By Staff
Jonathan Willis
The Russellville Municipal Airport and its management continue to be recognized as one of the leading facilities its size anywhere in the country.
National aviation website, www.avweb.com, named Blue Diamond Aviation as the national Fixed Base Operator, or FBO of the Week on March 23.
Harry Mattox and Blue Diamond Aviation have been managing the Russellville Airport for several years and have overseen an extensive renovation and growth there recently.
Blue Diamond was nominated for the honor by a former Russellville resident named Robby Bendall whose now living in Mobile.
Each week fixed based operators from around the country are nominated for the award.
Bendall had been flying in and out of the Russellville Airport while helping a friend who had recently purchased a plane. He made the following comment on the avweb.com website:
"Cm. Sgt. Harry Mattox has done an excellent job of building a good small town FBO and flight training center. Recently a friend and I have been working on the purchase of his first airplane, a 172 that has been sitting for two years. He has welcomed us with open arms and has gone out of his way to help. We have used his facilities on and off since January of this year, and it looks like we are about to finish up. Harry has auto-dispensed Jet A and 100LL, [plentiful] hangar space, and the nicest small town terminal with a courtesy car. Smiles abound.
Mattox said the award meant a great honor for him and his company, but it was also quite a recognition for the airport.
"Robby has been really impressed at how nice his hometown airport has become," Mattox said.