Local pilot plans to buy Whidbey Island airport
OAK HARBOR — A private citizen has entered the running for ownership of the A.J. Eisenberg Airport south of Oak Harbor.
North Whidbey resident Robert DeLaurentis, a Navy veteran and global peace advocate known as the “Zen Pilot,” told the Whidbey News-Times that he submitted a letter of intent to purchase the airport, a precursor to a formal offer. Last month, Island County commissioners instructed county staff to negotiate for the purchase of the airport with the intent of immediately turning over ownership to the Port of Coupeville, which would handle all airport management and operations.
Local pilots who operate out of the Eisenberg Airport have long hoped public ownership could revivify the airport, which has declined steadily for the past two decades. DeLaurentis, however, thinks new private ownership would come with some notable benefits for the airport and the community.
For one thing, a private citizen can work faster than a government entity, DeLaurentis said. One important task that needs to be completed at the airport, he said, is to repave and widen the runway. For a governmental body, completing the studies and acquiring the funding necessary for this construction could take years. DeLaurentis said if his purchase goes through, he will begin work on the runway the day after the deal closes.
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/local-pilot-plans-to-buy-whidbey-island-airport/