Plymouth Municipal Airport Manager Bill Sheley displayed the airport’s 2019 Airport of the Year award at the Plymouth City Council meeting Monday night.
The award was presented to the Plymouth Municipal Airport by officials from Aviation Indiana during their annual conference and awards banquet in Michigan City earlier this month. Aviation Indiana is made up of all of the 66 federally-funded airports in the state, plus fuel suppliers, engineering companies, and traffic managers.
Sheley said the application process was difficult. He told council members that he presented a 10 to 12-page application which contained 10 different categories with 10 questions per category.
“I was told there was tough competition for the winner, but what put us over the mark to win was all of our education initiatives that we’ve done, specifically the high school program. It had a lot to do with it,” said Sheley.
A $1,000 check was presented to the airport as part of the award to be donated to a non-profit organization. Sheley said the money was donated to the Palbykin Aviation Fund with the Marshall County Community Foundation to help high school students in the flight program to pay for books, plus college and aviation training.
Signs noting the airport’s honor will be put up at the airport and in the city wherever the city council deems appropriate.
Sheley said 31 students are currently enrolled in the Alpha Flight School at the Plymouth Municipal Airport.
