By MIKE RODMAN-Special to the Times

With its competition ready to host the president, Drake Field is taking to the air ... waves.

A 30-second television commercial promoting the advantages of Drake Field was reviewed by the Airport Board on Thursday. It was one of several items discussed that illustrate Drake Field isn't ready to pack up and go away just because the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport is now open.

The commercial calls Drake "Fayetteville's hometown airport" and its "gateway to the world."

"It's a politically correct statement that emphasizes the positives of Drake Field," said Drake Field Marketing Coordinator Rudy Furr. "Drake Field is only a five- to ten-minute drive from downtown Fayetteville with four-lane access from three directions."

The regional airport is located in Highfill, which can be as much as a 45-minute drive from downtown Fayetteville. American Eagle is the only carrier flying out of the new airport.

Furr said production of the commercial was free, since it was done "in-house" by the technical crew at the city's PEG-Access facility. He said 42 November spots were purchased from Channels 40/29 for $5,000 and it will also run on Government Channel 3 at no charge.

One of the 40/29 spots will be during Saturday's homecoming football game between the Razorbacks and Ole Miss, Furr said. Other spots will be weekdays during the morning news show and the Friday and Sunday evening news shows.

And to assure access remains easy, Furr said the state Highway Department has finally acquiesced to providing a highway sign for the airport on the new Interstate 540, when it opens. He said the markers will be on both the north and south routes, at the Cato Springs Road and Razorback Road exits.

No highway signs for the Arkansas Air Museum at Drake Field, though, have been approved. Board members suggested getting the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce to help convince the Highway Department such signs are needed, based on the museum being a tourist attraction.

Three other items discussed Tuesday also indicate Drake's willingness to slug it out with the regional airport, including:

* A three-month contract has been signed to run cinema billboards (promotional slides that precede movies) at the Fiesta Square 16 Cinemas.

* Negotiations - with the help of Mayor Fred Hanna - are continuing with the Northwest Arkansas Aviation Technical Council to locate a training facility for airframe and power mechanics at Drake.

* Airport Manager Dale Frederick continues to negotiate with Eagle Express to continue its 727 service of nonstop flights to Newark International Airport in New Jersey.

Furr said two Eagle Express flights have landed at Drake, carrying only three and seven passengers, respectively. But the paltry numbers, he said, show a willingness on the part of Eagle Express to continue the service, which costs $1,000 round trip.

As far as the impact of American Eagle relocating to the regional airport, Frederick said no hard numbers are available yet. He estimated, though, that 70 percent to 80 percent of American Eagle's Drake Field passengers have switched to the new airport, meaning some have switched airlines to continue flying out of Drake.

"The master plan states in five or six years we will be back to where we were when American left," Frederick said about the airline that did 40 percent of Drake's business. "But I think we'll be there faster than that."

All rights reserved. Copyright 1998, Northwest Arkansas Times. This content may not be archived, retransmitted, saved in a database, or used for any commercial purpose without the express written permission of the Northwest Arkansas Times