Franklin County takes emergency action to get fuel back to Apalachicola airport

With any luck there will be gasoline available at the Apalachicola Airport within the next few days. 

Franklin County Commissioners agreed yesterday afternoon to buy fuel and begin fueling services at the airport as soon as the fuel can be delivered.

The airport has been without gasoline or jet fuel for at least two weeks while the county commission continues to negotiate with a new fixed base operator.

In that time pilots have had to go to airports at Marianna, Blountstown and Tallahassee for gas, and commissioners are very concerned at losing the business.

County commissioners agreed Wednesday to hire airport manager Ted Mosteller and local pilot Percy White as temporary county employees so they can begin fueling services immediately.

The county will also have to spend about 70 thousand dollars to purchase the first load of fuel, though they will begin getting that money back as soon as pilots begin fueling up in Apalachicola again.

The county will also rent a fuel truck to service larger airplanes.

The board expects this to be a temporary set-up while it continues to negotiate a long term lease with a company out of North Carolina called “Fly High”.

The board has been in negotiations with the company for a few months but feel it is the best option for a professional fixed base operator at the airport to provide services like renting cars and airport hangars and providing airplane maintenance.

County Commissioners say they are not going to negotiate with the company forever though.

The board agreed that if the negotiations continue to drag on or look like they are going nowhere that the commission will start discussions with James Lawrence who also bid for the FBO job but does not have the experience commissioners would like to see.  

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