West Chicago field a 'little country airport' no more

Robert Benson remembers the days when DuPage Airport was "a little country airport" where everyone knew each other.

"It was just a bunch of good old pilots getting together - heavily recreational," said the Lombard resident, who has been flying out of the West Chicago airport since 1982.

Then, there wasn't any need for high-tech security systems or even a fence. A lot has changed since.

With a growing number of corporate-owned jets being counted among DuPage Airport's 100,000 annual flights, airport Executive Director David Bird said improving safety and security has become a priority.

"We are the largest general aviation airport in the state of Illinois," said Bird, adding that about 375 aircraft are based there. "As a result, we believe that warrants a high level of security to protect all of the assets that are involved."

So while longtime DuPage Airport users like Benson say they haven't experienced any problems, airport officials are in the process of implementing a security plan for the 1,200-acre airfield.

Since 2006, about $2 million has been spent on security upgrades, including a newly constructed 8-foot-tall fence along the north side of the property. Just last month, an access control system went online that requires anyone trying to get into the airfield to have a key card and valid PIN number.

"That protects people who have multimillion dollar assets here," Bird said. "And it allows us to know that anybody who is inside the fence has been approved by us to be there."

For airport leaders, who have worked to run the property tax-supported facility like a business, the changes make good business sense.

Airport authority board Commissioner Gerald Gorski said safety and security measures are just one part of an overall plan to entice more companies to base their planes at DuPage Airport.

"The idea is to create an airport that can be a catalyst for drawing corporations that bring employment and bring economic development to our county," Gorski said. "When you create something that's as attractive as that airport is now - and you run it well and have a good reputation - you're going to start to see the benefits of it."

One benefit county leaders say they eventually would like to see is the elimination of the airport's reliance on tax dollars.

As a separate taxing body, DuPage Airport collects about $6.5 million in taxes each year from county property owners. Those dollars have made it possible for the airport to pay for the security upgrades, which were recommended by a consultant several years ago.

Changes have included the installation of 24-hour surveillance cameras and a reduction of access points to airport grounds. Now that the new northern fence and the access control system have been added, Bird said the next step will be to raise the height of the remaining perimeter fence to 8 feet.

Fences also serve another purpose: They keep large animals off the airfield. Coupled with the daily firing of propane cannons to scare away birds, Benson said the fence does a good job of addressing "an extreme hazard to aircraft."

"They put the higher fence in to keep the deer out," Benson said. "As a pilot, I appreciate that because I don't want to strike a deer while I'm rolling down the runway at 100 miles per hour."

If there is a crash or a building fire, the airport has an aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle that can respond. And, thanks to a recent agreement between the airport and West Chicago Fire Protection District, at least one experienced firefighter will always be on-site to operate the nearly $800,000 vehicle, which only needs a single occupant to fight fires.

Most of the firefighters at West Chicago's existing Station 2, which has been on airport property since 1980, will move when a new Station 2 opens next month along Atlantic Drive near North Avenue. That's about a mile away from the airport.

Still, there always will be a firefighter at the old station. As part of the pact, the airport will pay the personnel costs of providing the round-the-clock coverage. In the first year, that amount is estimated to total about $330,000.

Fire Chief Ron Ackerman stressed that equipment from all of the city's fire stations - including the soon-to-be-completed Station 3 along Commerce Drive near Roosevelt Road - would respond if there's an incident at the airport.

But having an aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle at the airport is significant because it gives emergency crews a jump start on trying to save lives. Ackerman said the vehicle can apply water and fire suppression foam and make situations survivable for victims until more help arrives.

The bottom line, Ackerman said, is that the airport is prepared to handle an emergency.

"We will have someone there to mitigate any incident almost immediately," the fire chief said. "If we didn't have this partnership and we moved, it would be worse - a lot worse."