Inviting Others to Use Airport Facilities

Duane Wething, Airport Board Member, Detroit Lakes Airport

Detroit Lakes Airport regularly invites Rotary Club and Lions Club members to hold their lunch meetings out at the airport. Periodically, the airport provides them lunch, and afterwards, Duane Wething takes them out on the field to look at the airport boundaries or to talk to mechanics in the hangars. Many of the people involved in these clubs are community leaders. Wething noted his surprise upon hearing that even though many of the people have lived in the city for over 40 years, they had never been to the airport.

Instead of hosting a pancake breakfast, Wething goes to the airport Saturday mornings and on route, purchases some donuts. It used to be just pilots that showed up to talk about the airport, but now they are bringing their family members along as well. Each week, eight to ten people show up to discuss airport issues and stay connected. There is also a donation bucket set up and Wething usually gets enough donations to pay for the next week’s donuts. “This is a great way to build an airport community,” he says.