By Alixandria Wells-Good

Contributing writer

The Grimes Municipal Airport in Urbana is welcoming a new manager.

Drake Huffman, United States Air Force/Air National Guard veteran, began his new position with the airport in mid- January, taking over for Elton Cultice who had managed the airport since June of 2016.

Huffman, originally from Zanesville, Ohio, received his undergraduate education at Ohio University, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in aviation management with minors in business administration and communication studies.

From 2017-2023, he was a member of the United States Air Force/Air National Guard, serving as a crew chief/aerospace maintenance technician maintaining a fleet of KC-135 Stratotankers stationed at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base near Columbus. He served as an aviation consultant for Ohio Health prior to his most recent assignment as operations supervisor at the Allegheny County Airport Authority in Pittsburgh, Pa., for the past two years.

Kerry Brugger, director of administration for the city of Urbana, says Huffman’s “background and work experience in the aviation industry includes a solid knowledge base of airport operations and security procedures. Coupled with his being proficient in compliance with FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), federal and state aviation regulations, including budget planning, project planning and emergency management procedures, makes Drake a unique and capable airport manager.”

Huffman originally had just wanted to fly.

When planning for his career in aviation, he had goals of being a pilot and hoped to fly mainly out of Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base one day. But after meeting his now wife, who grew up in St. Paris, and starting their family, his goals quickly shifted to ensure he would be home with his family as much as possible.

While Huffman has his pilot certificate, he is happy to be on the ground more often than in the air so that he can be with his family.

When interviewing for the position of airport manager, he recalled the first time his wife, Ruby, had ever flown with him. While dating in college, they flew into the Grimes Airport to meet his future in-laws for lunch. He says that his wife is not a fan of flying, so their trip to Grimes Municipal Airport will be their first and only flight together.

Little did either of them know that same airport would bring them back to Ruby’s roots and play such a big part in their family’s story.

Huffman and his wife welcomed their first child, a son named Henry, in November while living in Pittsburgh.

“The icing on the cake is that my son is going to know his grandparents,” said Huffman.

As airport manager, Huffman will have many responsibilities at the airport. An important part of the job will be managing fuel tank regulations, storage and upkeep for the airport’s gas station, which is the primary part of the airport’s revenue. Another large part of the job is managing the rental of the hangars at the airport.

Grimes Municipal Airport has been in operation for 82 years.

According to the Champaign County Historical Society, “Grimes Field opened in November of 1941 as a private airport and became a municipal airport in 1943 when it was gifted to the city of Urbana by Warren G. Grimes.”

While the airport is owned by the city of Urbana, it is “100 percent self-supporting, receiving no money from the city’s general operating fund,” according to the city of Urbana website.

Reach the writer at [email protected]