New mechanic at Huntington Airport

By Phil Fauver staff writer

A recent visit to the Huntington Airport indicated there are a number of interesting activities going on there. One of those activities at the airport is the repair and maintenance of five airplanes flown in from the Salt Lake valley by airplane owners this past week to be repaired and maintained by Scott Wilson. A good share of the work that is done at the airport is done on planes flown in from the Salt Lake Valley.
Leon Defrieze the Emery County Airport manager invited Wilson to take on the task of the maintaining and repair of airplanes at the airport. Because Wilson is at the Huntington Airport, plane owners bring airplanes from around the area here to be worked on.
Wilson an aircraft and power maintenance engineer is an AP an IA and a commercial pilot. Wilson maintains all of the planes on the field. He has the ability to inspect a plane, overhaul a plane and re-certify the plane as being airworthy.
Wilson would like to see the airport expanded with more and bigger hangars. Also he would like to see companies that would share aircraft costs with part ownership of airplanes. Perhaps a twin engine turboprop plane so executives do not have to drive to Salt Lake to fly somewhere in the Western part of the United States.
Wilson spends his winters in Africa flying turboprop planes and maintaining them.
Wilson is looking to purchase some property around Huntington. His wife works in the Salt Lake valley and he lives in a trailer when he is maintaining aircraft at the Huntington Airport.
One of the airplane owners Dan McCullough from Salt Lake said he liked the Huntington Airport because it was less congested, less expensive, less hassle than the airports on the Wasatch front and a very nice facility.
McCullough flew here July 11 at night. As he approached the Huntington Airport he keyed his radio microphone and the airport and runway lights came on. He found gasoline for his airplane is convenient and using a credit card he could get gas at any time. The courtesy car was handy for local shopping and going for meals at the Castle Cafe. There are available restrooms with hot and cold water, a refrigerator, a shower and couches in the pilots lounge. This is a real nice facility. The pavilion at the airport with the benches and a barbecue pit nearby was a nice addition.
McCullough said the airport needs more hangars as a revenue source. Airplane owners do not want their expensive plane sitting out in the weather. They would rather pay rent on a hangar and protect their airplane.
McCullough was at the airport doing maintenance and repair on his own plane in the large hangar under the supervision of Wilson.