ATTACHED PHOTO – Marshalltown Airport is located at 2651 170th St., about four miles north of town, just off Highway 14. The facility has undergone extensive renovations in recent years.
Today is National Aviation Day, a day established in 1939 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to honor Orville Wright’s birthday. The day celebrates human flight, progress, and innovation in the aviation industry.
Although it can’t boast the daily traffic of O’Hare or LAX, Marshalltown Airport has made a lot of progress in recent years. Since the opening of the new $3.7 million hangar and terminal in April 2023, the airport has been able to open its runways to larger aircraft. Stephen Valbracht, president and co-owner of Marshalltown Aviation, said companies can now use the facility.
Valbracht
“We’re servicing aircraft that we couldn’t service before,” he said. “The airport is a lot of people’s first impression of the town, and that has improved. It’s great to see people’s faces a little surprised that Marshalltown is represented so well by the airport.”
The new hangar is the main reason for the activity. Valbracht says larger companies did not use the airport before the renovation because the hangar was too small. Many want to make sure their corporate jets are safe in hangars. The year-old 100’x200′ hangar has a 28’x100′ door.
“The hangar has opened Marshalltown up for year-round use,” he said. “It’s exciting. I’ve seen corporate aircraft come to Marshalltown that otherwise wouldn’t have come, and it’s all because we needed a higher hangar door.”
Valbracht is not alone in his flying activities. He has seen more and more high school students working on their flying licenses.
“They leave high school with a private pilot’s license and are ready for a career in aviation,” he said. “That’s what they do in Marshalltown. It’s fun to watch them do it and experience the training in the field.”
If more young people are interested in a career in aviation, it will meet the industry’s current need for pilots. Boeing estimates that 649,000 new pilots will be needed over the next 20 years and there will be a shortage of 32,000 pilots by 2032.
“We urgently need pilots,” said Valbracht.
He also worries about a looming shortage of aircraft mechanics, even though he doesn’t need any at the moment. To keep up with the increasing demand for flights, the industry needs to fill 12,000 mechanic positions each year. The number of people graduating from aircraft mechanic training courses is not enough to make up for the number of mechanics retiring.
“Fewer and fewer people are going into aircraft maintenance, especially general aviation,” said Valbracht. “A general aviation mechanic can work on 10 to 20 models in a year. Many young people only want to work on one model. It’s difficult to find someone to work in general aviation.”
Fortunately, Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids has launched an aircraft maintenance technology program, he said. The two-year program will equip graduates with the airframe and engine certifications required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to work on aircraft.
“I encourage everyone to get involved in aviation because there are opportunities there,” Valbracht said.
The FAA is not only responsible for allowing pilots to fly or A&P mechanics to work on the aircraft at Marshalltown Airport. He said federal agency officials visit the facility every six months for inspections. Officials from the Iowa Department of Transportation inspect the runway.
“The state will tell us things, like when trees are too high,” Valbracht said. “We see the FAA inspectors as partners because they make sure we operate a safe business and safe aircraft. They give us the chance to learn.”
With things going well at the Marshalltown airport, he found it hard to imagine the biggest challenge. Valbracht said it might be balancing the level of service with the cost to citizens.
“Everything we do benefits the citizens of Marshalltown,” he said. “It’s their airport and we do what’s best for the taxpayer. We’re a safe and efficient airport while maintaining our economic responsibility, which is our biggest role.”
No further changes are planned in the near future.
“We’ve come through a big crisis and we’re trying to maintain what we have while providing good service,” said Valbracht. “We hope to organize an event and invite the community. We don’t know when or what yet.”
The airport is located at 2651 170th Street, about four miles north of the city limits, just off Highway 14.
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Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or [email protected].
