Denver Nonstop Flights Return on September 8
Fares as Low as $84 One-way
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August 3, 2020
Tickets for nonstop flights to both Chicago and Denver and beyond can be purchased now at www.united.com. One-way, nonstop fares for flights to the Denver International Airport and Chicago O’Hare International Airport begin at just $84.
“It’s exciting to be one of the few airports in the country to have our full schedule back. We are thrilled to offer our community a safe gateway to the Chicago and Denver hubs that provide connections to 100 cities” said Tim Rogers, Executive Director of the Salina Airport Authority.
United Airlines flights, operated by SkyWest Airlines, offer Salina area travelers the convenience of non-stop flights in safe and clean aircraft. United recently announced United CleanPlus℠ a collaboration with Clorox and The Cleveland Clinic to enhance cleaning and disinfection protocols on your entire journey from Salina and back. For further information please see www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/travel/what-to-expect.html
United Airlines also recently launched a new chat function – the United Automated Assistant – to give customers a contactless option to receive immediate access to information about cleaning and safety procedures put in place due to COVID-19. Customers can text "Clean" to FLYUA (35982) and receive answers to questions about masks, boarding procedures, touchless check-in options and more, without having to call, search online or wait in a line for an answer.
At Salina Regional Airport, we are Ready When You Are!
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Editor’s Note: Tim Unruh wrote his Jim Sponder feature prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic slowed 1 Vision’s growth at the Salina Regional Airport. Sponder’s energy and expertise has guided his company through unprecedented times and 1 Vision is expected to resume growth as a provider of heavy jet maintenance to multiple airlines.
Tim Unruh
July 31, 2020
Briefcases and ascots don’t suit Jimmy Sponder.
The owner of a multi-million-dollar company with an operation that’s going global, wears a ball cap, blue jeans — sometimes biker button-up shirts — to work in the massive Hangar 959, affectionately known as Big Bertha at the Salina Regional Airport.
Sponder’s a throwback boss who would rather spend nights buried in a jet aircraft’s fuselage to meet a customer’s needs than almost anything else and prefers getting dirty to clerical office tedium.
The old-school visionary leads by the example of hard-work and has a bold competitive spirit as the owner of 1 Vision Aviation, an aircraft repair, maintenance and overhaul company in the Salina Regional Airport Industrial Center.
“I work hard and play harder,” said Sponder, 48.
That’s affirmative, said Mandy Merritt, 1 Vision director of quality control, who has worked eight years for Sponder.
“He’s not afraid to jump in and do maintenance,” Merritt said. “Matter of fact, we’ve gotta kick him off the job sometimes and say, ‘go run the company.’”
Sponder, who grew up in the intense aviation maintenance industry, is determined to reach that goal in his own way. He has “1 Vision” for growth of the company.
“He actually scorns conventional thinking,” said Bob Grimm, a longtime friend, mentor and general manager of the 1 Vision Sioux City operation.
“Jimmy has been hip deep in this business his whole life,” Grimm said. “If you’re on a crew with him, you want to please the guy. An odd sense of loyalty kind of arises when you’re around him. You want to get it done and done his way. It’s not bad by any means, but it’s unusual.”
Grimm said the somewhat eccentric Sponder snares respect in the industry.
“Jimmy knows how to work it. He works hard for what he wants and gets it, and sadly, some of that is lacking now,” Grimm said. “I’m 63 years old and I have worked for a ton of bosses, but I’ve never had one I like more than this one.”
Expectations in Salina are being met and exceeded as Sponder grows 1 Vision in the 129,000-square-foot hangar with regional jets from clients all over the nation and world.
If you asked Grimm what it’s like to work at 1 Vision, he’d start with a chuckle.
“Then I’d tell you to fasten your seat belt and hold on,” he said.
This company is unique, said Merritt, who doubles as an airframe and power plant mechanic. She did a hitch in the U.S. Air Force working on fighter jets and drones.
“It’s a whole different mentality,” she said. “We have a pretty high standard for maintenance and that’s because we’re owned and operated by a mechanic. It’s about profit, but it’s also about quality.”
Those standards gush from the top.
Sponder imprints this mantra on his growing legion.
“He says ‘My family’s gonna fly on these airplanes. Your family’s gonna fly on these airplanes. If you’re not willing to fly on them, you can’t work here,’” Merritt said.
