FAIRHOPE, Ala. — The Fairhope Airport Authority approved unanimously last week to sponsor an air show for the city again next year and to hire a director for the event.

The 2007 Festival of Flight at the H.L. “Sonny” Callahan Airport in Fairhope drew approximately 15,000 people to the two-day event in May and featured more than 50 aircraft in on-ground displays, aerobatic stunts, and military flight demonstrations.

Next year’s May 17 event will be a one-day festival.

“We’re working out a contract with King Palmer to run the festival this year,” said Fairhope Airport Authority Vice Chairman Charlie Bassett at the Dec. 18 meeting. “It’s a full-time job to do it right.”

The FAA approved hiring Palmer at $1,500 per month from January through May for a total of $7,500. He also may receive an additional $7,500 if his fund-raising efforts for the festival are successful, Bassett said. The FAA will have a written contract with Palmer, Bassett added.

The FAA’s Chairman, Chuck Zunk, said they expected their budget wouldn’t exceed $110,000.

He said the FAA had commitments of support in the amounts of approximately $51,000 from the Fairhope City Council, $30,000 from the Baldwin County Commission, and the FAA would raise the remaining amounts through festival sponsorships.

“I told King we’ve got to watch real closely the costs this year,” Bassett said. “Changing it to a one-day event will help in that.”

In other business, the FAA:

• Heard a report from Zunk that the Fairhope airport would be receiving an Automatic Weather Operating System (AWOS) next year.

“As a pilot, I can tell you that sometimes the weather in Mobile is very different than it is here,” he said. “It’s a safety issue and will become increasingly important as the airport gets bigger.”

He said the local airport authority had made a request for the system with the Federal Aviation Authority about two years ago. The AWOS device, an antenna and supporting structure that will be built at the airport, broadcasts weather, altimeter readings and other information.

Zunk said the federal authority will be paying 95 percent of the $250,000 to $300,000 cost, with the state and city splitting the remaining 5 percent.

He said they expected to solicit bids for the project in the next 30 days, but it could take an additional year to get the required license from the Federal Communications Commission before the system could start working.

“The AWOS will broadcast about 30 to 60 miles depending on conditions,” he said. “That’s enough time to determine how to approach the airport or make alternative plans.”

• Heard a report from Zunk that DayJet air taxi service has been operating out of the Fairhope airport for the past few weeks.

• Discussed the impact the closing of the L-3 Crestview Aerospace plant would have on the local airport and its plans for growth and economic development in the county.

“In the long run, it will have no effect, unless they decide not to sell the building there,” Zunk said. “They only had 40-some workers. It could easily support 200. There are a number of legitimate aerospace industries interested in that building.”