Airport Day turns profit

FORT SCOTT, Kan. -- In its first year back from being canceled due to lack of funding, the 2010 Airport Day turned a profit.

According to Fort Scott Municipal Airport Manager Kenny Howard, the annual event, which is free to the public, collected enough money to pay for the event and will have about $800, plus another $100 to $200 in outstanding pledges, left over.

"We had a really great year this year. The weather cooperated. We had a great crowd," Howard said.

In the past, he said, the event was paid for through sponsors and individual donations, which allowed the Airport Advisory Board, the organization that plans the event, to continue to offer the event free of charge to the public. Howard added before the economy took a turn, there was usually money left over which could be carried over to the next year's event. Now, more than ever, the carryover could be the difference of bringing in more acts for the next show.

"We try to carry over a little bit of money for the next year in case we don't get quite as many sponsors for the next air show," Howard said.

Howard said the reason for the 2010 event's success, after having had to cancel the 2009 event, was good weather and the board's decision to scale back the event. The board decided they would limit the amount spent on aerobatic acts to $5,000 in hopes the cost of reducing the cost of the show.

With the event's balance in the black, Howard said their decision was successful.

"We were a little more conservative this year, too," he said. "That helped us out quite a little bit."

The 2009 Airport Day was canceled due to a lack of funding. Howard said the board did not have the funds for another show because of the declining economy as well as the previous year's event being rained out which did not leave any money to be carried over.

According to Howard, the money that will be carried over will likely be used to go toward bringing in another aerobatic act for the 2011 show, which is tentatively scheduled for the second Saturday in September.