Luverne, Minnesota's Municipal Airport (Quentin Aanenson Field) received the 2010 FAA/Governor's Award, which is presented cooperatively by the FAA and the Mn/DOT Office of Aeronautics since 1988. The award recognizes excellence in airport planning, development, operation, maintenance, and public relations.

Project Manager Brian Meyer (Sioux Falls) led the development of a new 4,200-foot by 75-foot runway with medium-intensity runway lighting and connection taxiways, with support from Eric Hanson, Mike Czech, and Krist Pederson. The project also included the conversion of the original runway into a partial parallel taxiway system. The new runway project was completed in 2009, though a series for grants for planning, environmental, land acquisition, design and multi-year construction. The project capped a decade-long effort to upgrade the airport.

"Prior to the improvements, Luverne had one of the shortest paved runways in Minnesota," explained Brian Meyer.

"It was generally unusable by modern business aircraft. Fortunately, the City addressed the issue and has seen significant growth in both aviation activity and airport employment including the addition of a full service Fixed Base Operator."

The enhanced airport has attracted new based aircraft from around the region including many from across the state border. A new hangar, completed in late 2009, was fully leased prior to project completion and there is a significant waiting list for future hangar development.

The airport is named for Luverne native son and decorated war hero Quentin Aanenson, a name you may recognize from the 2007 Ken Burns documentary "The War". Quentin was the World War II P-47 Thunderbolt pilot featured in the documentary narrated by Tom Hanks. A painting of Quentin Aanenson titled "The Thunderbolt Patriot" hangs in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC. Quentin passed away in December 2008, but his legend lives in the successful, thriving airport that bears his name.

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