87Y (Wisconsin) Hangar Talk

Folks around the Blackhawk Airport (87Y near Madison, WI) have been curious
as to what the state of the airport is lately.. Especially since the
following has happened in the last 18 months:

The rental planes were sold.
The part time attendant was laid off.
The fuel tank is empty. (No fuel even for people based at the airport who
have a key.)
Moon-lighter A&P/AI quits, no-one else is being recruited to take his place.
Hanger rent payments go to an address in Madison where the owners run
another business. (Is is TOO much trouble to drive to the airport to check
the mail?)
No flight instruction whatsoever, because the CFI insurance was dropped.

The biggest tell tale sign is the sinkhole of development around the airport
property. There is a Blettner Development at the west adjacent parcel,
right up to the fence. It's a retail development. Looks like a bank, and
gas station so far. There is a HUGE pile of dirt at the edge of the
property line right up to RWY 9, looks as if you'd want to displace the
threshold.

Now, the hangar talk is that Mr. Blettner is an ATP, and wouldn't wreck an
airport for the sake of development. I believed that until I googled upon
the following archived article from MidWest flyer magazine:

[Begin Article]
Morey Airport Wins Referendum

MIDDLETON, WIS. - While supporters of Morey Airport in Middleton, Wis. can
breath a sigh of relief, now that a referendum to prohibit airport
improvements was defeated 2 to 1, not all has been rosy. Pilot and
industrial developer, Bob Blettner, is suing Field Morey for selling the
airport to the City of Middleton and not to him. Blettner had an offer to
buy the airport to make it into an industrial park when the City of
Middleton decided that it would be in the best interests of the city to keep
operating the airport.

The referendum was forced on city officials by a petition promoted by a
group referred to as "Citizens To Control Airport Expansion."

The wording of the charter ordinance, which had to be used as the referendum
question, was confusing. In effect, voting yes meant no to the airport.
Voters needed to respond negatively if they agreed with the city's plan to
improve the airport which had been privately owned since 1942. Conversely,
an affirmative vote would have tied the city's hands.
[End Article]

It's been public knowledge that the owners of the airport are interested in
selling it, but they were asking too much when the Village of Cottage Grove
was considering it. I don't see it lasting another year, in my opinion. I
was thinking of writing Mr. Blettner to see if he had plans to make it an
airport associated with his development, but based on the Morey conflict
mentioned above, there's probably no chance of that!

Comments welcome.. Thanks!

--
Ben
C-172 - N13258 @ 87Y

Time to make sure AOPA is involved!

Chris


Ben Smith wrote:
Comments welcome.. Thanks!

Why does this Blettner person need Morey airport to develop into
industrial land? There are open fields on the other (south) side of
Airport road that are already sprouting commercial/industrial
buildings, and plenty of open space to build more.
buy that (if they don't already own it) and leave Morey alone...
Blackhawk, on the other hand, needs help and quickly. When I last
landed over there the weeds on the side of the runway were as high or
higher than my wingtip. I'd hate to see that one go, as their aren't
many other alternatives in Dane County other than Waunakee (where I'm
based) and I've heard rumors of it being sold as well....(argh!!!)

Ryan Wubben
N8452X Cessna 172

How can they "sell" waunakee? I thought it was part of the homeowners
group or something?

Blettner is going to find it just about impossible to do anything about
Middleton/Morey. The airport was sold long ago, new paved runway and
taxiways, most of the hangar space has been built up, etc. In fact, the
open house is next weekend (July 8-10). Come on to our chapter pancake
fly-in drive-in on Sunday the 10th.

John

Waunakee airfield is still owned by Mr. and Mrs. Ripp (I'm forgetting
their first names), they are the couple who started it in the 40's and
still live in a house on the east side of the field near the T-hangers.

They could easily sell it to a developer and make a boatload, but I've
heard thru the grapevine that something may be put together to buy it
from them and keep it as an airport. So far, I'm not privy to anything.
But I'm hoping it stays an airport, with the asking prices for hangers
at Morey, it's the best thing going right now.

Last I saw - there are T-hangar build sites at MSN. (55 cents sq/ft annual
lease rate). Maybe we can get a co-op of 10 hangarless aircraft owners and
build there?

--Ben

Why does this Blettner person need Morey airport to develop into
industrial land?

That article I pasted was pretty dated - so I think he's dropped his
intentions about Morey, but it proves the demise of 87Y if our gut feelings
are correct.

Next time I'm up in the pattern I'll take some pics...

Time to make sure AOPA is involved!

Yeah, revoke Mr. Blettners membership if he happens to be one!