Keeping Sebring Airport Ready for Takeoff with Terry Elders

At Sebring Regional Airport, keeping things running smoothly takes someone who knows a little bit about almost everything — and knows exactly who to call when something requires a specialist.
For more than a decade, that person has been Terry Elders.

Since joining the airport in 2015 as Maintenance and Project Coordinator, Elders has become one of the people behind the scenes who keeps Sebring Airport operating day after day. He can usually be found in his truck, moving from one challenge to the next, often while answering two cell phones that seem determined to ring at the same time.

“He is a jack of all trades,” said Deputy Director Andrew Bennett. “He has a longstanding involvement in our projects.”

On any given day, Elders might be dealing with plumbing, electrical systems, air conditioning or storm drainage. Then there are runways and hangars to maintain, tenants to assist, grass to mow, wildlife to manage and contractors to coordinate.

Elders estimates that he performs about 90 percent of the maintenance work himself. Airport linemen occasionally lend a hand, and over the years Terry has taught them some of the basics so they can step in when he is unavailable.

When specialized work requires an outside contractor, Terry coordinates and oversees the work, often handling the follow-up details himself.

Years of building relationships throughout Highlands County also mean he has a trusted network of electricians, contractors, utility workers and other tradespeople to call when specialized expertise is needed.

“If something breaks, I know who to call and when to call,” Elders said.

Experience You Can’t Replace

Born and raised in Okeechobee, Elders developed an interest in electronics early in life. After high school, he went to work for an international shortwave radio station, eventually gaining experience with a commercial-grade electrical system that included 52 antennas and 14 transmitters capable of 100,000 watts each.

Largely self-taught, Elders also worked in construction — a combination of skills that has served him well at an airport where, as he puts it, “There’s 9,000 different things going on.”

His official workday may be 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., but Elders is on call around the clock. Fortunately, years of experience mean many problems can now be diagnosed or resolved over the phone.

That experience is something Elders believes is increasingly important to pass along. He enjoys mentoring others, teaching them how to troubleshoot problems, work safely and become more self-sufficient.

Through Hurricanes, Growth and Change

Elders has seen Sebring Regional Airport through some significant challenges.

Hurricane Irma caused extensive damage in 2017, leading to rebuilding and improvements throughout the airport. The COVID-19 pandemic brought another kind of disruption in 2020, affecting businesses and leaving a significant number of hangars vacant.

Then the airport came roaring back.

New businesses arrived, activity increased and the hangars filled again. Today, they are fully occupied.

“There’s an airplane in every corner of the airport,” Elders said.

Growth has brought new challenges — and sometimes required creative solutions.
Wildlife on airport property, for example, can pose a serious safety risk. After researching approaches used at other airports, Elders helped implement a crushed-concrete barrier along portions of Sebring’s approximately five miles of fencing. The approach has proven remarkably effective at discouraging animals from entering runway areas.

“I’m very happy with how it worked,” he said.

The People Behind the Airport

Now 63, Elders occasionally jokes about the countdown to retirement at 65. But leaving won’t necessarily be easy.

“I love my job,” he said. “It’s a great gig.”

What he expects to miss most are the people.

At an airport like Sebring, relationships matter — among staff, tenants, businesses and the broader Highlands County community. Those relationships have helped Elders solve problems for more than a decade, and they are a large part of what has kept him here.

Outside the airport, Elders and his wife enjoy traveling and camping in their motor home and spending time with their grandchildren. They have three sons, all of whom served in the Marines. Eventually, retirement may mean more time on the road and more time with family.

But not quite yet.

For now, the phones keep ringing. And chances are, Terry Elders is already in his truck, heading toward whatever needs fixing next.