About Us
About Us
Staff & Board
![Staff Photo Staff Photo](https://www.danvilleairport.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Staff-Photo.jpg)
Left to right: Kelt Willis, Customer Service; Christian Barker, Airport Manager; Bobby Payne, Lineman; Nick Barker, Operations Manager
The Danville-Boyle County Airport is operated by the Danville-Boyle County Airport Board. Comprised of 10 members appointed by the city and county, the board meets on the third Thursday of each month in the FBO. Board meetings are open to the public.
FBO Staff
Christian Barker – Airport Manager
Nick Barker – Operations Manager
Kelt Willis – Customer Service
Bobby Payne – Lineman
BOARD MEMBERS
Rob Caldwell – Chairman
Bart Gover – Vice Chairman
David Caldwell – Treasurer
Glenn Ball – Member
Jake Bell – Member
Doug Gooch – Member
Don Mosier – Member
Shay Pendygraft – Member
Patti Powell – Member
Marshall Wilt – Member
![](https://www.danvilleairport.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Bobby-200x300.jpg)
![](https://www.danvilleairport.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Nick-200x300.jpg)
Our History
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The Danville-Boyle County Airport was dedicated on October 5, 1934. Strategically located south of Danville and near the L&N railroad, the airport was originally known as Hi Richardson Airport and featured two grass runways.
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In 1937, the Palm Beach company constructed a factory in Danville to produce men’s suits. As a token of thanks for locating the factory in Danville, local officials and businesses collected funds to donate to the Goodall Company (the parent company of Palm Beach); however, company officials kindly turned down the funds, suggesting the city instead use the money to invest in their new airport. Later that year, the airport was acquired by Danville and Boyle County and was renamed Goodall Field. The first hangar and administration building on the airfield were constructed in 1939 on the northwest corner of the airport and are still in use today.
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Goodall Field was activated by the federal government on April 1, 1941. In 1943, Goodall Field became involved in the war effort through the Civilian Pilot Training Program, where civilian “cadets” would receive initial pilot training prior to entering military service. Approximately 1,800 cadets (who lived in the dorms at Centre College in Danville during their training) received flight instruction at Goodall Field in Piper Cubs and Aeronca Defenders. Another large hangar was constructed on the field to store these aircraft. That hangar is still in use today as well.
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The airport flourished after the war with the influx of GI flight training and crop dusting. In 1956, actress Elizabeth Taylor arrived in Danville for the filming of the movie Raintree County via Goodall Field. Taylor was flown to Danville in a Beech Bonanza owned by Jerry Caldwell, father of current airport board chairman Rob Caldwell. In 1960, the Danville-Boyle County Airport Board was formed by a joint city and county resolution.
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The airport continued to expand over the next several decades to include the paving of the original runway 1-19, the construction of runway 12-30 (now runway 13-31) and the construction of multiple hangars and administration buildings. The airport’s current administration building was constructed in 2010.
Much of the airport’s expansion from the 60’s through to the 2010’s was overseen by Stuart Powell, who began working at Goodall Field as a kid washing and fueling airplanes. Powell soloed a Piper Cub at Goodall Field in 1945, when he was 16, and went on to become chairman of the airport board in 1968 – a position he held until his passing in 2017.
In 1993, in commemoration of Powell’s then-25 years as chairman of the airport board and his unparalleled support of the airport, Goodall Field was renamed Stuart Powell Field. Powell’s daughter, Patti, currently serves on the airport board and continues to champion her father’s vision of making the Danville-Boyle County Airport the finest general aviation airport in the region.