University Park Airport recently received a $500,000 state grant to build an air traffic control tower and we couldn't be more happy about that.

With so many out-of-state students who use the local airport, safety is always a major concern.

Especially when you are flying in the "little birds" or small model commercial airplanes.

Even though the lack of a control tower hasn't had a negative impact so far on flying to or from University Park, having someone actually look out at the planes coming in and taking off is always a plus in enhancing safety.

Currently, University Park Airport traffic is directed from a Universal Integrated Communication (UNICOM) station in Centre County that checks radio frequencies in the air and a UNICOM advisory tower located in Long Island, N.Y. when there is dangerous weather or low visibility.

A tower would give pilots a better link to ground personnel who could advise them on weather and traffic conditions.

Also, a control tower might make the airport more appealing to airlines and we could get more inbound and outbound flights to other places in the country. The overall traffic and maybe even airport itself could grow.

However, plans for a tower are still in the very beginning stages. The total cost of the tower, along with a staff to operate it, will cost about $5 million.

University Park Airport officials said they probably wouldn't have enough funding until 2012. But maybe if the state continues to give more funding and other people join in on the funding efforts, we could have a control tower and overall safer airport sometime sooner.

There are plenty of reasons why an air traffic control tower at University Park Airport is a fabulous idea.

So keep that money coming, we can't wait to see that tower rise off the ground and make the little birds seem a bit safer and more controlled.