Look up to the skies over DeLand and you are likely to see colorful canopies gracefully spiraling down to the earth. The home of Skydive DeLand, parachutists from around the world travel to the area just to jump out of airplanes.

Business executives enjoy the convenience and cost effectiveness of DeLand Municipal Airport.

As jumpers savor the minutes of controlled descent from the heavens, they see much more than DeLand Municipal Airport. They see flight schools and fixed base operators, industrial areas and open lands, corporate hangars and office buildings. It's a sight that offers a glimpse of the future of the city.

"DeLand Municipal Airport is an essential element in the economic development of DeLand," said Dale Arrington, the city's Community Development Director. "DeLand Municipal Airport is host to such a wide variety of companies and with planned improvements, we will be hosting many more enterprises."

Already, a growing number of companies are choosing the DeLand Municipal Airport as their business address. Due to ease of access to Interstate 4 and Interstate 95, the availability of landside and airside locations, the Airport Business Park is home to companies engaged in aviation, aerospace, automotive, medical manufacturing and other vital industries. It is the location for offices of TAB Express, a new commuter airline planning to fly out of neighboring Daytona Beach International Airport, and Regional Airline Academy, a flight aviation school dedicated to training pilots for airline jobs. It also is home to DaVita Labs, one of the most active renal processing centers in the country, and Aluma Shield Industries, a leading manufacturer of industrial doors, membrane roofing systems and insulated building panels.

There are business incubators that facilitate growth and development of new companies. The airport's highest profile tenant, Skydive DeLand, long has been recognized as a leader and innovator in student training, equipment design, competition training and aircraft development. Of course, DeLand Aviation is a very busy fixed base operator on the field, accommodating the needs of general aviation and corporate pilots and their executive passengers.

DeLand Municipal Airport will continue to play a key role in the economic development of the city and Volusia County. City officials have developed plans to enhance the airport's industrial and business parks. Additional acreage is being developed to accommodate the demand for business expansions and new business relocations. There are sites available that are perfect for industrial applications including distribution, office technology, manufacturing and transportation. The airport's location provides easy access to Interstate 4 and Interstate 95 and is just minutes from Daytona Beach International Airport.

Business executives enjoy the convenience and cost effectiveness of DeLand Municipal Airport's corporate aviation sites and quick, easy access to neighboring Daytona Beach International Airport, Orlando/Sanford International Airport and Orlando International Airport. For companies that rely on corporate aviation, DeLand Municipal Airport is in the Class 'C' air space anchored by Daytona Beach International Airport. Instrument approach systems are available, an important factor for corporate pilots. There also are corporate hangars available.

As the airport evolves, safety and noise abatement are priorities. In fact, the Florida Department of Transportation has included DeLand Municipal Airport in its East Central Florida Aviation Training Systems Plan, which seeks to develop a plan and corresponding program to meet the goals of general aviation training. Among the goals are the reduction of community noise, safety concerns and increased system capacity.

Improvements at the airport got a jump start in 1996 when United States Congressman John Mica, chair of the House Aviation Subcommittee, announced a Federal Aviation Administration grant of $680,500 for the rehabilitation of taxiways, an essential element in the airport reconstruction program. Since then, an ambitious program for expansion and improvement has been formalized.

Steve Boepkens prepairs a jet for a new paint job at DeLand Municipal Airport.

While city officials plan for the future of the airport, there is a growing appreciation for its past. The DeLand Naval Air Station (NAS) Museum, on airport property, celebrates the field's military heritage. Offered to the United States Navy by the city in 1942, the municipal airport became NAS DeLand. The facility provided training in Lockheed PBO Ventura, Douglass SBD Dauntless dive bombers and the F6F Hellcat carrier-based fighters. By 1944, as many as 331 officers and 1,140 enlisted personnel were stationed at the site. NAS DeLand maintained an outlying field at Spruce Creek for use in carrier landing training. Boat facilities were maintained on Crescent Lake and at DeLeon Springs for use in rescuing downed pilots as pilots preferred crash landings in water to land crashes. Nine Mile Point on Lake George was used as a bombing practice site.

The facility reverted back to the city after the war. The military trainers are gone, but the memories remain. While DeLand Municipal Airport is aligned more closely with business and industry these days, the airport's contributions to the evolution of the nation during troubled times never will be forgotten.

As the airport becomes an increasingly important element of DeLand's economic development program, its contributions to the city's future will continue to be  important.