by Jim Bildilli
Shafer Metro East Airport (3K6)
Sometime in 2011, the auctioneer’s gavel will sound signaling the sale of Shafer Metro East Airport (3K6). Airport owner and co-founder Ed Shafer, 78, says “it’s time to slow down a little and move on.” However, if you know Ed, “slowing down” isn’t in his nature and “moving on” will probably involve spending part of his winters in Florida.
Ed Shafer
When Ed and Lois met, owning and operating an airport wasn’t even on the horizon. The Korean War or Police Action prompted Ed to join the U.S. Air Force where he became a radio technician and later an aircraft dispatcher at March AFB near Riverside, California. Little did he know at the time that he would own an airport that is only a few miles up the road from Scott AFB where he received his initial radio training. But he did find Lois and as a result, they were married in 1952. While in the Air Force, Ed “soloed” with the aero club, but had to defer further training because of the high cost of flying ($7.00/hr).
After serving four years in the Air Force, he completed his studies at Ohio State University and received a degree in Agricultural Engineering. He was employed by John Deere as a field engineer, shortly thereafter. Ohio was a “proving ground” for John Deere because of the state’s varied terrain and soils. Soon his responsibilities migrated from John Deere’s agricultural division to its commercial equipment, like backhoes and scrapers used by many contractors. Ed admits, being diplomatic and repairing broken equipment when “everyone’s staring at you, looking at their watch… and mad” is a real challenge.
Deciding that a career with John Deere was not in the cards, he and Lois packed up their belongings and moved back to Illinois in 1964 where they had met nearly 12 years earlier. Having had a good experience with aviation in the Air Force, a career change appeared to be a natural progression. Purchasing a Piper Tri-Pacer, Ed completed his flight training to obtain his Private, Commercial, Instrument and ultimately, his Instructor Pilot Certificates. Not to be outdone, and not wanting to “stay home alone,” Lois decided that she too, would earn her certificates as well. Ed instructed and flew charters for several companies in the metro-east area, while Lois became the corporate pilot for R. H. Pohlman Co. of St. Louis. Lois was still working for them when she retired 32 years later. Lois was actively involved (vice president) with the St. Louis Chapter of the 99s and competed in two “power puff derbys.”
In 1969, both Ed and Lois decided they wanted to keep their airplane (now a Cherokee 235) in their backyard. Not finding too many backyards in town large enough to accommodate a runway, they decided to purchase a 217-acre dairy farm, complete with 70 milking cows near St. Jacob, Illinois. With a simple stroke of a pen, Ed, Lois, their two sons and two daughters became part of America’s food supply chain! Ever organized, Ed and Lois milked the cows, the boys cleaned the barn and the girls fed the cows. As Ed says, “everything worked well until a charter flight interrupted the schedule; then chores had to be “shuffled” in order to keep things running smoothly. Of course, “when you milk every 12 hours, it doesn’t leave a lot of free time.”
In whatever free time they could muster, Ed and Lois carved out a 2300 x 100 ft. sod runway for the Cherokee and applied for a Restricted Landing Area certificate from the Illinois Department of Aeronautics (now a Division of the Illinois Department of Transportation). With the guidance of Flight Safety Coordinator Carmen Burgard, the approaches were cleared and the new airport was finally a reality.
By 1975, the airport was becoming more of an asset and the dairy… a liability. No longer wanting to “subsidize” the milk industry, Ed and Lois decided to sell the cows and concentrate on expanding and improving the airport. This time, their sights were set on establishing an “open-to-the-public” airport, which required the airport to meet higher standards. With technical and verbal support from the IDA’s Engineering and Safety Sections, Ed and Lois relocated the large “bump” in the middle of the runway to the “low” end, installed a low-intensity lighting system, and constructed an oil and chip hard surfaced runway. Over time, the chicken coop was enlarged and renovated into office space, the corncrib emerged as a maintenance and storage hangar, and the large Harvestore silo was traded for 110 loads of rock.
Within two years, Ed and Lois constructed a 10-unit T-Hangar, but still had 25 aircraft tied down in the grass. The airport was growing fast with a considerable amount of training, fuel sales, maintenance, charter and requests for storage. By 1985, the Illinois State Aviation System Plan classified Shafer Metro East Airport as a designated “reliever” for the St. Louis metropolitan area. Shafer Metro East Airport was one of three airports on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River that included St. Louis Downtown Parks (CPS) and St. Louis Regional Airport (ALN). The significant difference was that Shafer was privately owned. The Federal Aviation Administration recognized the importance of private airports that provided general aviation “relief” to major hubs and allowed federal funds (with caveats) to be expended on private facilities if they were so designated by the state.
