Trig Solberg to take over Rhinelander Flying Service

One of the agenda items for the Aug. 29 Rhinelander airport commission meeting was the contract for Rhinelander Flying Service. Charlie Turner has been the owner of Rhinelander Flying Service for many years, and was looking to step away and enjoy his retirement. Trig Solberg of Minocqua, owner of Lakeland Aviation, was looking to fill those shoes.

Lakeland Aviation is the fixed base operator (FBO) at Lakeland Airport in Arbor Vitae.

Solberg has a love of aviation and has been flying since his time in the service. 

“Once a pilot, always a pilot, I guess,” he told the airport commission. Although he does not fly anymore, he said, the FBO in Arbor Vitae has been running for over 20 years. “We’re in aviation. We’ve been in aviation. We’re going to stay in aviation. So that’s why we’re here today.”

“I think they’re going to do a fine job out there,” Turner said of Solberg and Jesse Birginal, who would be the manager of the business. “As long as they do it how we do it,” Turner joked, bringing laughs from the commission.

“Charlie and I have known each other for many, many, many years,” Solberg said. “We’ve been around a long time.”

The commission ultimately approved the transfer of the contract for Rhinelander Flying Service to Lakeland Aviation of Minocqua, LLC. Solberg said the name would remain the  same after the change of ownership.

County highway shop

Mayor Kris Hanus came to the airport commission to discuss possible commercial development on the property where the county highway department currently sits. 

“It currently produces no tax revenue for anyone,” Hanus said. “It’s probably one of those most prime real estates in the city if not that part of the county, and it’s a net zero. It’s also an eye sore, it’s also a haz mat site, also trespassing on railroad property, also needing multiple millions of dollars of improvements.” All of this, he said, added up to a possible new location for that facility, in his mind. 

Hanus told the commission the city had taken the approach of finding others who agree with the idea that the better option would be to relocate the highway department. The city was asking like-minded entities to send a letter of support to the county asking if they should consider moving the shop. He said Kiwk Trip had been interested in the location in the past, and there was some discussion that they may still be interested. Kwik Trip, he said, had talked about a truck stop style location, which could benefit the airport, the industrial district and other entities. 

Hanus said he could also see another hotel going into that location, as well as other multiple commercial investments that would do well there, including a possible conference center.

He said the city was at the point of looking to see who else might be interested in seeing the highway department shop moved, whether that might be the airport, the chamber of commerce, the economic development council

“We are interested in seeing who might be in favor of at least exploring having the county to redevelop into a different site that’s not one of the most valuable locations in the town for development.” He said he hoped the matter could come out of the committee and to the full board for a more comprehensive look. The 75-year-old building, he said, was in need of a great deal of repairs, making now a good time to consider moving the facility.

The commission talked about the aesthetics of the location of the highway department shop. The commission, he said, had spoken a great deal about aesthetics when leaving the airport. 

“You hate to be on Google Maps, and you make that turn around the round-a-bout and Google Maps says welcome to Rhinelander, and you go, oh boy,” Commission chair Pat Marquardt said. “The first thing you see is the county shop, which you think is the dome.”

Hanus said the city is gauging potential sources of support letters before advancing the proposal. He hopes to present the idea to the county by year’s end.

Beckie Gaskill may be reached via email at [email protected].