Avon Park airport manager seeks FAA/FDOT grants to replace out-of-service beacon, upgrade lighting and repave runways

Airport Manager Andrew Livingston told the Avon Park Executive Airport Advisory Board that the airport’s rotating night beacon is out of service and that the airfield needs upgraded lighting and runway markings to meet FAA inspection standards.

Livingston said the administration is managing a leadership transition after a May 1 resignation of the prior airport manager and is prioritizing grant-eligible safety work so the airport can continue to access federal and state funding. "We're currently standing at a unique crossroads," Livingston said, describing an "integrated fiscally leveraged action plan" to resolve safety problems, upgrade aging airfield technologies and position the airport to compete for federal and state awards.

The presentation outlined immediate needs and a phased approach. The board heard that the rotating beacon is officially flagged out of service and that runway 10/28 and surrounding taxiways meet FAA criteria for high-visibility repainting and lighting upgrades. Livingston proposed replacing the beacon with a modern LED L-801A system to restore nighttime navigation capability, reduce maintenance and lower utility costs.

Why it matters: Livingston told the board that restoring the beacon and improving airfield lighting are essential for night training operations and for a recently arrived flight-training operator, described in the meeting as Twofly (also rendered in the transcript as "Tofly"), which began structured pilot training at the field and will use night-flight hours as part of its syllabus. That activity has increased daily fuel sales and airport use, which strengthens the airport’s case for FAA Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funding and FDOT matching grants.

Financial and grant context: Livingston summarized entitlement funding available to airports listed in the state aviation system and described a guaranteed annual non-primary entitlement allocation (stated in the presentation as $150,000) and a three-year carryover rule that could aggregate to $600,000 for larger projects. He said qualifying AIP grants typically cover 90% of eligible project costs, leaving approximately 10% to be split between state and local matching funds.

Planned projects and schedule: The capital plan presented to the board included (1) an emergency procurement and installation of an LED beacon, (2) evaluation and site verification for an AWAS-3 automated weather system with potential federal funding to build on-site, and (3) multi-year runway and taxiway pavement milling, overlay and new thermoplastic high-visibility markings. Livingston projected a phased implementation with AWAS site work and grant pre-applications occurring in coming months and the airport aiming to complete AWAS engineering and grant contracts by August or September, with runway milling and overlays targeted for fall and winter.

Operational questions and board follow-up: Board members pressed on tenant compliance and hanger inspections. Livingston said staff audited available tenant lists and are confirming tenants’ intent; he estimated inspections and posted notices for the airport’s 58 hangars would take roughly two to three months to complete. On enforcement he explained that formal eviction notices and standard lease procedures would apply when tenants are noncompliant, and that some tenants may be given windows to resolve airworthiness or lease issues.

Members also discussed whether code enforcement should handle frictional eviction cases while airport staff provide aviation-specific input; Livingston said he prefers airport staff to participate in inspections to identify aviation-specific issues before handing enforcement matters to code officers.

Fuel and staffing: Livingston reported fuel sales have exceeded projections and stated that the airport currently holds about 40,000 units of Jet A and 47,000 units of 100-octane fuel in tanks; the transcript did not specify the units (gallons, liters, or other). He said the city’s fuel markup was about 20% and that one employee is certified to fuel aircraft with a second in training to reduce operational dependence on the manager.

Other items: Staff noted an interest from a commercial hangar customer that initially requested a 60-by-60 building, later corrected during the meeting to 90-by-90, and reported additional fence repairs and a backflow fix. Board members raised pond drainage concerns on a 10-acre dry pond and discussed borrowing public-works equipment for rotivator work. Members also asked about website camera feeds and whether recently laid fiber on Bell Street could be extended to airport property; staff agreed to explore costs and coordination.

What’s next: Livingston agreed to provide financial updates at least quarterly (monthly if robust data are available) and to continue grant pre-applications with FDOT and the FAA. The board adjourned after correcting the previously stated hangar size and thanking staff.

Quotation examples from the meeting (all attributions consistent with the meeting transcript): "We're currently standing at a unique crossroads," Airport Manager Andrew Livingston said, urging the board to prioritize grant-eligible safety work. Member Lanir thanked staff for preserving FAA and FDOT funding access: "Thanks for making this transition in a manner where we didn't lose the access to FAA, FDOT funding for these projects."