McPherson Airport manager Tom Chandler

Tom Chandler has loved flying since he was five years old.Now, as the manager of the McPherson Airport, he is able to indulge his passion at work every day, and in his free time in his own private plane.

“After earning his private pilot license, my dad has always just flown for the fun of it. I was hooked from my very first flight with him, and as a kid, that's how we usually got to grandma's house for visits,” explained Chandler. “Some kids hunt or fish or do sports with their dads.My dad and I fly.”

Obsessed with almost every aspect of aviation since the age of five, Chandler never really considered working in any other industry. He earned a degree in Aviation Business Management from WSU, and his flight training led him to work a succession of flying jobs including charter, air ambulance, and corporate pilot, before he came to his position at McPherson Airport.

“They always say if you do something you love, it won't feel like work,” he said.“Overall, that has proven to be pretty true.”

As the only full-time employee at McPherson Airport, Chandler has a number of very different responsibilities. Much of his time is spent performing maintenance work on the buildings, runway lights, equipment,mowing, fueling planes, etc. In the office, he can usually be found working on FAA (Federal Aviation Administration)Grants,working with engineers on future projects to replace aging pavements, regulatory compliance, and public relations. Chandler is currently also the president of the Kansas Association of Airports, and that takes up quite a bit of his time as well.

“There are a lot of older buildings and equipment, so there is rarely a shortage of things to do around the airport,” admitted Chandler. “Fortunately, I have a couple of parttime employees to help out with things like mowing, snow removal, bookkeeping, and general office work.”

Although he is always busy with the day-to-day operations of the airport, Chandler is able to get in some flying on a fairly regular basis.He flies for McPherson Airport manager Tom Chandler Photo by Tina Schwartz NCRA (National Cooperative Refinery Association) several times each month, does flight instruction with local pilots, and has a small plane of his own that he enjoys flying after work, whenever possible.

“I like the variety of work in my job,” said Chandler.“One hour I’m working on a broken hangar door, the next I may be teaching someone a better landing technique, then I’m selling the value of a small town airport, or refueling a helicopter under its spinning rotor blades. Later, I could be on the phone with an engineer discussing pavement or drainage problems. If a duty is dull, I usually don’t have to wait long for something interesting to roll around.”

There are some challenges working in the industry, however. Budget constraints are something Chandler is always struggling with, as well as helping people to understand the value general aviation brings to their lives and community. But these issues are common through most of aviation, and there is nothing Chandler would rather be doing.

“Between the wind and every kind of weather it blows in, flying is constantly challenging in Kansas,” he noted.“I love small general aviation airports. I migrate toward them wherever I travel around the USA, so I am proud to be the current caretaker of the McPherson Airport. After living in a variety of towns in Kansas and traveling all across the country, it is obvious to me that McPherson is truly a jewel on the prairie. I love living here.”