(excerpted from Southwest Florida International Airport Web Site... Emphasis in Red by EcoastLife Editor)

From County to Regional

By 1973, the population explosion taking place in Southwest Florida made it obvious that the present facility was inadequate. Studies indicated the terminal at Page Field was too small, the 6,400 foot runways were too short to handle the modern jets. Something had to be done at once and even as Lee County Commissioners authorized construction of a new $850,000 terminal at Page Field, they realized this would not be sufficient for long.

According to former County Commissioner Harry Rodda writing in the October 17, 1984 edition of The Newspaper, "The concept of a regional airport was conceived in 1973 by a group of local citizens, most notably Malcolm Schroeder."

The Metropolitan Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce had formed an Airline Services Committee with Schroeder, then president of First Florida Bank, as chairman.

The committee's mission was to determine whether to expand Page Field or build a new airport. The committee was also to determine whether there was need for the area to be served by another major carrier.

It was time for a move, but any and all changes were subject to the approval of the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) and the CAB had declared a moratorium on new routes in 1969.

Schroeder initiated discussions with officials at Eastern and Delta Airlines. According to an interview with Schroeder published in Gulfshore Life magazine in May of 1986, "Delta said if Fort Myers could prove that the growth of the area indicated a need for more airline service, and the potential for airline profits was there, it would try to get CAB approval."

The article, entitled "Flying High" and written by Cheryl Koening, continued, "The studies also showed that commercial air passenger traffic had increased 100 percent every three years since 1938.

"All of this established a community in need," Schroeder told Koening. "We were able to show that this was a very large metropolitan area and the only one that didn't have access to Atlanta, the only gateway to the Southeast."

Once the need was established, Delta, Eastern, Southern and United Airlines filed to serve Fort Myers. A hearing held in 1975 awarded Eastern the route and Eastern started service on December 10 of the same year.

Choosing the Site

Rodda wrote, "With the support of the Lee County Commission, a committee was created that included representatives from Charlotte and Collier Counties to explore, first, the feasibility of a new airport and, second, the best location that could be found."

Ben Pratt, former Lee County Transportation Director and a major player in this part of the project, conducted these studies with input from financial consultants, planners and the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA). "All in all," he said in an interview for this history, "they looked at about 27 different sites, from Six Mile Cypress to a place called Grimy Gulch."

Both Charlotte and Collier counties decided not to participate. However, Lee County persevered and a site was chosen off what is now 1-75 and Daniels Road.

The airport master plan was developed with the input of many experts including the firm of R. Dixon Speas/Brevard Engineering, the project's consulting planners and engineers.

Eastern Airlines had been awarded routes into Fort Myers so they were now included along with National Airlines in the decision-making process.

Besides the participating airlines, it was necessary to have the approval of the FAA and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A study of the soil by consulting engineers indicated it was satisfactory. Safety, and accessibility factors were approved and even those of the environmental community who had earlier disputed the project agreed. Together with the Board of County Commissioners, the FAA and the airlines, the project was approved to move ahead.

In his article, Rodda recalled, "The project was the responsibility of the Lee County Commission...to have the project designed, built and financed including the selection of the engineers, architects and contractors along with the acquisition of land.

"A financial consultant, Smith Barney, was chosen to provide a financial plan. (The firm of) Howard, Needles, Tammen and Bergendoff was selected as the designing engineer, and ultimately, the project managers. They, in turn, selected the terminal architects as a part of their contract, and they chose the local firm of William Frizzell and Associates. An individual named George Smith of the firm Business Smith, Inc. was hired to develop the Airport Use Agreement which would eventually bind the airlines to Lee County and vice versa. He also did the original financial feasibility study."

Metric Constructors, Inc. of Tampa were the construction contractors.

"The Lee County Commission," Rodda continued, "surrounded itself with the best expertise it could find. After all, of all the players, FAA, the airlines, the engineers and other consultants, the only amateurs were the commissioners themselves and their staff.

"In fact, in terms of totally new airport facilities, it is questionable as to the expertise of anyone. Since 1970, and the adoption of the Airport and Airways Development Aid Program (A D.A.P.) regulations, only two new airports have been built from the ground up -- Dallas/Fort Worth and the Southwest Florida Regional Airport."

Action Elsewhere

While the Commission and the FAA were moving ahead, other factors were falling into place that would affect the new airport. Both Daniels Road and 1-75 were under construction. The new $850,000 terminal at Page Field was also under construction and, on the national scene, the CAB deregulated the air industry which meant airlines were now allowed to select their own routes. With its projected growth, Lee County was deemed by many airlines to be a profitable and desirable route. It wasn't long before Delta, United and Northwest Orient joined Eastern and National in their bid to serve Lee County.

