The Tampa Bay Executive Airport was a private airport located on State Road 54 in the town of Odessa, Florida. It was owned and subsequently sold by Dr. James P. Gills. The airport was permanently closed on October 1, 2004, after which the hangars and other buildings were removed from the airpark. The runway remained as of March 2007, marked with several of the standard FAA 'X's. Most of it has been cleared in favor of new construction, with about 500 feet remaining on the East end. An industrial park has been slated for construction on the site.
Most of the businesses that were based at Tampa Bay Executive have been relocated to other airports in the region. Jensen Aviation (flight school) and JJ Aeronautics (maintenance) both moved to Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, while Bayflite operations were repositioned to Community Hospital in New Port Richey. However, Bayflite did remain at the airport for nearly a year after the airport was closed. Most of the 100+ based-customers were able to successfully find hangar/tie-down space at several nearby airports, but some were forced to sell their aircraft.
Because of the airport's close proximity to residential areas and busy highways, it was no secret that several Pasco County officials were determining the best way to close the airport. It is rumored that the airport's ownership group was given a purchase offer for the property that far exceeded its actual value, which complemented the fact that the owners were quoted as saying that they were "...tired of being involved in a business that attracts so many lawsuits." The county worked to keep Bayflite on-site due to its centralized location and shorter response times, but the medevac service was unable to continue operating there when demolition of vacant airport began.
Famous quotes containing the words bay, executive and/or airport:
“Shall we now
Contaminate our fingers with base bribes,
And sell the mighty space of our large honors
For so much trash as may be grasped thus?
I had rather be a dog and bay the moon
Than such a Roman.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“... the wife of an executive would be a better wife had she been a secretary first. As a secretary, you learn to adjust to the boss’s moods. Many marriages would be happier if the wife would do that.”
—Anne Bogan, U.S. executive secretary. As quoted in Working, book 1, by Studs Terkel (1973)
“Airplanes are invariably scheduled to depart at such times as 7:54, 9:21 or 11:37. This extreme specificity has the effect on the novice of instilling in him the twin beliefs that he will be arriving at 10:08, 1:43 or 4:22, and that he should get to the airport on time. These beliefs are not only erroneous but actually unhealthy.”
—Fran Lebowitz (b. 1950)