Workers from U.P. Environmental Services and crane operators from Vandermissen and Son, from Bark River and Escanaba, lower a 12,000-gallon double-lined fiberglass fuel tank into a waiting hole next to the Mackinac County Airport terminal. The airport is getting two new tanks, one of which will offer a new type of fuel at the airport -- jet fuel. Jet Fuel Is Now Available on Site

Pilots fueling their aircraft at Mackinac County Airport will soon be drawing fuel from one of two new tanks now being installed.

The airport currently has one 100-octane gasoline tank that is about 20 years old, which is being replaced by a new tank, and an additional tank for jet fuel is being installed.

The construction project is funded through a Federal Aviation Administration grant, which covers 95% of the total cost of $335,000.

The remainder of the cost is shared between a Michigan Aeronautics Commission grant and through county funding. Each are paying 2.5% of the total project cost.

Workers from U.P. Environmental Services work to secure the position of the jet fuel tank placed in the ground next to the Mackinac County Airport terminal Thursday, August 20. A second tank, which will hold 15,000 gallons of 100-octane gasoline, will be placed next to it, replacing the current tank, which is about 20 years old. Safety and convenience are two of the advantages airport officials say the new fuel system will bring.

Safety will be improved because the tanks are high quality, double-walled fiberglass, and are equipped with a monitoring

Convenience for pilots and airport staff will be enhanced through a new automated credit card payment system, which will allow visiting aircraft to purchase fuel outside of normal airport office hours.

The project was bid out in March, Airport Manager Paul Fullerton said, and was awarded to U.P. Environmental Services from Bark River, near Escanaba. On Wednesday, August 19, excavators worked to dig the hole where the new tanks will be buried, and the new tanks were lowered into place Thursday, August 20.

Workers lower a 12,000-gallon double-lined fiberglass fuel tank into a waiting hole next to the Mackinac County Airport terminal. One of the main reasons that jet fuel will now be available at the airport is because of the Coast Guard helicopter stationed in Traverse City, which works with the St. Ignace Station in the Straits area on search and rescue missions, training, and tending lighthouses and other navigational aids. When in the area, the helicopter currently needs to refuel at the Pellston Airport, about 20 miles south of St. Ignace.

"They have been instrumental in helping us get this new system," Mr. Fullerton said.

At left: Workers dig a hole for the two new fuel tanks in the background. Along the tarmac in the foreground is the pumping station for the current fuel tank used by the airport. The new tanks will offer both 100- octane gasoline and jet fuel, a new service for the airport. The new system will also feature monitoring systems, which can alarm operators of a problem with the tanks, and credit card readers for pilots arriving and fueling up outside of normal business hours. Lt. Nathan Noyes from the Traverse City Coast Guard station said they fly through St. Ignace frequently, and was happy to hear jet fuel will now be available at the airport.

"The more airports in the area that have suitable fuel, the better for us," Lt. Noyes said. "It's a good thing for us."

Since most of the project was funded through federal grants, Mr. Fullerton said they wanted to take advantage of the opportunity and install a high-quality fuel system.

At right: Excavators dig a hole Wednesday, August 19, next to the terminal at Mackinac County Airport. In this hole will be placed two new fuel tanks, one for 100-octane gasoline and one for jet fuel. The $335,000 project is expected to be finished by the end of September, and is funded through money from a 95% Federal Aviation Administration grant, 2.5% contributed by the Michigan Aeronautics Commission, and a 2.5% share from Mackinac County. "This is the newest and the greatest," he said of the tanks and monitoring system. "It will be a nice thing for a lot of years, probably 30 or 40."

The 100-octane gasoline tank is a 15,000-gallon tank and the jet fuel tank holds 12,000 gallons. The 20-year-old tank being replaced is steel, which has a life-span of 25 years. Mr. Fullerton said they recently tested the ground around the tank and there was not evidence of fuel leaks or spillage, which will be tested for again when the old tank is removed.

Workers from U.P. Environmental Services and crane operators from Vandermissen and Son lift a 12,000-gallon fuel tank off a flatbed truck and into the waiting hole next to the Mackinac County Airport terminal Thursday, August 20. Other recent airport improvements have included lights, runways, drainage, and property acquisitions.

"This was one of the last bigger items for the airport," Mr. Fullerton said. "It is a much safer airport than it was" before the improvements.

Still in the works is a city project to redirect wastewater outflow away from the shoreline near the airport's only runway. as a potential aviation hazard, the warm effluent is piped from sewage lagoons to the bay, where it attracts fish and invertebrates, which in turn attract birds to feed on them.

Mr. Fullerton said the fuel system project should be completed by the end of September.