(Photo by Zachary Meseck)

CHENANGO COUNTY – The Lt. Warren E. Eaton Airport is a major resource to businesses and residents in Chenango County, and while it is funded by a trust fund set up in 1986, the Airport serves some of the largest businesses, medical providers, and other not-for-profits in Chenango County and the Southern Tier.

According to Chenango County Planning Director Shane Butler, Chenango County’s airport has a rich history and is still being used to this day for a variety of purposes.

“In 1927, a group of businessmen formed Central New York Airways, Inc. and leased the Hall Farm for a flying field,” said Butler. “The airport has been in operation ever since.”

“The County purchased the airport in 1986 from the Eaton Family and took over operations in 2009 when Gamma Aviation left as Fixed Based Operator.”

Funding

Butler said when the county bought the airport in 1986, part of the agreement with the Eaton Family was that $500,000 of the proceeds from the sale would be put into a trust account. He said the trust account is managed by NBT Bank with input from the County and the Fixed Based Operator (FBO) of the airport.

“As with all trust accounts of this nature, five percent must be pulled out on an annual basis,” he added. “The account currently sits at $540,000 and over its lifetime has generated over $1.5 million to update and maintain the grounds.”