Construction of the new regional airport was a complicated project. The master plan for the new airport was developed by Howard, Needles, Tammen & Bergendoff. Funding, of course, was of prime concern. On November 4, 1974, Lee County received a $195,000 federal grant to enable them to find the best site for a regional airport. On June 13, 1975, the Daniels Road site was selected and the estimated cost of construction was set at $31 million dollars.

In the meantime, it was also in 1975 that Gary LeTellier had come to Fort Myers to take the post of manager of Page Field. Prior to coming to this area, LeTellier had been assistant director at Daytona Beach Regional Airport.

LeTellier had a solid background in aviation. He'd received his pilot's license at 17, before becoming a student at the University of California. While there he had been drafted and sent to Vietnam where he flew helicopter gunships. Returning from Vietnam, he worked for United Airlines for three years before attending Embry Riddle Aeronautical Institute in Daytona Beach where he earned his degree in aeronautical science and engineering.

LeTellier felt that the Airport Fire Department should be removed from the Division of Protective Services. He asked County Administrator Lavon Wisher, to make the department a separate division to be funded solely by airport operating funds. Wisher brought this proposal to the county commission and at the annual budget meeting in October of 1975, the change was made.

On November 26,1975 Billy Clemons, an active firefighter since October 26, 1972, was appointed Fire Chief. Under Clemons, the department received delivery of a rapid intervention vehicle and two 1,500 gallon crash fire fighting vehicles. This brought the airport to full compliance with the Federal Aviation Administration's requirements for airport firefighting and rescue services. The specialized flammable liquids firefighting equipment and advanced rescue and extrication equipment were used to respond countywide.

In 1977, the Aviation Safety Institution, devoted to the protection of air travelers throughout the world, presented the Lee County Airport with an award in recognition of its outstanding Crash/Fire/Rescue and Medical Preparedness and Response. In 1979, the Lee County Airport received the Aviation Safety Institute Award.

Airport Forms its Own Police Department

More than 100,000 passengers had arrived and departed Page Field during the month of March 1978 and it was clear the security needs were greater than the Lee County Sheriff's Department could continue to meet.

Faced, too, with the projection of a million people passing through the airport by 1979, LeTellier worked quickly. On March 15, 1978, the new airport police department was formed. Personnel consisted of twelve uniformed men, one dog and the first chief, Jim Woodby, a veteran of the Fort Myers Police Department.

Woodby hired experienced, certified law enforcement officers who had previously worked at either the Fort Myers Police Department or the Lee County Sheriff's Department.

Cost for the 13 men was estimated at $189,258. Their duties were to include security screening, gate security, traffic control and crowd control.

On October 2nd the Airport Fire Department became the Lee County Port Authority Crash Fire Rescue Department, a name which was much more descriptive of the services performed.

Groundbreaking!

Friday, April 11, 1980 was a significant day for finally after years of work and planning and delay, groundbreaking ceremonies were held. Spirits were high despite the controversy surrounding the cost.

Hundreds of business people and county employees turned out to gather beneath the pine trees on the 3,500 acre site, to sip cool drinks and watch as Commissioners Dick Steele, Roland Roberts, Wade Scaffe, Harry Rodda and Doug Taylor, -- appropriately decked out in construction helmets-- shouldered shovels for the groundbreaking ritual. After that, everyone gathered under an over-sized canopy for a barbecue lunch.

Estimated cost was now $53,000,000 and LeTellier, promoted to aviation director that June, had been instructed to "get the airport back on course."

Between May 1979 and January 1980 the size of the proposed terminal had reportedly increased from 158,000 square feet to 276,000 square feet, and from 12 to 14 gates.

Funding was still a concern and Ben Pratt credits Rep. L. A. "Skip" Bafalis for working with the FAA in Washington to obtain a $7,500,000 grant from the government. FAA could not make a commitment for more than one year at a time so local officials launched forward on faith and bond issues that would be repaid by rental and other fees from airlines using the airport.

By 1982, airport construction costs were estimated to be in excess of $93 million, or triple the original figure. Cost overruns became a major issue in media coverage and fueled fiery debates as to why costs had soared and who was to blame.

