California Airports

San Bernardino Airport seeking tenants for developer Scot Spencer’s former terminal – San Bernardino International Airport officials are negotiating with two companies to extend their lease agreements and also preparing to launch a marketing campaign in hopes of attracting a tenant for a hangar previously occupied by a corporate jet refueling facility.

L.A. Unified aviation training center gets $100,000 donation – The mechanics vocational school had been facing closure or relocation after 40 years at Van Nuys Airport because of budget cuts and a rent increase. The gift will keep it going at least a year. Read LA Times article

On Jan. 22, the Watsonville City Council, as expected, approved the General Plan 2030 Update by a 6 to 1 vote. On May 23, 2006, the Council approved the General Plan by a 6 to 1 vote. The no vote each time was the councilperson from District 7. In the last dissenting vote, Councilwoman Nancy Bilicich wanted more plan deficiencies fixed to reduce chances of another lawsuit. The courts found the old plan inadequate in environment planning and not compliant with state aeronautic laws.

Meadows Field Airport Bouncing Back from economic slump – Officials said more people have been flying in and out of Meadows Field overthe last couple of years. So much so, they are considering adding more flights.

In 2007, the airport took a hit, losing three airlines and thousands of passengers. But, in the last two years it’s been looking up, and airport
officials are thanking the oil industry.

“It’s a small airport,” said Leah Wheeler who was flying from Bakersfield to Houston Friday. “I wasn’t expecting as many people this early.”

WATSONVILLE — Though in the red, Watsonville Municipal Airport finances are stable and improving, city officials say. An audit of city finances, commissioned by the Santa Cruz County Grand Jury and released in January, noted an ongoing deficit at the airport and criticized officials for not presenting a clearer picture of the problem.

 With the exception of 2008-09, the city-owned airport’s annual operations have been in the black for the past five years, according to Administrative Services Director Ezequiel Vega. But revenue has not been strong enough to close a long-standing multimillion-dollar deficit.

Maybe a successful company can bail out San Jose and its airport management’s dismal efforts at SJC….. SAN JOSE — In their search for a reliable place to park their growing fleet of jet aircraft, Google (GOOG) co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin have boosted the fortunes of San Jose’s struggling international airport, while leaving…

Report finds LAX operators ignored requirements to disperse air traffic – A 2006 settlement required L.A. World Airports to regionalize air traffic, but an L.A. County report asserts the city made only ‘token efforts’ to comply (CalPilots Editor’s Note: While this article doesn’t affect most GA pilots, it is important to understand that politics and money can be key factors in airport operations and planning. The same thing happens on a smaller scale to our GA airports when the sponsor allows a non-compatible development in an area it should not).

Plane Mufflers Could Relieve Some Airport Neighbors – Santa Monica Airport Commission responds to test results of a muffler that could be used by local flight schools.

If flight schools take to the idea, attaching mufflers to some of their planes planes could make life more peaceful for residents living nearSanta Monica Airport.

 The city tested a German-made muffler, called QuietFlight, on a Cessna 172 in December and recorded positive results, the Santa Monica Airport Commission learned Monday night (Calpilots Editor’s Note: Please read CalPilots Response to this article at the end of this page).

On January 31, 2013, in Springfield, there will be held a public meeting regarding the new rules for seaplane operations on Waldo Lake. We need as many pilots as possible to attend and support access for seaplanes to Waldo Lake.

We need to be there in support of the Oregon Department of Aviation Board of Director’s new rules regarding seaplane operation on Waldo Lake. THERE WILL BE GROUPS OPPOSING THIS ACTION IN ATTENDANCE AND WE NEED TO BE THERE TO SUPPORT ODA.

Anything that can help revive Ontario International Airport, I’m for it. No surprise, right? So when Los Angeles Councilman Bill Rosendahl suggested linking ONT to downtown LA by Metrolink to increase the number of flights, I was interested.

Rosendahl told me he envisions jumbo jets carrying international passengers making ONT the gateway to Southern California. It would relieve congestion at LAX, pleasing his constituents who live near LAX.

Rosendahl said he has long favored spreading air traffic across Southern California rather than concentrating it at LAX.