• Lane Aviation Celebrates 75th Anniversary
• Area Job Fair Returns
• Alum Creek Drive and Rohr Road Improvements
• Navy Operational Support Center Welcomes New Commander
• Emergency Exercise a Success
• Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base Opens New Facility
• 100th Anniversary of 1st Cargo Flight
• Canal Winchester Blues & Ribfest
• Labor Day Festival in Historic Downtown Canal Winchester

Located at Rickenbacker International Airport (LCK), Lane Aviation celebrates its 75th anniversary this year as one of the industry’s oldest family-owned aviation companies of its kind. Providing a range of aircraft services including fueling, maintenance, ground handling and deicing at LCK and Port Columbus International Airport, the company is an important partner to the airports and community.

Barnstormer Foster Lane founded the company in 1935 as the Port Columbus Flying School. As the aviation industry changed over time, the company became Lane Aviation and evolved into today’s business structure that has six focus areas: fueling, maintenance and deicing services for commercial airlines; flight support for private aircraft; parts; charters; private aircraft maintenance and aircraft sales. With 125 employees at Rickenbacker and Port Columbus, the company serves its customers from seven heated hangars and expansive office space.

“Lane Aviation is an important partner and we value the services it provides to our airline and private aircraft customers at LCK and Port Columbus,” said Elaine Roberts, President & CEO of the Columbus Regional Airport Authority, which oversees the operations of LCK and Port Columbus. “On behalf of the aviation community I congratulate Lane Aviation on this significant milestone and wish them much continued success.”

The Rickenbacker area’s job fair makes its way back after taking last year off due to the slow economy. The Columbus Regional Airport Authority (CRAA), Jewish Family Services, and Worknet are preparing for the August 17 event at Rickenbacker International Airport and are inviting all area employers to participate.

“In previous years we have had over 50 employers and 600 applicants in attendance, which is a really great turn-out,” says Christopher Kitchen, Chair of the Rickenbacker Employee Assistance Network and Manager of Organizational Development at CRAA. “It is a great time for area employers to meet potential candidates who are interested in full-time, seasonal and part-time employment."

If your business would like to be involved with the Rickenbacker area job fair, contact Christopher at (614) 239-4079.

Intersection of Rohr Road and Alum Creek Drive is scheduled to be under construction until late August. Detour routes are posted.

The Franklin County Engineer's office is coordinating road improvements at the intersection of Alum Creek Drive and Rohr Road.

Construction began in June and by late August should be complete with the widening of the intersection to accommodate a right turn lane on the north leg of Alum Creek Drive and two left turn lanes on the west leg of Rohr Road. Detour routes are posted in the area. The nearly $800,000 project is being funded by the Ohio Public Works Commission.

The Navy Operational Support Center at Rickenbacker recently welcomed Cmdr. Donald Ross as its new commanding officer.

The Navy Operational Support Center at Rickenbacker recently welcomed new Cmdr. Donald Ross.

“I’ve spent 23 years in the Navy being deployed several times throughout the world and am excited to come home to the Midwest,” explains Cmdr. Ross. “I was born and raised in Illinois and Ohio is the nearest I have come to being stationed close to all my family, who still live in Illinois.”

Cmdr. Ross has also been welcomed as the new Chair of Rickenbacker Area Council. The council meets quarterly and is a group of people from the multiple branches of the military at Rickenbacker and elected officials in the area who have the common goal of making the area a prosperous and thriving community.

Welcome Cmdr. Ross to the Rickenbacker area by contacting him at 492-2909 or donald.ross@navy.mil.

Two Columbus firefighters practice responding to Rickenbacker International Airport’s charter terminal to assist “victims” of a reported explosion. The Columbus Fire Department was one of the many first responders that participated in the full-scale emergency exercise at the airport in June.

Every three years the FAA requires Rickenbacker International Airport to conduct a full-scale emergency exercise. This year’s exercise was on June 18 and included 45 different local, county and state organizations.

“The exercise is designed to identify areas in need of improvement and to ensure that all emergency partners are prepared to work together in case of an emergency at the airport, which could involve an aircraft, terrorists, natural disaster or any other type of crisis,” said Donna Monell, Columbus Regional Airport Authority’s Manager of Emergency Preparedness.

