Daredevil pilots and acrobatic performers up in the air, fireworks, a love for community, beef on weck, kids and even bumpers in a bowling alley.

Committee members for the Wings Over Batavia Air Show had no problems connecting all of those things as symbols and reasons for bringing an air show back to Genesee County Airport during a presentation to potential sponsors Thursday at Pete Zeliff’s hangar on Saile Drive.

It was a '40s-themed night in a hangar at the Genesee County Airport on Saturday to raise funds to support the WNY Aviation Adventure Camp.

Congressman Chris Collins, center, discusses the grant funding and runway reconstruction with Tim Hens, the county highway superintendent.

Genesee County Officials gave Congressman Chris Collins a tour of the Genesee County Airport on Wednesday, showing Collins what the recently secured Department of Transportation funds will be going toward.

On July 20, Collins announced that $2,926,222 in federal funding had been secured for the airport, located in Batavia, to resurface the center portion of the runway. The runway has not been resurfaced since 1978, according to Tim Hens, the county highway superintendent.

Collins said everyone was working together successfully to secure the grant.

“Without the federal government, you wouldn’t have it,” Collins said. “There’s no way Genesee County has the money. There is a role for the federal government.”

A lot of people wonder why the federal government gives money to small airports, Hens said.

“The reality of it is, you want to get some of the small plane traffic away from Buffalo and Rochester,” Hens said. “So, when you’re landing [large planes,] they’re not having to deal with small planes.”

Hens said they received the grant money Tuesday, but the runway reconstruction will start next spring.

“We gave the contractor the option of going this fall,” Hens said. “They said they want to start in the spring.”

There will only be a period of two weeks where the runway will be completely closed down during the day. The construction will be phased in and there will be a lot of nighttime work, Hens said.

Medium-sized business jets will be able to land once the runway is complete. Hens said the runway is limited to jets under 47,000 pounds, but once the restoration is complete, planes up to 65,000 pounds will be able to land.

The Genesee County Airport is perfect for a lot of businesses and Darien Lake Theme Park talent, Hens said.

“We need to make it convenient for corporate executives to get into Genesee County,” Collins said. “This is a big win. It is federal money and the county is not having to borrow money.”

Collins said the reconstruction will impact the county in the long run.

“The message here is, this is a county that gets it, is business-friendly and knows how to take care of infrastructure,” Collins said. “Whether it's sewers, roads, water or electricity, that’s what’s important to business."

For previous coverage of the grant funding, click here.

Congressman Chris Collins (NY-27) today announced $1,411,200 in federal funding from the Federal Aviation Administration for the Genesee County Airport, located in Batavia. The grant will assist the Genesee County Airport in funding the final phase of its airport construction project. The airport is building an aircraft-parking apron, a taxiway extension, and removing of a number of runway obstructions.

“Using federal funds to support local infrastructure projects will help establish an environment that promotes future economic development and employment opportunities,” Congressman Collins said. “This $1,411,200 grant will provide Genesee County with the funding it needs to complete the final phase of its project. Grants like these allow for more efficient and effective airport operations that will benefit our region for years to come.”

“This crucial FAA grant will allow Genesee County to complete Phase 3 of our Airport project, which includes the removal of the old terminal building and hangar,” said Raymond Cianfrini, chairman of the Genesee County Legislature. “We appreciate our partnership with Congressman Collins and look forward to giving him and our community a tour of the completed project.”

The Congressman’s office remains available to assist any local government pursuing a federal grant.

The newly constructed terminal and hangar at the Genesee County Airport received the Phil Brito Airport Project of the Year award last night from the Aviation Management Association.

File photo.

Hens does not yet have actual estimates to fix the damage yet, but he's figuring it will be at least $15,000 and possibly as much as $20,000.

The county will seek reimbursement from the pilot's insurance carrier, Hens said.

The name of the pilot is not yet available, but Hens said he is apparently inexperienced and was performing touch-and-go practice at the airport when his plane veered off the runway for some reason.

