Phoenix Deer Valley's airport master plan proposal would eliminate half of the airport's T-hangars to build corporate hangars, leaving many general aviation aircraft displaced. AOPA wants to know how the airport will provide for these aircraft. "Have provisions been made to accommodate the existing tenants?" AOPA Vice President of Airports Bill Dunn asked the Phoenix acting aviation director. "And where will the forecasted additional 244 single- and multi-engine airplanes be placed in the short-term time frame...? We believe [Deer Valley] should develop hangar areas on the north side of the airport prior to displacing tenants on the south side without adequate hangar facilities." Dunn wrote the director, expressing a number of AOPA members' other concerns, including increased costs associated with building new hangars and taxiway congestion. Constructing new T-hangars could increase hangar lease rents three to four times the current rate. And locating all of the new T-hangars to the north side could create a bottleneck for aircraft using the shorter runway. The city has delayed implementing the master plan proposal because of significant opposition from local pilots. Public meetings are scheduled to take place later this spring. Stay tuned to ePilot for updates on this issue.
March 30, 2007