Passenger traffic at Cherry Capital Airport has been increasing and airlines have been changing the types of aircraft used to meet market conditions. Prein&Newhof worked with TVC to demonstrate to FAA that Cherry Capital Airport had sufficient capacity demands to justify extending the runway. With an extension, aircraft would benefit from minimal load reductions during the summer and more braking distance during the winter. After the project was completed, airline pilots have been able to slow down and turn onto a taxiway closer to the terminal, reducing ground taxi times and runway occupation time.
P&N helped Cherry Capital Airport in Traverse City design a 400-foot extension for Runway 28 simultaneous to relocating the airport’s only instrument landing system. Both improvements are intended to aid airport safety. Multiple-phase construction kept the airport in operation throughout the project.
Four hundred feet of runway was constructed in just 11 days while the runway was reduced to 5,900 feet, relocating the glide slope antenna and installing a new medium intensity approach lighting system with runway alignment indicator lights (MALSR). A temporary and a permanent precision approach path indicator (PAPI) was installed. The Automated Surface Observation Station (ASOS) weather equipment was relocated and airport staff was challenge with coordinating the development of changes to the instrument approach, and facilitating the distribution of approach procedures.