The company head deals with conflict in an old-fashioned way, and that sometimes means stepping outside to settle things from time to time, leaving no grudges.
“When it’s done, it’s forgotten,” Sponder said.
He admits to being human with some rough edges.
“If something goes wrong, there might be five minutes of yelling and screaming,” the boss warns.
“Jimmy’s very good at compartmentalizing those things,” Grimm said. “He’ll go take a shower and maybe a micro-nap, and then it’s back to work.”
With a piece of equipment meant to fly, safety and reliability are musts. Rules must be strict.
Meeting deadlines is paramount, and he expects unbridled effort.
When the work’s done well and on time, crew members are often treated to “steaks and beers” at a local restaurant. Eating and beverage destinations rotate through this town (Salina) that has embraced him, and the feeling is mutual.
“What I like is taking a drive downtown and seeing families out and about,” Sponder said. “I like this town, I really do. It’s growing and people are making it happen, I’m a make-it-happen person, so I’m glad I’m here.”
His wife, Robyne Sponder, concurs.
“It just feels homey to me,” she said.
Jimmy Sponder is close to Sioux City as well, Merritt said, but “Salina’s been really good to 1 Vision. (Local officials) have bent over backwards to do anything they can for him. There are great people at the airport and the chamber. We can call if we need anything, and they’ll get us set up.”
The couple found their home in north Salina, with plenty of room for family, a pool, and quarters for crew members if needed, Merritt said.
Sponder has gotten involved with the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1432 in Salina. Early on, he became a sponsor of the Salina Liberty arena football team, and on Feb. 17, bought in as the franchise’s seventh co-owner.
What you see in Sponder is what he is, Grimm said.
“He’s a throwback to the way it should be,” he said. “I’m afraid Jimmy’s kind of the last of a breed, but I hope not.”
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Life’s Never Dull with Jim, says wife Robyne Sponder |
Jim Sponder met Robyne at Des Moines International Airport and took her to the same spot to propose to her in April 2001.
They have four kids together and between them, and all have worked in the business at one time or another.
“He keeps me on my toes. Life is never boring. He makes me laugh and I love that about him,” Robyne Sponder said. “He is a workaholic and he’s definitely good with his employees. As long as you do your job, he will treat you well.”
Robyne sees her husband as “an all-around good guy who would give you the shirt off his back.”
Longtime friend and employee Bob Grimm, of Sioux City, Iowa, calls Jim Sponder “the poorest millionaire you’ll meet. He will hock his soul and put it all in the business.”
The owner is “singly focused on a vision he has,” Grimm said. Hence the company name — 1 Vision.
During the summer of 2019, Sponder was driving home to Sioux City after a maintenance job and saw the big hangar in Salina, said Mandy Merritt, his director of quality control.
“He called me and said ‘I found a hangar. We’re going to Salina,’” she said.
Three months later, 1 Vision opened in Big Bertha.
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Hunt Set to Take Over as K-State Director of Aviation |
Tim Unruh
July 28, 2020
Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus’s aviation program welcomed a new team member July 1.
Terry Hunt started his new position as director of aviation. He was previously an associate professor and chair of the University of Central Missouri’s School of Aviation, three miles northwest of Warrensburg, Mo. at the Max B. Swisher Skyhaven Airport.
K-State announced Hunt’s selection May 7.
“K-State Polytechnic has a long and prestigious history of excellence in aviation and I’m excited to work with such a high-quality group of students, faculty, and staff,” Hunt was quoted as saying in the press release. “I look forward to sharing my experience in a way that will not only support and sustain the goals of the institution, but also explore new possibilities in a dynamic industry for our graduates.”
As director, Hunt is responsible for budget management, professional engagement, enrollment support, Federal Aviation Administration compliance, curriculum enhancement and faculty collaboration, the release reads.
Utilizing his background in aviation safety, he will ensure all operations follow federal guidelines and that program rules, regulations and safety procedures are implemented. Hunt will monitor industry developments and work with faculty to provide leading-edge flight and maintenance training as well as innovative coursework and laboratory experiences. As one of the principal representatives of the aviation program, he also will serve as the point of contact for airline agreements, foster professional partnerships and business connections, and assist in the student recruitment process, according to the release.