While planning the exercise Donna’s team worked with a variety of partners including Franklin County Fire Chiefs Association, Franklin County Homeland Security Advisory Committee, Chemical Emergency Preparedness Advisory Council, Metropolitan Medical Response System and Franklin University - Public Safety Curriculum Advisory Board, among many others.

The successful exercise also involved participation from several area hospitals, Medflight and the county morgue as well as 145 volunteers who were adorned with makeup and placed around the disaster site acting as victims.

“The next step is to draft and finalize the comprehensive report that identifies areas of improvement through the exercise,” said Donna. “Then I will prioritize follow-up actions for Rickenbacker International Airport and participating agencies.”

The 121st Air Refueling Wing (ARW) recently celebrated the opening of a $6.4 million Security Forces/Weather Flight facility with a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base.

"The new facility will provide much needed space for the Security Forces and Weather Flight Airmen," 121st ARW Commander Brigadier General Tom Botchie said. "The space will greatly expand both these squadrons' mission capabilities."

The 21,137 sq. ft. facility will be home to the 121st Security Forces Squadron and the 164th Weather Flight. The building will include a weapons vault, state-of-the-art central security control room, administrative space, Guardsmen training areas, computer training and testing areas, a weapons cleaning and maintenance room, a Fire Arms Training System room and a mobility equipment area. As the future home of the 164th Weather Flight, the building will include administrative offices, a weather observation area and a mobility storage room.

"This new state-of-the-art facility will allow the 121st Security Forces Squadron and Weather Flight to continue to provide both our Commander in Chief and Ohio Governor fully qualified, mission-ready Airmen capable of deploying in a moment's notice to support our nation's war on terror or any state-wide emergency," said Lt. Col. Brian Truax, Commander of the 121st Security Forces. “The facility is like no other we have seen and represents a significant commitment of tax payer money that we cannot thank our political as well as military leaders enough for. It will be put to good use by both the 121st Security Forces Squadron as well as the 164th Weather Flight.”

Major General Greg Wayt, adjutant general for Ohio, conducts a ribbon cutting ceremony on April 17 at Rickenbacker Air Natonal Guard Base as part of the dedication ceremony for the new Security Forces and Weather Flight building. Participants are (from left to right) Command Chief Tamera Phillips, Ohio Air National Guard; Brig. Gen. Tom Botchie, commander of the 121st Air Refueling Wing; Command Chief Eric Wallace, 121st Air Refueling Wing; Maj. Gen. Harry Feucht, Ohio adjutant general for air; Mr. Jason Domingues, representing Congressman Pat Tiberi; Maj. Gen. Greg Wayt, adjutant general for Ohio; Ms. Kisha Fallon, representative for U. S. Senator George Voinovich; and Ms. Kathleen Young, representative for Congressman Steve Austria. (Photo by SMSgt Kim Frey, 121 Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs)

Rickenbacker International Airport (LCK), one of the world’s only cargo-dedicated airports, will be participating in the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the first cargo flight. On November 7, 1910, Philip Parmalee flew the first cargo plane from Dayton to Columbus as the whole world took notice.

The celebration of Parmalee’s flight is scheduled for early October and will begin at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and end at LCK. The commemoration is being actively organized by several partners including the National Aviation Heritage Area, Wright B Flyer, Columbus Regional Airport Authority, which oversees the operations of LCK, and Lane Aviation. More details will be shared as they become available.

Main Street Canal Winchester will host the Canal Winchester Blues & Ribfest this summer in historic downtown Canal Winchester. The event will take place from 5 p.m. - 11 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 6, and 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 7. Admission is free.

Enjoy a two day summer street celebration featuring world-class ribs, a variety of quality non-rib food options, locally crafted items/art, children's activities and a beer garden for blues and rib-loving friends 21 and over. Two stages host the event’s entertainment featuring a full catalog of live music from over 15 bands.

The Canal Winchester Labor Day Festival will be September 4, 5 and 6. It is the community’s largest and longest running event. What began in 1920 as a small gathering is now a local tradition that attracts thousands of visitors each year.

This year’s events will include many of the festival's mainstays, such as the annual cruise-in, the Scholarship Pageant and the popular Labor Day Parade in addition to a variety of food and retail vendors. Several performers will entertain festival attendees throughout the weekend, featuring headliners British Invasion on Saturday, McGuffey Lane on Sunday and Gas Pump Jockeys on Monday.