The Hillsdale Municipal Airport

04/12/2026

Thank you to our Civil Air Patrol squadron and their leaders for an amazing event today at the airport! If you'd like to learn more about CAP and their efforts, reach out to [email protected] and we will connect you!

04/06/2026

🚨COMMUNITY ADVISORY: Joint Emergency Services Exercise 🚨

Hillsdale is getting even safer! This weekend, our local first responders are joining forces with the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Hillsdale Composite Squadron for a large-scale joint training exercise.

Our shared Emergency Services Mission is simple: to provide the most efficient, professional routing of public safety services to every citizen in Hillsdale County. Whether it's a search and rescue mission, disaster relief. Being prepared is our duty.

Why this matters for YOU:

Enhanced Safety: Joint training allows different agencies to pool resources and expertise, ensuring a faster and more coordinated response when every second counts.

Real-World Readiness: Exercises like this help us refine communication and "iron out" procedures before a real crisis occurs.

Community Resilience: By practicing together, we build a stronger network of protection for all our neighborhoods.

Benefits for our Civil Air Patrol Members:

Hands-On Training: Members gain vital experience in search and rescue (SAR), disaster relief, and incident management.
Professional Development: CAP personnel work alongside veteran first responders, earning essential FEMA and emergency services qualifications.
Leadership in Action: Our cadets and adult volunteers practice leadership, teamwork, and technical skills in a high-stakes environment.
Keep an eye out for increased emergency vehicle activity this weekend. Don't worry—it’s just us working together to stay "Semper Vigilans" (Always Vigilant)!

Interested in serving? The Hillsdale CAP squadron is always looking for volunteers to help build our local search and rescue capabilities. Visit the Michigan Wing Civil Air Patrol to learn how you can join the mission.

04/04/2026

Good morning!

Another project idea I'd like to run by the community:

I'd like to personally purchase various model aircraft kits for local children (no cost to participate). Children can assemble and paint as they wish and we will have a shelf at the airport to display the models with the child's name (optional). Good idea or pass?

Edit: This first round would be display models. Parents would pick them up and you complete them at home. When finished, return the model to the airport for display. If we have a large number of participants, we will rotate them through display.

03/31/2026

Our veterans honor wall is up at the airport.

03/06/2026

Good morning,

Reminder that if you're a veteran or would like to honor a veteran with ties to Hillsdale, please email me a short bio and picture. We have very limited wall space (~6 spaces), so we will rotate our veterans wall. A paragraph or two is preferred as the frames we have are small.

Please email [email protected] with bio and picture. Thank you!

03/03/2026

Hello,

I'd like to gauge interest in the idea of renting out the new terminal lobby for events. Is there interest in having this space available for rent? If so, I'm eager to make it a reality! Comment with you opinion/advice, thank you!

03/02/2026

April 12th at the Hillsdale Municipal Airport!

The Civil Air Patrol Michigan Wing hosted by Hillsdale Composite Squadron and Hillsdale Municipal Airport are proud to announce a critical joint-agency mission exercise! April 12th we are partnering with our local Police, Fire, and First Responders to sharpen the skills that keep our community safe. 🚁💨
This comprehensive training covers high-stakes scenarios, including:

✅ Aviation Crash Scene Response: Learning the "dos and don'ts" of working safely around downed aircraft.
✅ Technical Skills: Mastering wreckage stabilization and emergency extraction methods.
✅ Airfield Mastery: Critical familiarization with airport "hot zones," fuel farms, and safe runway transitions.
✅ Search & Rescue: A live SAR component featuring our specialized CAP K-9 dog team! 🐕🐾

When it comes to emergencies, coordination is everything. We are honored to train alongside Hillsdale’s finest to ensure a seamless response when seconds count.

Interested in serving your community? Check us out at the gocivilairpatrol.com or reach out to [email protected] more info.
Patrol

02/25/2026

Good morning,

Quick update re: racing event at airport. The initial paperwork has been submitted for review by MDOT and would next move to the FAA. The process is extensive, as it should be since we're asking for permission to use the airfield for the event. The process may take up to six months. At this point, if the event were to be approved, we would target Saturday August 15th. We have requested an 1/8 mile event.

I would like to assemble a volunteer group to assist with the remaining planning process, as well as fundraising/obtaining sponsors/day of event work. The event will be 100% volunteer labor and 100% privately funded.

We will need significant community support to make this happen. If you're interested in volunteering, please contact Travis Stebelton at [email protected].

Send a message to learn more

01/08/2026

Good morning!

Continuing our efforts to reduce spending and liability at the airport, we are ending the courtesy car program. The car will be removed from the airport and likely auctioned off.

A privately funded option will be available at the airport in the near future, with no expense to the city/airport.

Send a message to learn more

01/07/2026

Edit 2: The event would be 1/8 mile, no prep, no burnouts.

Edit: We would, of course, have the approval of the FAA/MDOT/City as well as proper insurance. The event would be 100% privately funded and only occur if all necessary approvals are in place.

When I took over management at the airport this past spring, one of my goals was more community involvement/activities at the airport.

We've hosted a few donuts and coffee events and now we're moving into planning larger community events. I thought I'd post and gauge interest in a race weekend at the airport. The plan would be for quarter mile, timed racing, similar to 'test and tune' events held at local drag strips. We would like to have food trucks and live music at the event as well. All cars and experience levels would be welcome!

Any and all feedback is appreciated, as well as other event suggestions!

Thank you,

Travis Stebelton

Send a message to learn more

12/19/2025

We have free donuts (privately funded) at the airport this morning! Stop by and talk airport and airplanes! First come, first serve until 11am. Bring your own coffee (we should have coffee next round).

12/09/2025

As another measure in our mission to reduce spending and work toward financial stability, we're listing the airports aircraft tug for sale. The unit will be listed for sale at $20,000.00.

The airport manager will donate the use of a personally owned tug to replace the unit being sold.

Here's a link to the Facebook Market place ad. We are also working with aviation specific brokers to maximize sale proceeds.