"Dr. Hunt has a robust record of solid experience in collegiate aviation and we are excited to welcome him into the K-State family as the next leader of our aviation academic programs," Alysia Starkey, CEO of K-State Polytechnic and dean of the College of Technology and Aviation, was quoted as saying in the release. "Dr. Hunt's collaborative approach to leadership will serve our students and faculty well, and his creativity and understanding of the future needs of higher education will advance the development and growth of our campus."
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Salina Area Technical College Partners with Airgas:
Students and Teachers Benefit
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SaRae Roberts, left, hones her stick welding skills while Airgas instructor Royce Altendor, of Goddard, looks on through a welding helmet during a special welding and cutting course July 21 at Salina Area Technical College. (Photo by Tim Unruh) |
Tim Unruh
July 23, 2020
A touch of nerves was evident when SaRae Roberts struck her first arc with a stick welder.
“It’s been a couple years since I welded,” the 22-year-old told her instructor.
Within a few seconds, however, skills returned to the soon-to-be first-year Abilene High School vocational agriculture teacher as she put down smooth beads in the Salina Area Technical College welding shop, that is located on the college's Salina Airport Industrial Center campus.
She was among 48 teacher/students Tuesday in a refresher welding and cutting course sponsored, staffed and taught by Airgas, a welding supply company.
“I took it to get more experience, more confidence and be able to better educate my students in the shop,” said Roberts, a native of Hillsboro, and a 2020 graduate of Kansas State University in agriculture education.
“All of the instructors were very knowledgeable, very helpful,” she said.
From rookies to veterans, Kansas vocational trade instructors from nearby to hours away, grasped a no-cost chance to improve their classroom performance, and the learn the latest in the welding industry through more than 8 hours of classroom instruction and seven hours in the lab, working in six stations, each with Airgas instructors pulling from 30-plus years of welding and cutting industry experience.
The teacher/students learned plasma cutting and gouging; short arc MIG welding, spray MIG welding; stick welding, Oxyfuel cutting and brazing and TIG welding.
The class proved valuable for instructors as well, said Royce Altendor, of Goddard, Airgas district manager in south-central Kansas.
“It’s a lot of fun to meet the people and help them,” he said.
Many goals are targeted in the “Welding 101” course, that’s in its second year, said Brian Blackwood, area vice president for Airgas based at 225 N. Santa Fe. He is a member of the Salina Tech board of directors and the college foundation.
A lack of welders is a big issue, he said, pointing to a report from the American Welding Society, predicting a shortage of 400,000 by 2024.
“Older welders are reaching retirement age and younger welders aren’t replacing them fast enough,” according to tradesmeninternational.com. The average age of a welder is 55, and fewer than 20 percent of the domestic workforce is under 35, the website reads.
The plan in rectifying that shortfall starts in the high schools, Blackwood said, where there is a disconnect in the flow and the introduction of the welding trade early on.
“Technical schools in Kansas have the capacity to train more students, but they don’t have the students enrolling,” he said. “We recognize there is a shortage.”
One hitch is how the high school teachers are prepared.
“They are traditionally coming from universities,” Blackwood said. “When they come out as a first-year teacher, they have limited experience in welding and cutting, in most cases.”
Smith Center High School’s vo-ag teacher, Monica Wagner, 42, can attest. She began her career in education as an elementary school teacher, but took the vo-ag position five years ago, to fill a teacher void in the school district.
The Airgas class was a perfect fit.
“I didn’t feel like I was doing an adequate job. I wanted to learn more,” she said.
Airgas made her decision easy.
“They pay for the motel and food, and give us free stuff,” Wagner said. “This is an opportunity to learn first-hand. It’s really hard to pass up.”
Teacher/students were given a backpack loaded with gear — a welding helmet, gloves, protective sleeves, pliers, chipping hammer, tape measure, safety glasses, and other tools.
Coordinators enforced that students and instructors wear masks. Equipment and surfaces were sanitized often, and boxed lunches were served, Blackwood said.
The course proved valuable to Christina Wallace, vo-ag teacher at Minneapolis High School.
Growing up in southern Dickinson County, she gained first-hand agricultural experience and knows how to function in a farm shop.
She graduated Chapman High School in 2015 and years later completed training as vocational agriculture teacher from Kansas State University.
When the time came to launch her career as a teacher — while also being tasked as a welding instructor — Wallace answered the call to brush up on her skills.
