The Queen of the Air

Amelia Earhart

Amelia Earhart wasn’t at all interested in aviation after her first encounter with an airplane. She was 10 years old and found it to be “a thing of rusty wire and wood and looked not at all interesting.” All that changed ten years later when, in 1920, when she took a life-changing and history-altering ride with pilot Frank…

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Aviator Spotlight – Bessie Coleman

Elizabeth “Bessie” Coleman was a true pioneer in aviation.   During a time when female aviators were few and far between, Bessie was able to make a name for herself by becoming the first African-American woman to earn a pilot’s license.  Her determination and courage are remembered now, nearly a century later, as we put…

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What We Do – Environmental Documentation

by Judi Krauss, Environmental Planner What environmental documentation is needed for an airport project?  Good question!  There are all kinds of environmental regulations and “special purpose” laws related to the natural, cultural, and human environment that could apply to your airport or airport project.  However, the big one is called the National Environmental Policy Act,…

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Our Vision Remains

by Steve Wagner, Senior Consultant I am writing this following the first week of a 30-day stay-at-home order in Kansas City, which was put in place due to the coronavirus pandemic. Following a 44-year career in the consulting field – disrupted nearly 20 years ago by 9/11 and over 10 years ago by the recession…

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What We Do – Airport Master Plans

by Chandra Burks, Airport Planner What is an Airport Master Plan? An airport master plan is a comprehensive, long-range study of every physical aspect of an airport. From runways and taxiways to passenger terminals, hangars, aprons, parking facilities, and more, the plan evaluates every aspect of the airport.  The primary product is a roadmap for…

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Looking Back Over 40 Years

by Steve Benson, Senior Consultant Hard to believe it has been 40 years since I left a national engineering firm to go to work in Steve and Jeanette Coffman’s basement for a newly incorporated airport planning firm. I suppose I was just young and naïve at the time, but I was excited about this new…

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December 2019 Press Release

For Immediate Release Coffman Associates’ tradition of excellence in airport planning continues with the transition of executive leadership to Dave Fitz as Chief Executive Officer and Mike Dmyterko as President. Both Dave and Mike started their careers with the firm in the early 1990s and developed highly regarded reputations in the industry, and already serve…

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