Airport District Board Begins Search for New General Manager This Week

The call for a new General Manager for the Big Bear Airport is going out this week. During the meeting of the Airport District Board on Wednesday, it was decided that advertising for the position would begin this week, with notices to be placed in the San Bernardino Sun, the Press Enterprise, the Los Angeles Times and via the southwest section of the American Association of Airport Executives. Interim GM Dick Lightner, whose career with the airport dates to 1974 (during which time he was GM for 10 years) has been back at the airport since May, when the Board opted not to renew the contract of then-General Manager Garry Dokter—and, as Lightner tells KBHR, “I’m going to stay until the Board hires someone.” In other news from the Airport District Board meeting of July 1, it was decided that new hangar construction would be suspended for the time being, due to the economy and other factors. The Board did move to investigate the cost of new runway signs, to specify the remaining distance of runway for departing planes. Lightner notes that these are not required, but says, “Due to the altitude, these signs could be beneficial.”