The plane struck a light, a guidance sign, more lights and another guidance sign. There were very visible wheel marks in the grass along the south side of the runway, to the pilot's left, The marks go for at least 500 feet after the last sign was struck and then the pilot took off again, but he was losing fuel fast from a puncture in one of his tanks.

"It's pure speculation on my part as to why he took off again," Hens said. "It's almost like a hit-and-run or maybe he panicked and pulled up on the throttle, but when you're driving a car and hit something, you don't usually speed up."

The FAA is investigating the accident.

Losing fuel as fast as he was, he was unable to maintain altitude and was forced to find a place to land quickly.

"How he managed to not hit any power lines or the fence and still land on Saile Drive is beyond me," Hens said.

The County Legislature's Public Service Committee held its monthly meeting at the new terminal at the County Airport. Before the meeting, County Highway Superintendent Tim Hens gave attendees a tour of the facility.

We'll have coverage of the meeting later today.

The county's Public Service Committee recommended approval Tuesday of four construction contracts for a new airport terminal with an expected expenditure of $5.1 million.

That's about $800,000 less than Highway Superintendent Tim Hens originally estimated for the job.

State and federal grants will pay for about 20 percent of the terminal and the county will bond the remaining $4 million.

Once approved by the full Legislature, contracts will be awarded to: Building Innovation Group, of East Rochester, a general contractor, for $3.3 million; Hewitt Young Electric, of Rochester, for $600,000; Nairy Mechanical, of Union Hill, for $550,000; and HMI Mechanical Systems, of Lyons, for $660,000.

C&S Engineers, of Syracuse, is also receiving up to nearly $400,000 for engineering work on the project.

In all, 31 bids were received on the four different construction contracts -- general contractor, HAVC, electrical and plumbing. Hens said the recommended companies all met the lowest, responsible bidder criteria for bid specification.

Hens showed up the plans for the new terminal to legislators and reiterated that the project is necessary both because of the poor condition of the current terminal and its proximity to the airport's runway.

Repairing the building would cost more than $500,000 and Hens said, "even if we wanted to spend the money, I'm not sure the FAA would let us."

The current terminal violates current FAA regulations for being a fixed object within 200 feet of the runway and is not even within the bounds for allowable moveable objects.

While allowing that an accident is unlikely, it wouldn't be good for the county if there is one, Hens said.

"You could have a plane veer off runway and hit one of our buildings and there could be potentially be liability involved," Hens said.

The new building will have modern amenities, an attractive design and be more comfortable for pilots with layovers in Batavia, but it won't be extravagant.

"There's nothing super fancy in the new facility," Hens said. "Everything is meant to be very low maintenance and practical.

While as a matter of energy efficiency, the building would qualify for LEED certification (and be the first such building owned by the county), Hens said he has no intention of applying for certification.

"I don't feel it's worth spending $25,000 or $30,000 just to have a plaque to hang the wall," Hens said.

The new terminal will only be about 1,000 square feet larger than the current terminal, which was built in 1964, but will use space more efficiently, Hens said.

Hens said about three or four corporate jets fly into the Genesee County Airport every week. Some of those jets bring executives from businesses already located in the area, but some of them are bringing site selectors and executives looking for new business locations. That makes the airport terminal a pretty important facility for the county.

"Our airport is a first impression for a lot of folks," Hens said. "The first impression on people who are going to have a big impact on the long-term future of our county."

Congressman Chris Collins (NY-27) announced today additional grant funding for the Genesee County Airport and a separate grant for the Le Roy Airport.

The Genesee County Airport is receiving a $200,000 federal grant from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to build a new terminal building. According to the FAA, the existing terminal has "exceeded its useful life" and needs to be replaced. Earlier this week, Collins announced additional FAA grants for the Genesee County Airport totaling more than $1 million. That money will allow the County to relocate the airport’s apron and design a new taxiway.

Collins also announced $137,773 in federal funding for the Le Roy Airport (Le Roy Aviation Services). The money will allow the airport to remove trees and other obstructions near the Runway 10 approach to ensure clear navigation and enhance safety.

While out at the Genesee County Airport tonight, I noticed the beautiful full moon right after a Mercy Flight helicopter landed.