Story ID: 019a
FBO Profile: Appleton Flight Center in Wisconsin
By: Curt Epstein
Caption: The airport is the main reliever for EAA’s AirVenture
Word Count: 703
For the U.S. aviation community, July means Oshkosh, otherwise known as EAA’s AirVenture, the world’s largest aviation gathering, held annually at Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH) in Wisconsin. However, for the Appleton Flight Center, the county-owned FBO 25 miles away at Appleton International Airport (KATW), Oshkosh means booming business. “It’s a big deal for us as we get as much revenue in that one week as we would for an entire month,” said Scott Volberding, KATW’s assistant airport director.  “We will get traffic start arriving in that July 18 timeframe, and they will be with us until that July 28th timeframe. Over that week, we’ll see 700 aircraft in and out, it’s a big deal!”
During the show, the airport will see its 16-acre ramp inundated with aircraft, leading to the overflow light aircraft parking on neighboring fields. With all the aerial activity swirling around KOSH during the event, the EAA will move its fleet of revenue-generating vintage warbirds—consisting of a Stearman biplane, P-51, B-24, B-25, and the B-29 “Doc”—to KATW to conduct paid flights.
Outagamie County took over operation of the FBO, the lone service provider on the field, in 2021. The complex features a 5,000 sq ft, two-story terminal built in 2014, with an airy double-height passenger lobby, pilot lounge, snooze room, shower facilities, crew cars, onsite car rental, and, being Wisconsin, no fewer than four flavors of cheese curds in its brand new refreshment bar. Upstairs, a 14-seat, a/v-equipped conference room has floor-to-ceiling windows offering “distracting” views of the airfield.
The FBO has 55,000 sq ft of heated aircraft storage space, including a 31,000 sq ft, $7.4 million hangar which opened last year. Volberding describes it as a “game changer.” “Before that, we didn’t have any place for the large business jets, those [Bombardier] Globals, and [Dassault] Falcons, and Gulfstreams,” he told AIN, adding the facility’s pair of smaller 12,000 sq ft hangars could not accommodate those aircraft size-wise. “Now our revenues are doing quite well this year because of that. It’s been a great addition for our FBO.”  The facility is home to 19 jets, ranging from a Gulfstream GV down to an Eclipse 550.
An Avfuel-branded dealer, the location also conducts fueling on the commercial side with its fleet of four 5,000-gallon jet-A refuelers, with a fifth due later this year. It also has a pair of 1,000-gallon avgas trucks and offers self-serve for both fuels. Over the past decade, Volberding has seen its volumes rise from 2.4 million gallons a year to a predicted 9 million this year. KATW’s fuel farm holds 100,000 gallons of jet fuel and 20,000 gallons of 100LL, and he believes that it is overdue for an expansion. “We’re up to 36 loads of fuel a week at times, that’s a lot of fuel going through here,” he said.
Open every day from 4 am to 11 pm, the FBO has a staff of 40, and its line service staff benefits from training through NATA’s Safety 1st and Avfuel’s programs, along with in-house instruction.
As an international gateway, arriving private aircraft will clear customs on the ramp at the main terminal before proceeding to the FBO, which is certified to handle international refuse.
KATW is also situated 25 miles from Green Bay, and it is the favored airport for visiting NFL teams heading to play the Packers on the “frozen tundra” of Lambeau Field. The FBO’s staff helps support the fueling and ground handling of those large charter aircraft.
According to Volberding, the FBO sees 50-to-70 operations a day on average. With its 8,000-foot main runway, KATW is also home to Gulfstream’s largest production facility outside of Savannah. Boasting a staff of more than 1,300, it can accommodate more than a dozen ultra-long-range business jets, and does full completions, along with MRO operations. The airframer has invested more than $60 million in the location, with its latest addition being a paint hangar. While Gulfstream does conduct fueling operations for customers at its facility, some choose to fill up at the FBO before departing.

 
 
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