The DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport will train pilots and potentially house an extended campus of the Illinois Aviation Academy with the City Council’s approval of a “Specialized Aviation Service Operation” agreement.
The City Council voted unanimously to enter a SASO agreement for the IAA to use the municipal airport as a secondary location. The IAA will house three Cessna 172 aircrafts and utilize the airport’s office space for pilot debriefing, record-keeping and flight instruction.
Bob Werderich, owner of IAA, voiced his interest in building an eventual campus at the DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport, according to the agenda.
Within the one-year agreement, which can extend by three additional separate years, the IAA will provide minor maintenance to current aircraft houses. The agreement will have the potential to bring corporate client air traffic to the DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport if it were to eventually house another campus.
The IAA’s current flight school is located at the DuPage Airport and holds over 30 aircrafts ranging from light trainer planes to corporate jets. The academy has graduated over 2,000 pilots in the last 23 years.
The IAA will pay $1,620 per month to use the allotted 3,024 square feet of hangar space and provide $300 per month to the DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport to use the office space for one year.