Manitowish Waters Airport (D25) in northern Wisconsin is more than just a place for planes to land. It’s a testament to visionary thinking back in 1945.
Town founders established the airport even though Manitowish Waters only had 250 residents at the time. After World War II, the airport helped transform the area known for its lush forests, crystal clear lakes and legendary fishing into a thriving tourist destination.
The small town and its airfield have since flourished, but the COVID-19 pandemic recently introduced a new challenge for Airport Manager and Town Chairman John Hanson. Hangar space was suddenly in high demand when an influx of people with private planes used or purchased secondary homes in the area and started telecommuting from the picturesque vacation spot.
“The pandemic made working remotely practical and accepted,” says Jerry Wilke, chairman of the Airport Committee. “Employees and companies have embraced the change!”
 facts&figuresProject: Adding Hangar Space Location: Manitowish Waters Airport, in WI Current Options: 7 privately owned box hangars housing 7+ aircraft; 35 privately owned nested T hangars housing 35+ aircraft; 1 airport-owned hangar with 5 50’x50’ units housing 5+ aircraft In Process: 4 more standalone hangars; 10 nested T hangars for 35 aircraft Site Development Costs: $575,000 (grading, utilities connections, stormwater drainage, taxiway access) Funding: State & federal grants; local funds Frequently Used Contractor: Walters Buildings Of Note: Demand for hangars spiked when visitors used vacation homes or purchased homes during the COVID-19 pandemic to work remotely from the popular vacation area |
Visitors who previously came to Manitowish Waters for weekend getaways now stay for weeks at a time, and many want shelter for the aircraft that shuttle them in and out.
“We’ve got tremendous interest in new hangars,” reports Wilke.
The sudden surge of demand set airfield improvements in motion. At the end of this summer, projects were underway to add as many as 18 new hangars over the next few years. Those plans began with a wait list of over 20 prospective tenants vested in the progress.
Hangar History
For decades, Manitowish Waters Airport operated with a single 3,000-foot-long, 120-foot-wide grass runway. In the 1980s, it added a 3,500-foot paved runway that intersects the original turf strip and includes overrun areas at both ends.
“When we added that second runway, the need for hangar space started growing,” Hanson explains. “That’s when a group of guys got together and formed a corporation to construct the airport’s first nested T-hangar.”
Today, that and three other T hangars provide shelter for 35 airplanes, and there are seven other standalone hangars, each 60-feet square. All are privately owned, with long-term leases for the airport property they occupy.
In 2010, the airport built an “all-in-one hangar” with five 50’x50’ bays that hold up to 10 aircraft. At the time, that was the only airport-owned hangar on the field, but that is changing.
Two years ago, airport leaders began the process to add the 18 more hangars mentioned. They secured FAA funding as well as a block grant for public airports from the Wisconsin Bureau Aeronautics. Part of their appeal for funding was a long list of people from Milwaukee, Chicago, Rockford, Madison and Minneapolis who want T hangar space at the 500-acre Northwoods airport.
A tract of land about the size of three football fields has been graded and improved with stormwater drainage, utility services and taxiway access for eight private and the airport-owned T-hangars.
“Four private hangars are already built, and one additional plot has just been leased,” Hanson reported in July. “The airport will also construct and lease a series of approximately 10 nested T-hangars.”
As part of a previous project, the airport replaced its non-directional beacon with GPS approaches to improve airfield operations during inclement weather. “Now [pilots] can get in and out on a regular basis,” Hanson says. “The practical side of things just got better.”
The price tag for recent land improvements totaled $575,000, and the pending T-hangar project is out for bid. “We will know the cost for that soon,” Hanson said in July. “It is planned to be built next spring”. Only 5% of the T hangar investment will be provided by local tax revenue, he adds. Fully 95% will be covered by government funding and private investors will fund all of the box hangars.
“The local and federal funds come out of the fuel tax, which is paid by those who actually use airports like ours,” Hanson notes.
Lots of Choices, Less Red Tape
Wilke highlights variety and flexibility as major benefits of the airport’s array of hangars and tie-down options.
Some pilots prefer to park their aircraft outside all summer, but many want basic shelter, so an uninsulated hangar will do. Others opt for an insulated building with a bathroom and in-floor heat. Those who want even more amenities choose units with an office, satellite connections, Internet, room for a vehicle and more.
“It all depends on what their needs are and what they want to spend,” says Wilke.
While many features are up to the building owners, airport leadership established design standards for building sizes, shapes, rooflines, materials, heights and exterior colors.
“Too many airports end up with what looks like a shanty town because the hangars are all different shapes, colors and quality…some with dirt floors,” he says. “That’s not what we wanted here. The Manitowish Waters community is built and maintained to a very high standard, and we wanted our airport to be consistent with that standard!”
Generally, owners have wide latitude when developing their spaces.
“They are able to walk through an existing hangar and then imagine their own space and customize it to their preferences,” Wilke says. “Residences are not allowed, but many interiors are arranged to accommodate flight planning, Zoom calls, meetings, entertainment and ‘hangar-flying’ of all types!”
From a process standpoint, the airport and local government work closely together to accommodate aircraft operators looking for hangar space. Customers don’t suffer bureaucratic delays that are common elsewhere because Hanson serves as town chairman and handles hangar leases as the airport manager.
Airport Committee Chairman Jerry Wilke helps provide free introductory airplane rides to children.
“He’s made the process easy because he’s already done it with others,” Wilke relates. “They sign the lease, and then we put them in touch with our recommended builder, though they can use their own.”
The airport recommends Walters Buildings of Allenton, WI, because its product meets the airport’s requirements for quality, efficiency and appearance. Most customers take the airport’s recommendation and are pleased with the process and results, says Wilke. “They show customers what they did for the last person and ask if that’s what they would like or if they have adjustments,” he explains. “They come back a week or so later with changes, and boom, they are ready to go.”
Although Walters Buildings is based in southern Wisconsin, it typically hires local electricians, plumbers, and concrete companies as subcontractors.
Giving Back
Wilke emphasizes that the airport needs to be a good community partner if it wants to continue growing.
“Too many [airport operators] wonder why they get complaints. It’s because people do not understand the airport’s benefits,” he explains. “They feel like they’ve been kept on the other side of the fence. That is a mistake.”
Manitowish Waters Airport fosters goodwill within its community by hosting events that draw the public inside
the fence.
One example is the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Young Eagles program, which provides free introductory airplane rides to children ages 8 to 17. “They get their first ride, a logbook and a signed certificate,” Wilke says. “Some kids come back year after year, and it’s a spectacular event for them and their families.”
The airport also hosts an annual Hamburger Fly-In Social in August, always on a Thursday. Planes come from near and far, and the entire community is invited for food, music and aircraft tours.
The airport also conducts training for volunteer firefighters, local police and other first responders. The sessions help familiarize emergency personnel with the airport layout and operations. Such preparation could prove crucial if a Flight for Life aircraft needs to operate from the airport or an incident occurs at the airfield.
Hanson notes that recent and ongoing hangar development is just one aspect of long-term development at the airport. The next step is creating a master plan to detail future development. That process is expected to cost $250,000 and will be funded by the FAA.
No matter what the master plan eventually contains, Hanson stresses that continued development would not be possible without community support and close cooperation between town leaders and the Airport Committee.
“Having that connection with the town government, the support of the community and the understanding of why the airport is important in the first place is what gets things done,” he concludes.