Actually, the costs were not errors in estimating. In addition, to the expansion of the terminal and the number of gates, an apron where the planes were to park that was originally to be constructed of asphalt was changed to concrete at the insistence of the airlines and a Florida Power and Light right-of-way had to be relocated. All of these added to the cost.

Perhaps the biggest cost increase was due to the unexpected high cost of land acquisition. The price of the land, which had been in the neighborhood of $1,200 to $2,000 per acre in that area had more than doubled by the time the County was ready to go to purchase contract. Condemnation suits, with legal and appraisal fees on both sides, raised the actual land cost to more than $5,000 per acre. Other increased costs included major drainage changes and, at the request of one of the airlines, the construction of a fuel farm -- the three huge tanks where fuel would be stored.

Sinkholes

Work on the runways was progressing smoothly until disaster struck on October 28, 1981. The driver of a dump truck fully loaded with sand slammed on the brakes and brought his truck to a stop at the eastern end of the runway. The driver jumped out of the cab as his truck listed to one side. Dismayed workers watched as the runway opened up and the truck sank down to the rear left axle in the first of several sinkholes that would open up on the runway. The hole was about three feet in diameter and three feet deep.

Later, when the area was excavated, the hole was found to be cone shaped with a diameter of approximately 30 feet underground. A second sinkhole appeared on January 26, 1982, an indentation only one inch deep but 10 feet in diameter.

Dr. George Gowers, a geologist and the county's sinkhole consultant, recommended the property be monitored against changes in the water table. In March, another sinkhole developed on the runway right in front of the terminal.

On July 8, 1982, the FAA ordered Lee County to tear out and reconstruct 700 feet of the 8,400 foot runway.

On July 9, 1982, the Fort Myers News-Press reported, "The county sinkhole consultant reported the collapse was caused by nearby construction drainage and was not expected to happen again."

Besides the cost of the repairs, which was projected to be approximately $4.2 million, it was now feared the repairs would delay the airport opening which Commissioners had counted on to take place May 1, 1983. The delay would create a serious financial problem. The due date for the first $1,000,000 bond payment was May 14 and, if the airport did not open, Commissioners would not receive the revenues needed by that date.

Trendsetter

Despite the many problems and obstacles, the Southwest Florida Regional Airport had become a "trend setter." Not only was it the nation's first full-scale new airport since the opening of the Dallas/Ft. Worth Regional Airport in 1974, it was the first airport to be built in compliance with National Environmental Protection Association (NEPA) regulations. NEPA was an organization established to environmentally protect not only the airport site, but also the community surrounding the airport. These new regulations, in a heretofore uncharted area, were responsible for additional research and construction costs.

Active participants in the planning and decision-making process of the construction of Southwest Florida Regional Airport emphasize that what were commonly known as cost overruns, were actually due to additional environmental and physical protective measures, and the additional facilities required by moving from Phase 1 into Phase 2 of the airport's master plan ahead of schedule because of the increased volume of air travel here.

Unforeseen problems with land acquisition and runway repairs were all necessary costs and were ultimately reflected in the landing fees which, for a time, were the highest in the nation. As air traffic increased and new carriers arrived, those fees were reduced.

Paul Doherty, Executive Director of the Lee County Port Authority, emphasizes with satisfaction that, "No county taxes were used in the airport construction or operation." (Editor's Note: Page Field was not sold, either. It remains a vital adjunct of RSW...)

Chamberlin Drive

In the meantime, Commissioners faced the task of naming the long, serpentine drive off Daniels Parkway that millions of people would use to approach the airport. Many names had been submitted, but LeTellier recommended Chamberlin Drive. Commissioner Roland Roberts had heard Chamberlin speak and was also impressed with the internationally famed aviator who had made Fort Myers Beach his home. Thus, on March 9, 1983 commissioners voted and made it officially Chamberlin Drive.

The work was accelerated. Repairs were made, runways were finished. However, while the opening of the new airport on May 14 would be a momentous occasion, May 10 was probably every bit as exciting to LeTellier.

On Tuesday, May 10, at approximately 5:55 p.m., a Lear jet rented from Jet South and carrying three reporters, a television cameraman, Gary LeTellier and FAA air traffic manager Gerry Norris took off from Page Field and flew to the Southwest Florida Regional Airport.

In a matter of seconds, the jet--piloted by Donald J. Vecchie and Buddy Cardullo--flying at altitudes of 1,000 to 1,500 feet approached the new airport. It was about 6:10 p.m. when the jet touched down on the black asphalt.

