PENN TWP — The son of a notable Butler County aviation figure wants to see his father's name return to the county's only airport.

In 2016, airport authority members changed the name of their airport from the Butler County Airport to the Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport. The change reflects its original title in 1929, the Pittsburgh-Butler Airport, and authority members believed it better suited their goals of serving the region.

The name change also removed the secondary name given to the airport's airfield: Ken Scholter Field.

Ken Scholter was a beloved longtime manager of the airport and notable character throughout much of its history. He died in 2002 at age 91.

His son, John Scholter, contacted the Butler Eagle's newsroom Wednesday to express his wish for his father's name to return. In a phone interview Thursday, he further explained his problem.

“It was a nice family honor, but aside from that, he was deserving of the honor,” Scholter said.

He said his father is honored with a plaque at the International Air and Space Hall of Fame in San Diego.

John Scholter said he has spoken to Ike Kelly, the airport's manager, about the issue and believes the omission of Ken's name was an error.

Kelly and other officials who work with the airport said Thursday that they made the 2016 change for utilitarian purposes, not out of disrespect for the Scholters.

“He was a good guy, and there's quite a lot of history here surrounding him,” Kelly said.

Kelly said adding the name back to the airport in some fashion would require another airport authority decision, followed by submission to the FAA.

Edward Rawlings, chairman of the authority, said it would be open to naming something at the airport after Scholter if a proposal was brought to the board. He said such a request hasn't been formally made.

“The name change was no reflection on the Scholter family,” Rawlings said. “We just wanted the name to reflect the region and not any individual person.”

County Commissioner Kim Geyer, who works with the airport, said the change was purely utilitarian.

“When pilots looking for a place to land in our area search for a small airport, they're not going to know to punch in Ken Scholter Field,” Geyer said. “They're going to punch Pittsburgh into their computers. Now, we're the second thing that comes up under Pittsburgh International Airport.”

Geyer said “there was no disrespect intended at all.”

The name change is just the latest in a long string since the airport's founding 90 years ago. It even sported another family name before, when its name included the surname Graham from a previous owner.

John Scholter said he would like to push for the change, but he isn't sure how he will be able to. He grew up in Butler and lives in Georgia.

He visits Butler County once a year for a short trip. He will be here next week, he said, but isn't sure he'll be able to meet with the board during his visit.

Kelly said he thinks they'll find a way to honor Scholter.

“We're not disregarding his request,” Kelly said. “But we have to look and find a good way to do it.”