Batting cleanup for Shoreline Aviation and KGHG – Part 7
People usually call it Marshfield Airport, but it’s actually Marshfield Municipal Airport. As in, the town of Marshfield, Massachusetts owns it. Though not always.
In 1947 Joseph Ford had a dream. A Navy pilot in WWII, Joe, with his wife Helen, purchased land in Marshfield after a long search for the perfect location to create an airport.
The town purchased the airport in 1967 with nearly $119,000 of local, state, and federal funds to create economic development for the town and other purposes. A new runway was soon built and paved, and several other improvements have been made over the years.
And so, Shoreline Aviation, Inc., which has managed the airport for the town since 1982, has had a close rapport with the town for decades. And since 1988, in particular, when Shoreline’s current ownership took over.
The celebration earlier in October of Shoreline’s commissioning of their BETA Technologies electric aircraft and ground vehicle charging stations featured speakers from those companies, as well as partners Eversource, who handled electricity infrastructure improvements, and MassDOT’s Aeronautics Division, which championed the project and helped overcome funding hurdles.
In fact, the BETA aircraft charger is the first and only one in the entire state.
Cutting the ceremonial ribbon are, from left, MassDOT Aeronautics Administrator Jeff DeCarlo, Rep. Josh Cutler aide Susan Moran, Marshfield Town Administrator Michael Maresco, state Senator Patrick O’Connor, Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Amy Naples, Geoff Douglass (who spearheaded the project for Shoreline), Shoreline Aviation President Keith Douglass, FAA Regional Administrator Colleen D’Alessandro, BETA Technologies COO Blain Newton, South Shore Chamber of Commerce Director of Local Affairs Eric Dykeman. Photo courtesy of BETA Technologies
Likewise, the New England Region Administrator of the FAA, Colleen D’Alessandro talked about federal aspects of the project and the future of autonomous aviation. And state Senator Patrick O’Connor, calling this “a huge day,” addressed climate and transportation angles from his perch on those Senate committees.
But it was Marshfield’s own father figure – former longtime Selectman and current longtime Town Administrator Michael Maresco – who was asked to bat cleanup. And on a beautiful October day, with BETA’s developmental ALIA 250 electric aircraft tethered to their charging station for background, Mike Maresco stepped up to hit it out of the park.
“I’m happy to be here today celebrating this quantum leap forward by Shoreline Aviation in the town of Marshfield for being so innovating in being the first in Massachusetts to do such a thing, to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions through the use of electric powered planes,” Maresco said, honing in on the environmental driver of the project – reducing eliminating aviation emissions.
“I especially want to recognize Keith Douglass, President and CEO of Shoreline Aviation, for partnering with BETA Technologies. And I know the thanks largely goes to his son, Geoff, for moving this project forward, for being the visionary in the family. We know that your dad is an incredible businessman,” he said to Geoff Douglass, sitting in the audience with his high school classmate Senator O’Connor, “but it’s great to know that the vision comes from his son.”
To go much more in depth on the background of this project, please see Shoreline’s Website News Page, which highlights all the speakers’ stories.
Dignitaries cut a ceremonial ribbon celebrating the commissioning of Shoreline Aviation’s new BETA Technologies-designed electric aircraft charging station, at Marshfield Municipal Airport.
“For Marshfield, we’re very fortunate to have the airport here,” Maresco continued. “They do so many wonderful things for our citizens; they help out with children who need to be transported for health initiatives, they have great technology and great programs to help locate special needs children, and adults who have Alzheimer’s. They do so many wonderful things here.”
He also lauded Eversource and MassDOT Aeronautics’ roles in the project. And he noted how Marshfield works closely with Eversource to install charging station at municipal buildings around town. But the only public Level 3 fast charger is at the airport.
Mike Maresco summed things up this way.
“The town of Marshfield has had a great relationship with Keith and Shoreline since 1988. Thanks to the impactful relationship between Shoreline, MassDOT, Eversource, and, of course, BETA, Marshfield Airport will provide clean electric power for new and advanced electric planes and electric vehicles in one central location. This action will go a long way in the effort of the commonwealth’s goals to decarbonize and meet their environmental regulations by 2050.”
Photos and video are courtesy of BETA Technology.
Visit other parts to this ongoing series here at Shoreline’s News section, featuring the insights of stakeholders and proponents of combatting global warming through technological development in aviation.
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