By 1987, Shafer’s runway was becoming well worn. Traffic had increased not only from local, but itinerant operations from Parks College and other St. Louis training facilities. Shafer Metro East Airport has the only VOR approach in the area where you can practice without having to get authorizations from a control tower. As a result, the first public (Illinois DOT) grant was issued to Ed and Lois Shafer to pave the existing runway with “hot mix” asphalt. In 1989, a federal and state grant was received for an additional overlay of the runway, a new taxiway and an expanded parking ramp, airport beacon and a new medium intensity runway lighting system.
With training increasing and more than 20,000 operations per year, another federal and state grant was issued to construct a partial parallel taxiway and to remove and trim trees in the southeast approach area. Also, in 1996 a third 10-unit T-Hangar was constructed to accommodate the rising number of based aircraft.
With the change in the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program, the “reliever” designations were dropped for several smaller airports in favor of allowing for more “discretionary” funding. As such, Shafer Metro East Airport became ineligible for federal funding, even though the reliever designation is still carried in state aviation systems plans. While Shafer Metro East Airport was developing, so was another airport to the south…MidAmerica Airport (BLV), which is co-located with Scott AFB. Originally conceived as a “jobs bill,” MidAmerica Airport has received a considerable amount of negative publicity as a reliever to St. Louis Lambert Airport (STL). With the purchase of TWA by American Airlines and American’s subsequent decision to reduce the number of STL flights, it has not made a positive impression easier.
From 1996 to 2000, several efforts were made to establish Shafer as publicly owned. Several studies were conducted and potential owners were identified. Four municipalities – St. Jacob, Marine, Troy and Highland – were all interested in acquiring the airport as a consortium. Unfortunately, public acquisition did not occur for lack of one vote. Fearing that there would only be three “owners,” two opted out, leaving it impossible for only one municipality to succeed.
The closest that the airport came to becoming publicly owned was an effort made by the Madison County Transit District to purchase the airport. Again, the studies were updated and an application was sent and approved by the Illinois Division of Aeronautics and the FAA to assist in the acquisition. Again, the idea was good, but the timing was poor. At the last minute, the FAA did not appropriate the requested $1 million in matching funds to affect the purchase. The Transit District was encouraged to go ahead with the purchase and seek reimbursement at a later date; however, they decided to abandon the project.
With the federal and state grant obligations expiring, and noting a lack of paved residential airparks in the St. Louis area, Ed and Lois decided to open part of their airport to aircraft owners who wanted to “live” with their planes, as he and Lois once did. With guidance from the Illinois Division of Aeronautics, a layout was established that would allow for the construction of 65 home sites that met all state requirements.
In 2001, Phase I consisting of 12 sites was developed complete with concrete taxiways, streets, and utilities. Each owner is assured access to the runway through a 99-year lease, which can be extended. The first plat was sold in 2004. Because of the rather slow economy, Phase II (10 lots) and Phase III (43 Lots) have not been developed.
When Lois retired as a corporate pilot in 1998, she insisted that Ed also reduce his schedule. They purchased a “fix-r-upper” house in Florida and by 2003, completed it to their satisfaction and started spending time there when the Midwest was usually under the grips of a “Canadian Clipper.” Unfortunately, Ed’s “co-founder” and beloved wife, Lois, passed away suddenly in 2005.
With the assistance of his son, Mike, Ed has continued to operate the airport, but each year brings new challenges. Tax assessments, and operational and maintenance costs continue to increase at a greater rate than income, and the children all have interests other than owning and maintaining an airport. The decision to sell the airport didn’t come easy for someone who has dedicated most of his life and savings pursuing and realizing his dream. With the exception of the developed home sites, the rest of the airport including hangars, facilities and surrounding farmland is expected to be auctioned as four parcels. Ed and the users of the airport hope that the successful bidder(s) will maintain the airport in its present configuration, provide services and perhaps even complete the airpark as originally platted.
If you are looking for a nice place to stop for fuel, check the weather or stretch your legs, stop by and say hello. For you aircraft homebuilders, there’s a “build center” located on the airport and Wicks Aircraft Supply is just a couple miles down the road.
With the uncertainty of the stock market, land is very tangible and like gold, and usually stands the test of time when it comes to investments. To quote Ed, “this airport is like a diamond in the rough… with a little work and a business mind, it can become a real asset to anyone’s portfolio.” For additional information call Ed Shafer at 618-644-5411.
