A dispute over hangar rental policies at the Allen County Regional Airport has reached a breaking point for Black Horse Aviation — a Kansas City-based company that specializes in aircraft paint refinishing and polishing. In early May the company announced it planned to relinquish its rented hangar space at the airport. Since then, the business has vacated half of the six T-hangars it currently rents.
In a phone interview with the Register Thursday morning, Black Horse Aviation owner Vince Hill cited a series of frustrations with county leadership that ultimately led him to pull back his 11-year investment in the airport.
Hill has been a key presence at the local airport for over a decade.
“He’s been an excellent customer,” said Robert Poydack, airport manager.
In addition to renting the majority of the airport’s hangars, Hill has contributed thousands of dollars to the airport over the years. This includes a $10,000 airshow to honor Vietnam veterans in May 2022. The event brought in about 30 war-era airplanes and helicopters.
“I’m the only one, besides one other guy out there, who has really tried to make the airport better and do things for the community,” said Hill. “And I don’t even live there.”
Hill’s long-term goal was to establish a museum at the airport featuring his collection of vintage military aircraft.
That vision now appears in jeopardy.
TENSIONS flared during a May 13 county commission meeting, where Commissioner David Lee questioned the established $375 monthly rental rate for hangars. Poydack defended the fee, saying he had called airports within a 200-mile radius to benchmark prices.
“If I lived in Kansas City, I could get $1,500 a month for that hangar,” Poydack said. “But down here, the maximum is $300 a month. I initially considered $400, but settled on $375 since tenants pay utilities.”
Hill said his issues with the county weren’t about the hangar rental fees — it was about principle.
“They made it sound like I was complaining about what it costs,” Hill said. “That wasn’t it at all. It was simply the fact that I wasn’t being treated the same because I don’t live in Allen County.”
HILL’S TIPPING point came during a prolonged dispute over the assignment of a new 50×50 box hangar. He said he had expressed interest in the space more than a year ago and expected to be first in line, citing his past contributions and position on a hangar waiting list.
Hill claims that mixed signals were given about how the hangar list was managed. This list, he explained, notes in chronological order those interested in renting a hangar.
“At every airport in the world, they go down the list,” he said. “If a hangar becomes available, they call the first name on the list. If that person doesn’t want it, they call the second person on the list.” And so on.
When Hill heard that two new hangars were going to be built at the airport, he expressed interest in renting one of them. According to Hill, he was told the order of the hangar list would be followed and that he would be first in line.