“I would have stayed afloat,” she said of her welding abilities, but thanks to Airgas, was able to hone her prowess.
“Airgas definitely helped polish some of those skills,” Wallace said, “and drive home some of those points that we were taught (in college).”
The course brought adjustments to Jim Weller’s approach as Chapman High School’s vo-ag teacher. The 2014 Southeast of Saline graduate farms with his father, Pat Weller, between Gypsum and Kipp. He completed his teaching degree in 2018 from K-State.
“I legitimately, straight-up changed when I got back (to teaching); the kind of gas I used in our welders,” Jim Weller said. “I really started to stress the size of the welds. Before, I kind of graded the appearance of them.”
Technical schools work closely with high schools offering dual credit courses to give students a jumpstart in pursuing a career.
“This (Airgas course) may have strengthened my relationship with Salina Tech,” said Weller, 24. “Our juniors and seniors can go there for welding classes, and it was good for me to get into their shop to see where students are going.”
He encourages pupils to get their welding degree at the same time they graduate high school, partly because the training “is essentially paid for,” he said, advocating this path into the working world.
“They’re not only going into a good career, but they’re going in four years ahead of your peers,” Weller said. “I have a student who plans on being an engineer. He understands that knowing how to weld and read symbols is going to help him be a better engineer. It’s another thing on the resume, and when you understand the processes, you understand what’s possible and not possible when you’re designing something.”
The course is a catalyst for creating valuable connections.
“The value of the partnership with Airgas is that they’re bringing all these instructors throughout the state to campus who have ties with all these potential students, which could lead these students to us for training, and lead to technical careers for them,” said Larry Pankratz, director of development for the Salina Area Technical College Foundation.
Airgas also invited the teacher/students and Salina Tech officials to a Wednesday night dinner to meet with local industry leaders.
“They’re all clamoring for employees,” Pankratz said. “This is a great way to fill the pipeline of trained students that can be hired by industry.”
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Monica Wagner, a vocational agriculture teacher from Smith Center, left, visits with Andy Harris, in weld process training from Airgas in Topeka, during the company’s teacher training July 21 at Salina Area Technical College. (Photo by Tim Unruh) |
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Greetings!
The annual RSAT meeting was held earlier this week via Zoom. Participation was lower than I anticipated, but we had a productive meeting. We discussed many topics including Runway Safety Area (RSA) dimensions, operations and communications within the RSA, construction, and special events. Emphasis was placed on Wrong Surface landings and departures, which was this year’s focus area.
We are about 2 weeks out from Jaded Thunder and the guys in the tower are ready. A few things to consider are simultaneous use of VHF/UHF frequencies, wake turbulence, aircraft speeds and performance, and military airspace.
Alex Gall left us on 7/18 for a DoD position in Michigan. I have decided to step down and fill his slot as controller. Scott Hillegeist has been selected as the new ATM, effective 8/9. Scott is from the local area and is a retired Navy controller. He worked here in 2018 and left last January for Midwest ATC’s contract in Afghanistan. Scott rejoined our team in March, and I have confidence that he will do a good job as ATM.
Thanks to everyone and I’ll be talking to you soon!
Stay Safe and Happy Flying!
Jay Hatchett
Air Traffic Manager
Salina (SLN) FCT
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United's number one priority is the safety of their customers and employees.
Learn more about flexible options if you need to change or cancel travel plans and the steps they have taken to ensure your safety from before takeoff to after landing.
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Make A Clean Getaway with Ben Hadden |
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United Airlines and the Salina Regional Airport are delivering the highest standard of safety and cleanliness! When you are ready, we are! Take advantage of our low fares and book now at united.com
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Feature Facility
New to the Market!
Building 394
2941 Centennial Road
Located at the intersection of two arterial streets (Schilling & Centennial) at the Salina Airport Industrial Center, this office facility is available now.
With nearly 4,000 SF of professional office space, Bldg. 394 includes
4 large private offices, a reception area and space for a large conference area or cubicles. Large windows offer ample daylight throughout the building.
Call the Salina Airport Authority today at 785-827-3914 to schedule a tour or email
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On the Flightline at America's Fuel Stop |
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Salina Airport Authority | www.salinaairport.com
3237 Arnold Avenue
Salina, Kansas 67401
785-827-3914
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Copyright ©2020 | Salina Airport Authority | All rights reserved
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