Flying Lakers
Area Airports Enable Flights of Fancy for SML Travelers
By Jerry Hale


                It’s the rare Smith Mountain Lake area resident who doesn’t occasionally rely on one of our nearby airports. Friends and family touch down in Roanoke or Greensboro, N.C., when flying in to enjoy the charms of the Lake. Vacationers jet off on commercial flights to cruise ports, ski resorts and overseas capitals. Area pilots lift off for trips to visit grandkids or maybe just treat passengers to a sightseeing swoop over the meandering Lake or the Peaks of Otter.
                But all share the need for a suitable runway. And that’s where the airports serving SML become a necessity. Fortunately for us, they’re a hassle-free respite from today’s big-terminal crowds and security hassles.
Roanoke Regional Airport
                Air traffic in the SML area is benefiting from the opening of Roanoke’s new control tower, in service since last December. Most of us only sneak a glimpse of it through a car or plane window. But that didn’t satisfy the SML Pilot’s Club, which recently arranged an insiders’ tour for about 35 members and guests. 
                Tour host Don Clark, Federal Aviation Administration Air Traffic Manager for the airport, greeted us as we signed in for credentials. We were divided into three sub-groups to facilitate moving about the facility without interrupting operations. My group was escorted straight to the lookout atop the 12-story spire. From this overlook of the ROA runways, the valley unfolds in a 360-degree panorama, bordered on all sides by pilots’ nemesis — mountains!
                The tower houses five work stations, each facing a touch-screen terminal from which FAA controllers can select radio frequencies for contacting pilots of approaching, departing and over-flying aircraft. Only three controller positions are staffed; the airport’s standard daytime complement of six controllers plus a supervisor is split between the lofty lookout and the radar room on the first floor. Controllers spend roughly half of each eight-hour shift downstairs in near darkness. 
                While the Roanoke tower is primarily responsible for guiding airplanes along the runways, taxiways and ramps of the field below, it also services airstrips in Blacksburg, Hillsville, the New River Valley, New London, Brookneal and SML. Traffic averages 450 “operations” per day — landings, takeoffs and over-flights. As planes leave the Roanoke airspace or reach 10,000 feet, they’re “handed off” to other towers — most often Washington Center at Dulles International Airport. 
                The graveyard shift is less active and requires just two controllers. Typically, they handle 5-10 landings and departures per night, mostly freight flights. The FAA wants the tower to shut down from midnight to 5 a.m., but Jackie Russell (who flew KC 135s for the Air Force and has been an air traffic controller since 1983) said he thought that would be a mistake.
                “This airport, tucked among the mountains as it is, poses some special problems, especially during low visibility,” Russell said. “Washington Central can only ‘see’ planes operating above 3,500 feet. To get to that altitude, our flights must avoid the Peaks of Otter, Fort Lewis, Apple Orchard and other surrounding mountains.”
                Then there’s the Landing Directional Aide approach to Runway 6 (indicating an approach heading of 60 degrees) that requires a last-minute right turn after circumventing the top of 4,000-foot Poor Mountain.
                “Pilots like having someone who knows the area to talk to on that approach,” Russell quipped.
                Because ROA offers approaches that mimic airports around the world, it’s not uncommon for Air Force VIP transport crews to practice here. Russell said an Air Force One crew sharpened its skills on Roanoke runways as recently as last July.   
                More routinely, ROA is a feeder airport for US Airways Express, Northwest, Delta and United Express flights to and from Charlotte, Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta, Washington Dulles, Cincinnati, New York and Philadelphia.  Not too shabby for an airport where parking is a breeze, employees are friendly, and security lines are “long” when there’s anyone at all in front of you! 
Piedmont Triad International Airport
Traveling Lakers bound for or connecting through any of 16 hub and destination cites have another convenient option about two hours south in Greensboro, N.C., where eight airlines combine to originate 96 flights per day. Again, parking is cheap and easy, and the Piedmont Triad terminal — situated in a 3,000-acre business campus — is user-friendly, making for hassle-free access to Atlanta, Washington, New York (LaGuardia and JFK), Charlotte, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Chicago, Newark, Baltimore, Boston, Dallas, Detroit, Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale, Tampa, Memphis and Minneapolis/St. Paul. 