LeTellier's face, according to reports in the News Press, broke into a large grin. That touchdown marked the culmination of a dream that had at times been a nightmare, but was now at last reality.

After this historic first, it was back to business -- airport business -- of getting approval from the FAA to issue a certificate of operation to open the complex to commercial flights, of flight checks as the jet made 10 to 12 test landings, of checking the runways for smoothness at various speeds. Some of these test rides were made after dark to assure that the navigational lights along the runway were working correctly.

An added safety factor was that the runways were grooved making them more secure and giving better traction to prevent slipping in rainy weather. These were the first runways to be constructed in this manner, and LeTellier was pleased to find the grooves did not make the ride any bumpier.

On May 11, 1983, employees were treated to a sneak preview of the new facility. From 10 a.m. till 8 p.m., airport employees, their families, contractors and people in the tourism business toured the facility enjoying complimentary refreshments. By midafternoon, more than 2,000 people had been served.

A musical group comprised of Eastern Airlines employees and named "America's Favorite Way to Fly" entertained with foot tappin' country and western tunes.

Gala Opening

At a cocktail party held May 12, 1983 celebrating the new airport's grand opening, more than 5,000 invited guests toured the 300,000-square foot, two-level terminal, noting that comfort, convenience and safety were high priorities. Clutching gold embossed invitations, they attended the semi-formal gala.

Although the invitations read 7 p.m., by 6:30 p.m. cars were six deep at the parking lot entrance. By 7 p.m. fifty people were waiting in line for champagne. A lavish buffet included 400 pounds of boiled shrimp and 200 pounds of crab claws. A dessert table six feet long held a tempting array. Lee County had come a long way from the days when celebrations were observed with a barbecue or a fish fry.

At 8:10 p.m. on May 13, 1983, less than 6 hours before the first plane was to arrive, FAA Certification Specialist Bill Ward issued the certificate of operations.

The long-awaited moment finally arrived and at 1:40 a.m. on Saturday, May 14, 1983, Delta flight 1677, nicknamed the "Owly Bird" because it was a night-owl flight, became the first commercial flight to land at Southwest Florida Regional Airport.

Capt. Charles Winstead was the pilot of that first flight and officials from the Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce presented him with a key to the city.

Roger Sitkins of Fort Myers, returning from Atlanta, was the first passenger off the plane. He was presented with a bouquet of flowers, champagne and other commemorative items. The remaining passengers received red carnations and souvenir cards commemorating that first flight into the new airport.

By the end of that first day, commercial flights numbered 60 ending at 10:48 p.m. when Continental flight 714 arrived from Houston, Texas.

Police Department Moved Too

Due to the phenomenal growth in this area, law enforcement at the airport had increased in scope. Because travel had changed, bombs, hijackings and hostage negotiations were situations airport police departments had to be equipped to handle and the Lee County officers were trained and ready. An explosives and hazardous device team was on staff, along with an expert bomb squad.

Starting in 1985, award winning canine teams would routinely check for marijuana, cocaine, heroin and other drugs, but only after completing a minimum of 400 hours of training in a practice school conducted by the U. S. Customs Service.

The Crash Fire Rescue Department had shared facilities in a staff house with the police department for more than a year before the airport opened to provide necessary Police and Fire Services. The new facility for Crash Fire Rescue was one of the most modern in the nation and all personnel were anxious for the move.

In the field of emergency rescue, the Crash Fire Rescue Department provided with high tech equipment and rigid, comprehensive training programs that resulted in high quality aircraft crash rescue and structural fire protection services. The firefighting crews were also trained to handle hazardous materials and as radiological response teams.

Two Lee County Women made Aviation History

On August 19, 1987, Lee County aviation enthusiasts got a treat when the supersonic jet, the Air France Concorde, landed in Fort Myers. A tour put together by AAA Travel Agents included a trip to London on the Concorde.

Two of the travelers, Wayne and Mavis Miller of Fort Myers, were excited about the trip. Their bulkhead seats, they were told, had previously been occupied by Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth of England.

According to the Millers, the plane had an instrument panel on the passengers' side of the bulkhead that permitted passengers to chart their way through the Mach stages so they could follow the route until the plane broke the sound barrier.

The pilot of the Concorde informed his passengers that when he took off he would circle the airport at low altitude so everyone could get a good look at the plane. In the last 60 minutes of the flight, passengers were invited in small groups to come to the cockpit to ask questions and enjoy a pilot's view of the landscape.

