California Action

AOPA, Caltrans, RCRC cooperate on GA initiatives

AOPA's regional representative for California, John Pfeifer, has been leading efforts to increase cooperation between state groups in developing initiatives to support general aviation.

At meetings in December and January, Pfeifer worked with the Regional Council of Rural Counties (RCRC) and the California Division of Aeronautics to find ways to support the state's general aviation airports through state and federal assistance programs. The meetings, which were described as "very productive," included Austin Wiswell, head of the California Division of Aeronautics, and leaders of the RCRC.

The RCRC represents the interests of 28 rural counties in California. Although the counties are relatively small, they contain a large number of publicly owned general aviation airports.

Rialto future brightens

Working with AOPA, Airport Support Network volunteer Lyn Mattox and airport manager Richard Scanlon have persuaded city council members to keep Rialto Municipal Airport open.

The council was considering selling the airport to a developer because the field has failed to turn a profit. At a recent council meeting, however, Scanlon and Mattox explained that closing the airport would require repayment of airport improvement grant funds and would meet with stiff opposition from the FAA and AOPA.

Instead, the council voted to hire a marketing firm in an effort to improve the airport's financial situation. AOPA provided the council with a list of firms to consider. The airport has also decided to continue a drag-racing program that generates income for the airport. That program has been touted as a model for other airports seeking outside revenue sources.

In the meantime, the airport's restaurant, renamed the Rialto Airport and Sports Café, has reopened after being closed for almost four years. In addition, airport supporters are planning an open house and airport day to share the fun of flying with the larger community.

Dunsmuir case goes to arbitration

With Dunsmuir Municipal-Mott Airport's operating permit suspended and the field closed, parties to a series of lawsuits regarding the field are headed to arbitration. The decision to attempt arbitration was reached after discussions between members of the district attorney's office and AOPA's Vice President of Regional Affairs Bill Dunn.

The dispute over the airport has been raging for six years. That's when the California Division of Aeronautics, which issues operating permits for the state's public-use airports, determined that trees near the field represented obstructions to flight. Caltrans ordered the trees removed, and the City of Dunsmuir worked with surrounding landowners, including private parties, Siskiyou County, and the U.S. Forest Service, to carry out the order.

In 1999, the City of Dunsmuir filed a lawsuit against those who opposed the tree removal. That suit named property owners and the U.S. Forest Service as defendants. A hearing on the lawsuit was held last June and pilots expected the matter to be resolved by the end of 2001.

However, with the trees still in place, the California Division of Aeronautics suspended the airport's operating permit on December 4, 2001, closing the field. Airport Support Network volunteer Ken Pool said the closure came as a surprise to many pilots who believed that negotiations over tree removal were progressing in the right direction.

Petaluma loses battle over sports complex

After a two-year battle to prevent a sports complex from opening adjacent to Petaluma Municipal Airport, the city has decided to go ahead with plans for the development. Airport users expressed concerns over the proximity of the development to the field as well as potential problems caused by glare from stadium lights.

AOPA worked closely with Airport Support Network volunteer Thomas McGaw and others to show city leaders why the development could pose a safety threat both to pilots and to those on the ground. Recently, however, the Petaluma City Council voted to approve the development.

Despite this setback, McGaw is optimistic about the airport's future. A plan to build as many as 50 new hangars is expected to win approval, and the airport has made considerable gains in repaying its debts and improving its bottom line over the past three years. In addition, McGaw believes the way airport enthusiasts have mobilized to support the field has improved the credibility of the airport commission and airport users in the eyes of the city council.

Marina Municipal opens new approaches

After two years of work, Marina Municipal Airport has four nonprecision instrument approaches. Airport Support Network volunteer Bernard Nowlen worked closely with the FAA to keep the process moving. The new GPS and VOR approaches provide increased utility for airport users.

In addition, the airport has submitted a plan to use capital improvement program funds to lengthen the runway by 1,000 feet, to a total usable length of 4,000 feet with 250-8oot overruns at each end. The estimated cost of the project is between $3 million and $5 million and it is expected to take two to three years to complete.

Marina Municipal has also joined other general aviation airports in beefing up security. Although the work to install secure fencing with electronic card access has been in progress for more than two years, the new emphasis on airport security has increased support for the project, which should be completed early this month.

Santa Barbara to see $56 million in improvements

After a decade-long battle over a highly controversial plan to improve Santa Barbara Municipal Airport, the city council has voted unanimously to go forward with approximately $56 million in upgrades to the field.

AOPA Airport Support Network volunteer Gordon Feingold was instrumental in getting the plan approved. He coordinated a campaign by local pilots detailing how valuable the airport is to the community.

Despite the city's decision to go ahead with the plan, which would include upgrading the terminal, improving the runway safety areas, and relocating a runway threshold, the proposal could still face opposition from the State Coastal Commission, which must give its blessing before work can begin.

CTC adopts aviation recommendations

The California Transportation Commission will implement a series of recommendations presented by AOPA Regional Representative John Pfeifer on behalf of the commission's Technical Advisory Committee on Aeronautics.

The five recommendations, which were developed over the course of a year, were adopted unanimously and will be presented to the governor and considered for future legislation. They are:

• Keep the aviation system operating under today's heightened security requirements by immediately providing state funding to supplement emergency federal funding for security equipment at smaller commercial, reliever, and feeder airports around the state.
• Protect the long-term operation integrity of the state's aviation system by controlling land use around existing airports.
• Provide a significant increase in state funding — $20 million to $40 million a year — to realize the safety and capacity upgrades identified in the California Aviation System Plan Capital Improvement Program.
• Authorize and fund the California Division of Aeronautics to provide information to pilots and business aviation departments to promote using more of the state's existing airports in a way that will make better use of system capacity.
• Authorize and fund the California Division of Aeronautics to assist smaller airports in securing state and federal aviation grants.

Hollister opens new hangars

After using the same hangars for nearly 30 years, pilots at Hollister Municipal Airport now have 28 new T-hangars and two executive hangars to call their own. City officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the new hangars in December.

The buildings represent the first of three stages of hangar construction called for in the airport's master plan, according to Airport Support Network volunteer Howard Owens. The additional hangars will complement the development of the Airpark Business Center. The light industrial tract, which will have airport access, is currently under construction. The city is also negotiating with the California Division of Forestry to establish a 10-acre air attack facility in the new development.

New noise-abatement brochure at Palo Alto

Pilots visiting Palo Alto Airport of Santa Clara County will now have some help in complying with current noise-abatement guidelines. A newly revised brochure explaining the procedures is now available. It includes graphics and descriptions of the procedures as well as a map showing all of the services available on the field. Copies are available at the airport terminal and from most area FBOs and flying clubs.