for a student and instructor," Nicole Brown said, and have a white board for instructors to use to draw visual aids for students. Hoosier Aviation will build furniture for the space. Students currently use a pilot lounge or a small conference room.
"We need this for our growth," Brown said. "Since Zach (Belford) took over as our full-time chief flight instructor a year and half ago, our flight school has increased 75%, which is huge growth, so we need to be able to offer this service to our students so they can better focus and be better pilots."
Brown said the remodeling could take up to six months.
In other business, the board voted to place 4%, or $118,000, of remaining funds from its 2022 budget into the airport's Rainy Day Fund.
That fund currently has $550,000. The airport last year used $240,000 in Rainy Day funds to improve the exterior of the hangars at the front of the airport property.
Also, the airport will be the location for a third Vintage Runway Market. The event is sponsored by Hoosier Aviation and will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 1 at the airport's Thompson hangar.
The market will have more than 70 small business vendors, as well as food trucks. Some new vendors include Proverbs 31 Boutique and Indiana Whiskey Co.
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