Customs Opens an Office

In 1984 and 1985, Southwest Florida Regional Airport began to serve its first Canadian charters. (That first year, incidentally, 8,000 Canadians came into our area on charter flights. By 1992, that number had swelled to 88,000 Canadians.) In those early years, the Canadian visitors were precleared through Toronto. As the numbers soared, officials with RSW petitioned U. S. Customs to provide a Federal Inspections facility here to function not only in the area of Customs, but also immigration, public health and agriculture.

It was agreed the office here would be a user fee facility, meaning all expenses would be paid out of Airport Operations Revenue. On July 14,1987, a Federal Inspections station opened here.

At this writing, U. S. Custom agents William Frazier and Allan Pedrazas handle any problems that arise locally with passengers or cargo. Any private yachts or vessels coming into the area, U. S. boats from a foreign country or flying a foreign flag also fall within their jurisdiction for clearance.

Formation of the Port Authority

By 1987, airport growth had been so rapid and the operation of the airport had become so involved and complicated, aviation matters required more time and attention than could be allocated during regular County Commission meetings. To solve this problem, on August 11, 1987, the Lee County Commissioners voted to establish a special committee to handle airport matters. They named themselves as its members.

The newly formed Board consisted of Bill Fussell, Chairman, Donald Slisher, Vice Chairman, Charles L. Bigelow, Jr., Porter J. Goss and Mary Ann Wallace. Each member was then to pick an advisor to form an Advisory Committee. This committee which had no voting powers, consisted of Heard M. Edwards, chairman; Malcolm Schroeder, vice chairman; Sam Comparetto, Brant Donalson and Howard Lang.

Airport Police make History Too

By 1991, the Lee County Port Authority Police Department, under the leadership of Chief Gary R. Grosser (he had taken over after Clark retired earlier in 1991) had been formally recognized as the 176th internationally accredited agency by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement (CALEA). It was also the first Airport Police Department anywhere to attain that accreditation.

A state-of-the-art training facility has been completed for the Police and Fire Departments. This facility includes an indoor gun range for the police and one of the nation's largest flammable liquids burn structures for fire training.

The Crash Fire Rescue Department provides structural firefighting and emergency medical tech level response. A strong working relationship with area fire departments is maintained. The community s entire firefighting rescue and medical services may be called up in a major aircraft crash situation.

A New Name, a New Identity, a World to Serve

Southwest Florida Regional Airport will receive a special birthday present this year(1993- Ed.)--a new name reflecting its emerging international status. The new name, Southwest Florida International Airport, becomes official on May 14, 1993, the date that marks its first ten years of operation.

While the airport has served international -- passengers primarily those traveling on Canadian charters -- since 1984, the Lee County Port Authority has launched an expansion program that will allow the airport to accommodate direct and nonstop transcontinental as well as transatlantic international flights.

In November of 1992, construction began on a 55,000-square foot terminal addition which will house a new Federal Inspection Station and additional passenger ticketing and waiting areas. Not only will the facility increase the number of passengers to be handled by customs from 150 to 400 per hour, it also will allow the dual use of existing gates for both international and domestic flights. Construction activity is proceeding full-tilt and the structure already has began to take shape.

The expansion design blends with the existing terminal while adding approximately 260 feet to its west end. Limited remodeling of the second floor departure area and some roadway work are included in the project which has an estimated cost of $6 million.

The Lee County Port Authority is acting as its own construction manager for the project. Other members of the construction team include Burns & McDonnell of Miami providing architectural and engineering services and Holder Construction Company of Atlanta as general contractor.

A second project important to the international effort is scheduled to begin with summer. Work will begin to extend the airport's runway from 8,400 feet to 12,000 feet. The additional length will allow the airport to increase the flying range of widebody passenger aircraft to include transatlantic flights. The design/engineering facet of the project was undertaken by CH2M Hill of Fort Myers. Federal Construction Company of St. Petersburg serves as the construction manager and the Dayco-Astaldi Construction Corporation of Florida, based in Miami, is the general contractor. This $20 million project is scheduled for completion in the fall of 1994.

The new customs facilities and the runway extension will prepare Southwest Florida for entry into other international passenger and cargo markets, initially through charter flights. Traditionally, charter flights are the first step toward scheduled service.

Funding for the airport expansion projects comes from a variety of sources including the FAA, the Florida Department of Transportation and other airport revenues. No ad valorem taxes are used for airport construction or operation.

One relatively new source of construction funding was made available to the Lee County Port Authority last November when the FAA granted approval for the collection of Passenger Facility Charges (PFCs) at Southwest Florida Regional Airport.

