Advertisement. Advertise with us

Baseball’s Heroes Fly Into Oneonta Airport

By LIBBY CUDMORE

If you saw Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan or contender Don Mattingly at the 75th Induction Weekend in Cooperstown, you can thank Dennis Finn and the Oneonta Municipal Airport.

Over the weekend, 28 corporate jets, plus two private planes, landed and took off, said Finn, city Airport Commission chairman. “This is our busiest time of the year,” he said, and this Induction Weekend was the second busiest, after the Ripken/Gwynn event in 2007.

The jets began arriving on Thursday, June 24. Some dropped off their visitors; others, like the New York Yankees’ Falcon 900 – the biggest plane on the tarmac – parked for the weekend. “We had to buy a special bar to tow it,” said Finn. “A scratch would cost us a quarter million!”

Springer’s, the Oneonta Kubota dealer, provided a tractor to help tow the aircraft. “When the pilots see that, they don’t worry,” he said. “It instills confidence in the owners.”

While many of the Hall’s guests, including Inductee Joe Torre, arrive through Albany or other airports, the Oneonta landing strip offers private jet owners the most convenience, Finn said. “This is the closest paved runway to Cooperstown,” he said. “They don’t want to drive an hour and a half from Albany or Rome. They want to come in here.”

Last month, Finn began the task of calling team owners and pilots to line up arrival and departure times. Some of the planes parked overnight or for a few days. Saturday-Sunday night, “we were here at midnight, still parking planes,” said Finn. “We know the importance of planning, and the success we have comes from that.”

NetJets, Warren Buffett’s private jet company, is a different story. “They pop in whenever they want, even if the apron is closed,” said Finn. “They know the runway is open, so they just drop off their passengers.”

At midnight, Sunday, July 27, a NetJet flew in, but when the pilot tried to ready for takeoff, the engines wouldn’t restart. “We had to park the plane,” said Finn. “Their mechanics came in to fix it.”

After a near-death experience in 2010, the Oneonta airport is undergoing renovations, via Oneonta Job Corps, adding a conference room, new bathrooms and a redesigned lounge to the terminal.

The airport is also in talks with the FAA to extend the 4,200-foot runway to 5,000 feet to accommodate larger jets.
“We could get even more in here if we had that longer runway,” said Finn. “You can see how essential this airport is.”

Posted

Related Articles

In Memoriam: A. George Eccleston, 71 August 28, 1951 – December 26, 2022

In MemoriamA. George Eccleston, 71August 28, 1951 - December 26, 2022 NEW BERLIN – A. George Eccleston, 71, of New Berlin, NY, passed away Monday December 26, 2022, in Cooperstown, NY, with his family by his side. George was born in Cortland, NY on August 28, 1951, the son of the late Clifford and Dora Watts Eccleston. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by two sisters Emily and Kathy and brother Ron.…

SCOLINOS: It’s All We Need To Know: Home Plate 17 Inches Wide

COLUMN VIEW FROM THE GAME It’s All We Need To Know: Home Plate 17 Inches Wide Editor’s Note:  Tim Mead, incoming Baseball Hall of Fame president, cited John Scolinos, baseball coach at his alma mater, Cal Poly Pomona, as a lifelong inspiration, particularly Scolinos’ famous speech “17 Inches.” Chris Sperry, who published sperrybaseballlife.com, heard Scolinos deliver a version in 1996 at the American Baseball Coaches Association in Nashville, and wrote this reminiscence in 1916 in his “Baseball Thoughts” column. By CHRIS SPERRY • from www.sperrybaseballlife.com In 1996, Coach Scolinos was 78 years old and five years retired from a college coaching…

Cooperstown Observed: Oh, for Art’s Sake!

In a village famous for its museums, the grande dame is Fenimore Art Museum, with its permanent collection, its visiting exhibitions, and its native-American splendors. The staircase leading to the lower galleries is a work of art in itself. Not to be overlooked, is the Community Gallery tucked away in a corner on the second floor. As its name implies, it displays works from local sources and is not to be missed.…