Lynchburg Regional Airport
                Delta Connection and US Airways Express also originate flights just a 40-minute drive from Moneta, little more than a deceleration coast off of Route 460. While service is limited to 18 daily flights to and from Charlotte and Atlanta, travelers can get almost anywhere from those major hubs. And talk about a low-key airport: Lynchburg hints at what it’d be like to have your own private airfield!
Coming Up: General Aviation
Area General Aviation fields – the ones that serve non-commercial and non-military air traffic – will be spotlighted in the November/December issue.

So You Want To Be A Realtor?
There are a few things to consider before signing up for classes
By Auburn Cecil
                These days, it’s hard not to have a conversation without hearing about the incredible price someone just got for a house or lot around the lake. A few quick tabulations and it’s easy to get quite envious of the three percent commission just made by some lucky realtor. If you’re like many of us, the conversation ends with a statement like, “Boy, am I in the wrong business.”
                With all those dollar signs flashing, many residents are thinking about getting into the real estate business. Before you sign up for classes or invest your life savings into a new career, you better figure out if you have what it takes to become a realtor. The reality is that in 2003, the average salary for a real estate agent was just $12,000 a year. While commission on one sale at the Lake is often more than that, a lot more goes into that sale than most people imagine. Here are a few things that you should know.
1. The Classes
To get a real estate license in Virginia you must take classes. “Many people think that you take the classes, pass the tests and you are ready to go,” commented Lake Realtor Glenda McDaniel. “However, the classes to get your license really only teach you the legal aspect of the business. They don’t teach you how to appraise a property, write a contract, help your clients find financing and so much more.”
                Glenda says she was lucky, “I went to work for Owens & Company and they offered their own additional training. Not all offices are large enough to offer the classes that teach the practical aspects of the business. As an agent, you are an independent contractor and are on your own to learn most of the business. After I got my license, I also continued taking courses to get my GRI (Graduate of the Real Estate Institute).”
                New part-time agent Renea Angel with Mason Company Realtors experienced that exact thing. “The class doesn’t prepare you for dealing with people or filling out forms. It gives you the knowledge of the legal stuff, but it doesn’t prepare you for the day-to-day stuff.”
2. The Hours
Welcome to a 24/7 job. Doctors aren’t the only ones who are on call all the time. And forget about taking the weekend off – that’s prime time for showing houses. As a real estate agent you are expected to be there from 9 to 5, and then still be available to show houses in the evenings.
                “Especially in an area like ours, you have to understand that people are calling from other times zones and in the hours they have off,” explained Glenda. “There are no set hours in this business.”
3. The Money
The money can be very good, but just like any other business, you have to spend money to make money. Not only do the classes cost, but if you want to get your name – and eventually your listings – out there, you’re going to have to expend a lot of money in advertising with no guarantee of getting it back for months. Realtor and commercial developer Jody Lyons advises new realtors to have at least six months of living expenses in the bank.
                “From the time I took the classes to the day I closed my first sale was over five months,” he said.
                The good news is that once the money does come in, it’s a great feeling. “As a part-time realtor, the extra money is really good,” said Renea. “And once you get your first sale, it’s addictive.”
4. The Time
When a house goes on the market and sells in a weekend, everyone is jealous of the realtor. What they don’t realize is that for every sale, there are countless hours spent showing houses or dealing with clients that don’t buy or don’t find the right house for months.
                “You do a lot of work that you don’t get paid for,” said Glenda. “You can spend hours researching homes, showing homes and answering questions for clients who decide not to buy.”
5. The Competition
While Lake Realtors have a reputation for working well together, it is a competitive business. Even within one office, a realtor commented that when a potential client came in, everyone would “fight” over who would help them. Jody also advises that the business is easier if you have an established network of friends and acquaintances.
                “I had contacts from owning three other businesses, and that made the transition easier,” he said. “A good network of friends will help tremendously. Getting involved with commercial projects is also an excellent way to expand your business.”
6. The Customer Service
If you don’t love to work with people, this is not the business for you. “You have to be looking out for your clients’ needs all the time,” sums up Glenda. “To be successful in real estate, you have to be service oriented.”