SECOND AIRPORT FBO IS SOUGHT

Prestige Air Services, a newly-formed company owned by Duane Beussink, will petition the Cape Girardeau City Council for the right to become a fixed-base operator at Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport.

Beussink, who owns MDI Corp., said at a press conference Tuesday that hopes to get the council to review his proposal at its next meeting Sept. 6. Prestige is also seeking approval from the Federal Aviation Administration.

"We've filed the papers with the FAA, and hope to get the City Council to put our plan on the agenda for the next meeting," said Beussink.

MDI also owns Mid-Ameria Outdoor Power Equipment Co. and Mid-American Electric Motor Sales, both of which operate out of Cape Girardeau.

"We changed the name from Mid-American to MDI because this is a new venture for our company," said Beussink, who has never been a FBO. Beussink has hired Sharon Dunn, who operated a FBO in Carlsbad, Calif., for a year to become his general manager. Dunn is a graduate of Parks Aviation College in Cahokia, Ill., and has experience in aviation marketing.

"I am aware that they are interested in being a FBO at the airport, but I have not seen any proposal from them," said Cape Girardeau City Manager J. Ronald Fischer. Fischer said a new fixed-base operator would have to gain approval for the option of land the same way Leopold Corp. did at the last council meeting.

Leopold has received approval from the City Council to exercise an option on 7.6 acres on the northern edge of the terminal ramp. Leopold has six months to exercise the option.

That project deals with a fixed-base operation that would include industrial aviation, aviation restoration and maintenance.

Beussink also headed South Cape Development Co., which earlier this yar proposed a townhouse and recreation complex development in conjunction with Lady Luck's unsuccessful bid for a hotel and gambling resort in Cape Girardeau. The city chose Boyd Gaming Corp. over Lady Luck.

If the council approves Prestige Air Services, Beussink said he would be in operation within three to five months. "It depends on how quickly we could get approval," he said. "I don't think it would take long after that to get construction under way."

Beussink said he is not concerned with a lawsuit over an eviction notice between the city of Cape Girardeau and Cape Central Airways, the current fixed-base operator.

"That is litigation between the city and Cape Central Airways, and in no way affects what we're trying to do," said Beussink. Beussink said his company was in negotiations to buy Cape Central Airways, but those talks have ended and no future negotiations are planned. "That is over," he said. "That's all I will say about it."

Asked if he was concerned with the fixed-base project under way by Leopold, Beussink said no. "We welcome the competition," he said. "We're not afraid of tough competition."

Aviation services that would be offered by Prestige include a red carpet line service offering aircraft fuel, charters, maintenance and management; flight instruction; pilot and customer lounges; private conference facilities; and catering within the airport terminal.

Beussink and Dunn spoke of offering a FBO superior to Cape Central Airways in terms of safety and the amount of services offered.

Interim airport operations manager Andy Perry said he was surprised to learn Beussink called a press conference on Tuesday to announce he would seek to become the FBO. "The first I heard of it was on Monday," said Perry, declining to speculate on Prestige' potential as a FBO.