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Airport manager outlines growth plans: 103 aircraft, hangar expansion on 20 acres and funding questions
Summary
Dave Myers, Lincoln County Airport manager, told commissioners the airport houses about 103 aircraft, recent ramp projects were funded largely with federal and state grants, and the county has 20 acres planned for hangar development that could support roughly 58—60 hangars.
Dave Myers, manager of the Lincoln County Airport, briefed the commission at the Feb. 11 meeting on airport operations, recent improvements and plans to develop 20 county-owned acres for hangars and facilities.
Myers said the airport currently houses about 103 aircraft and that daily operations average roughly 25 flights per day, with annual fuel sales cited as about 2,200 gallons (the airport fund receives a small per-gallon distribution). He described recent improvements since his 2023 start, including north and south ramp replacements, taxiway repairs, a purchased beacon tower (no purchase price provided) and security gate upgrades. He said ramp projects came in with federal Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grants and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds covering roughly 90–95% of project costs.
Myers said the county owns 20 acres adjacent to the field (purchased circa 1999 at about $1 million and later reimbursed by grants) intended for development; preliminary engineering indicates the county could build about 58 to 60 hangars there to accommodate roughly 75 aircraft depending on hangar size. He said the timeline to install taxiways and begin hangar development could be two to three years if funding and design proceed.
On an airport field office or FBO building, Myers said funding was tied to Senate Bill 144, with an allocation he cited at close to $735,000; he also said the state/federal cost-share model described earlier (federal ~60%, state ~35%, county ~5% in his presentation) applied to the funding but that some state funds had not yet been disbursed and he expected to reapply. Myers also discussed pursuing an IFR approach but said Sioux Falls airspace and coordination with the FAA affect that process and timing.
Commissioners asked about hangar demand (Myers said he receives three or four weekly calls about availability and estimated a waiting list around 20), timeline, lease terms and potential county role as developer versus private development; Myers said lease and financing decisions would be driven by the commission after advisory-board input and receipt of a consultant report expected back soon.
County commissioners and the manager discussed airport security, snow removal, flight school activity, medevac usage by Avera and Sanford, and the potential revenue opportunities and regulatory constraints of further development. Chair and commissioners thanked Myers and signaled interest in the consultant report and lease/finance options.
Why it matters: airport development affects economic development, private hangar availability, emergency medical transport access and county capital planning; the meeting established next steps of consultant review and potential funding applications.