The PFC, a provision of the Airport Noise and Capacity Act of 1990, is a user fee that generates funding for specific projects. It allows the people who use the services to pay for them and gives airports the flexibility to proceed with construction projects on a more timely and economical basis.

Each passenger flying from the airport pays a Passenger Facility Charge of $3. PFCs are collected by airlines and travel agents as part of ticket prices. PFC collection at Southwest Florida Regional Airport will generate up to $258 million during the next 30 years; the money will be used for 19 specific, FAA-approved projects including the airport's runway extension, terminal expansion and land acquisition.

The year 1992 was noteworthy also because Air Force One flew into Southwest Florida Regional Airport on November 11, 1992 bearing then U. S. President George Bush and his wife. Earlier, on August 5, 1992, British Air Concorde flew into this airport.

Another First

In February, Southwest Florida Regional Airport became the first airport in the nation to obtain a line of credit to the Port Authority allowing faster progress on airport expansion projects. The credit line also will help to generate matching state and federal funds months ahead of schedule.

The runway extension project recently received a vote of confidence from the FAA in the form of an $8.2 million grant generated from the FAA's Airport Improvement Program for the lengthening of the runway. While approximately $3.1 million of the grant is entitlement funding, based on the number of passengers flying from the airport in a given year, the remaining $5.1 million is discretionary funding awarded for projects that the FAA determines to be high priorities in developing the national aviation system.

Long-term Planning

When Southwest Florida Regional Airport opened in May 1983, the original airport master plan projected that the airport would serve three million passengers annually by 1995. Like most early growth projections for Lee County, it fell drastically short of the mark. This three-million-passenger milestone has been surpassed every year beginning in 1988.

During 1991, the airport was the 59th busiest in the nation and the 120th busiest of 373 reporting airports world wide. Last year, the airport served more than 3.4 million passengers and current projections predict six to nine million each year by 2005.

The 1993 Lee County Port Authority consists of John Manning, chairman; John Albion, vice chairman; Doug St. Cerny, Ray Judah, and Franklin B. Mann. Their appointees to the advisory board are Mike Geml, Chairman, Bill Smith, Malcolm Schroeder and Gately Daniel with one vacancy to be filled.

To accommodate this continued growth, the Lee County Port Authority is keeping the long-term needs of the airport in mind. Work is under way to acquire land adjoining the airport to provide buffers and room for future expansion. By purchasing the land adjoining the airport while it is still undeveloped and relatively inexpensive, the Port Authority gains the advantage of flexibility in planning for growth.

Another project being considered to accommodate future growth includes a second runway to be built south of and parallel to the existing runway to handle additional flights. A midfield terminal, built between the parallel runways, would increase the airport's capacity to handle more flights and would heighten airline efficiency by reducing taxi time and consequently lowering fuel costs.

As Southwest Florida comes into its own as an international destination, the airport will be ready to serve passengers from around the world.

The ghosts of those wingwalkers and barnstormers would surely be impressed. This month Southwest Florida Regional Airport observes its tenth birthday. But they, too played an important role in Lee County's aviation history. Pioneers like Channing Page, Clarence Chamberlin, Buddy Bobst, and those servicemen who trained at Page and Buckingham Fields left a legacy we all benefit from today.

Acknowledgments

As with any work of this type, authors are dependent upon the generosity of the pioneers responsible for helping make the history. In this instance, the authors are also sincerely grateful to the members of the LEE COUNTY PORT AUTHORITY for giving them the opportunity to explore and write about this facet of our area's history.

Individuals who were of invaluable assistance included Susan Sanders of the Lee County Port Authority and Laurel Smith of Gravina Associates, along with their staffs.

Additionally, we wish to thank: former Mayor Oscar M. Corbin, Jr., former County Commissioner Harry Rodda, former National Airlines Manager William H. Marcum, Perry Snell, Fred Bryant, the Fort Myers News-Press, Malcolm Schroeder, Ed Wilson, Richard Beattie, Patti Bartlett and the staff at the Fort Myers Historical Museum, Mrs. Louise Chamberlin, Gary LeTellier, Lavon Wisher, Ben Pratt, Chet Perry, Marie Adams in the Fort Myers City Clerk's Office, Wayne and Mavis Miller, Dr. Warren Compton, Ed Fink, Lee County Port Authority Executive Director Paul Doherty, Don Vecchie and Bill Rivers. Back to ECoastLife Updated 6/7/01