Western Aviation to service Felts Field

A longtime tenant of Felts Field will take over responsibility for fueling planes, and plans to add other services under a contract approved Wednesday by the Spokane International Airport board of directors.

The five-year agreement with Western Avionics Inc., doing business as Western Aviation, will bring continuity to Felts operations, which have been hampered by inconsistent service, said interim airport Director Skip Davis.

Owner Tim Gump said Western has been located at the civil aviation airfield for 35 years. He bought the company after moving his aircraft electronics business to Spokane from California in 1997, he said.

Besides fueling, Gump said he will provide maintenance, tie-down and other pilot services, possibly including the construction of a new building if another agreement can be negotiated.

“He’s adamant about customer service,” Davis said, who added that visiting pilots have been put off by the lack of a fixed-base operator at Felts they can turn to for help.

The board also marked the upcoming January retirement of 13-year member Irv Reed, who was himself interim airport director in 2005. Reed was also public works director for the city of Spokane after he retired from the U.S. Air Force as brigadier general whose command included Fairchild Air Force Base.