A year ago many of us were treated to 50-yard-line seats at the political football game between Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and Illinois Governor Jim Edgar over the fate of Chicago's downtown Merrill C. Meigs Field. Although a good example of how a general aviation airport meets its potential doom, Meigs was an unusually high-visibility case, thanks to its players and the publicity created by the media and organizations like AOPA fighting to keep the vital reliever airport open. Unlike Meigs, however, a typical airport's demise is far more low-key.
This trend of airport closures has picked up pace in recent years, especially among privately owned, public-use airports. In 1969 there were a total of 6,700 airports available for public use. Today, there are approximately 5,100 in the United States. In other words, X's are painted on the runways of one general aviation airport every week.
Airport closures stem from a number of circumstances, including noise complaints by neighbors and pressure from developers to sell off the increasingly valuable property on which the airport lies. Many times when the slope gets real slippery towards the end of the airport's life, AOPA receives a cry for help. In many cases, though, the call is too late and AOPA cannot provide much assistance. A new program, however, should change that and help to diminish the disturbing trend of airport closures across the country.
Dubbed the Airport Support Network, the goal of this new program is to have one volunteer representative at every public-use airport in the country. These volunteers would be the eyes and ears for AOPA on local issues affecting the airport — issues that AOPA may or may not hear about through the traditional channels of the membership, AOPA's own regional representatives, or the news media. With constant updates on airport issues from these volunteers, it is hoped that AOPA will no longer be called in during eleventh-hour negotiations or after it's too late.
The death of an airport
AOPA has recognized several reasons for the demise of airports, most notably of privately owned public-use airports throughout the country. Some of these may sound familiar.
Lack of funding. Money earmarked for reliever airports through the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) decreased, while money slated for primary airports increased. Nearly 80 percent of AIP funds go to the 415 primary airports — which have scheduled airline service — while the rest goes to the 2,879 small airports.
Property values. As land adjacent to the airport begins increasing in value, property taxes begin to rise — pressuring owners to succumb to developers who might have visions of malls and condos glistening in their eyes.
Incompatible zoning. Areas around airports formerly zoned as agricultural are being turned into residential developments, further reducing the airport's "protected area" and increasing the number of noise complaints from homeowners who "didn't know there was an airport there."
Aging airport owners. Airport owners who have long held their airport close to their hearts are passing on and leaving the land to uninterested relatives who would rather sell to developers than continue to run an airport teetering on the edge of profitability.
Community perception. Unfortunately, smaller airplanes are considered by the general public to be rich people's toys. Add to that the fact that most individual taxpayers don't personally use the airport, which makes them feel as if they're supporting somebody else's hobby. In addition, community members often believe that small airplanes and airports are unsafe.
Media misinformation. Why do crashes of small airplanes make the front page? Because they are rare. Without somebody to remind the general public of this important detail, general aviation will continue to take a hit on the nose every time an airplane goes down.
Noise. If adjacent communities can hear airplanes, the popular belief is that there is a chance one may fall on them. Noise is a popular excuse used by the general public to force the closure of an airport. In a February 1995 survey of AOPA members, 37 percent said that they are based at airports that have a noise problem with the local community. Fifty percent of those people said that the problem is severe enough that it has, or could, restrict operations at that airport.
No advocacy. Perhaps the main reason behind the closure of airports is the fact that there is little or no advocacy for the facility. Without an individual or an organization representing the interests of pilots and aircraft owners at the airport, it's no wonder local governments can have a runway plowed under with little opposition.
Enter AOPA's Airport Support Network
Advocacy and awareness are where the Airport Support Network (ASN) comes in to help the general aviation airport. With a goal of having one ASN volunteer advocate representing every airport in the country, the program provides a way for the views and concerns of the users to be presented to the community and to possibly arrest the closing of yet another airport. According to AOPA's vice president of regional affairs, Bill Dunn, "the network will provide a mechanism to harness the power of [AOPA's] significant member number, obtain and provide instant updates on important airport issues, increase the association's visibility in local airport issues, and assist the member in helping himself or herself by providing informational products as well as individual recognition." Most important is that these volunteers will alert AOPA before the eleventh-hour negotiations, while there is still time to make an impression.
The fulcrum of this program embraces the usefulness of a modern technology — the Internet. Through a private Web site accessible only by AOPA's Airports department, AOPA's 12 regional representatives, and the ASN volunteers, all of those involved in the program will be playing from the same sheet of music. The ASN volunteers will be able to report to AOPA and the regional reps, as well as share information with other volunteers.
As an example, through this Internet forum, an ASN volunteer from North Dakota posts a message soliciting advice on how to defend his airport from a proposed development that encroaches on the airport's runway protection zone. Another ASN volunteer from Louisiana was recently successful in fighting off similar development at her airport and relates her ideas and experience to her fellow volunteer. Meanwhile, AOPA will be overseeing the entire process as every message sent through the ASN Web site is reviewed by the regional representatives, the ASN administrator, and AOPA's Airports department. Of course, AOPA will offer any additional support and advice to volunteers.
What the volunteers will do
In general, being an ASN volunteer means being a staunch supporter of the airport and a model aviation citizen, both on the ground and in the air. In addition to these qualities, ASN volunteers will:
- Act as an early warning system for AOPA by monitoring city, county, and any other meetings that affect the airport.
- Establish a communication channel for AOPA with airport management, advisory committees/commissions, and FBOs on the airport. In addition, the volunteer would provide AOPA with updated phone numbers, addresses, and e-mail addresses of those contacts.
- Notify AOPA of operational restrictions such as noise abatement procedures and curfews.
- Act as a liaison to local pilots and local pilot groups such as EAA chapters.
- Report fuel prices for an AOPA database.
- Promote local airport activities in order to create a favorable image of the airport.
- Provide packages of AOPA-supplied information to local officials detailing the value of the airport.
AOPA will lend support to these volunteers to help them do their job of supporting and promoting the interests of their airport. Materials such as the Flying Friendly video, which details techniques pilots can use to reduce noise, will help ASN volunteers convey the community's message to pilots while simultaneously educating the community about the pilot's side of noise abatement procedures.
AOPA wants you
Airport Support Network representatives will be carefully chosen by AOPA through nomination and letters of reference. All that is required is that the nominee has Internet e-mail access, be a current AOPA member, and follow the code of conduct — a written agreement between the nominee and AOPA.
In turn, the ASN volunteer will receive logo merchandise and materials that support general aviation and its airports; in addition, they will be eligible to be considered for the ASN Volunteer of the Year Award. If someone you know is a die-hard airport advocate and model aviation citizen, he or she may be the perfect ASN volunteer. AOPA can't prop up general aviation all by itself. The Airport Support Network is an area in which member support is crucial to the survival of general aviation.
For more information about the Airport Support Network or to nominate a volunteer, e-mail [email protected] or visit the Web page.
Links to all Web sites referenced in this issue can be found on AOPA Online. E-mail the author at [email protected].
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