California Airports

Friday, November 23, 2012 – Allegiant’s first flight to Hawaii leaves Santa Maria airport Nipomo resident among group of first passengers. (CalPilots Editors Note: This is good news for the airport, and just a heads up that there may be new airline traffic coming to an airport you use or plan to visit.)

San Rafael Airport MarinSoccer Complex Hearing Postponed Following Allegation of Mayor’s Conflict of Interest – Monday’s public hearing for the San Rafael Airport’s proposed soccer complex was rescheduled so Mayor Gary Phillips, who has a lease with the airport, could obtain written approval from a state agency that will allow him to participate in the decision.

The planned public hearing on the San Rafael Airport‘s proposed soccer facility has been postponed following an allegation that Mayor Gary Phillips should recuse himself from the meeting due to a conflict of interest.

The California Pilots Association attended the Contra Costa County Airport Land Use Commission (ALUC) meeting held in Martinez, CA on November 14, 2012. The agenda included the proposed expansion of the Randy Howell Jet and Training Center.

OCEANSIDE — City Council paid honor to Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. and Oceanside resident and airman, the late Bob Maxwell, by renaming the Mission Avenue Bridge after King and the airfield at Oceanside Municipal Airport after Maxwell on Nov. 7. The council voted unanimously to rename the bridge that crosses Mission Avenue the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Bridge.

There is a feud underway between the owner of the Lealand Fly Fishing Ranch and pilots who use California’s Sanoma Valley Airport (0Q3). Ranch owner Josh Frazier has erected a solid-log fence across the airport’s runway safety overrun area.

Sonoma pilot David Mace has placed a petition on the website “Change.org” in an effort to build support for the removal of the fence.

Once again Airport Day attracted a good crowd and people learned a lot about their airport.  As always, the tower tours were a hit as were the EAA Young Eagles flights. The formation flight was impressive and it really showed the interesting things that ordinary GA aircraft can do. We estimate that between 3000 and 4000 attended.  Palo Alto Mayor Yiaway Yeh who gave a brief welcoming statement, was very impressed with the crowd and commented on the range of ages and diversity among attendees.

Airport hangar owner Ken Hetge files an appeal. Photo by Ed GordonAn action by the Tehachapi Planning Commission to approve the architectural design and site plan for a planned 69-room, three-story Motel 6 on a 1.06 acre site in Capital Hills has been appealed to the Tehachapi City Council.

Ken Hetge, a hangar owner at the airport, objected to the motel over concerns that the flight path of the airport passes over the site. Last week he paid the $1561 city filing fee on behalf of hangar owners. The appeal will come before City Council at a future meeting.

However, it seems that even at the time Planning Commissioners approved the project, the property owner Terry Delamater — and city officials — knew that Delamater no longer intended to build a Motel 6 on the site.

A new online tool is designed to help decision makers at the airports in Washington state make more strategic investment choices to support local communities and the state’s economy. The Aviation Economic Calculator allows decision makers to estimate how changes in activity at an airport, such as new flight activity, businesses or capital projects, may affect an airport’s economic vitality.

Turbo jets and turbo propeller aircraft will now be more common at Tracy Municipal Airport, following a four-foot addition to its main runway on Oct. 2.
According to airport coordinator Bruce Ludeman, it wasn’t until a recent measurement that airport officials discovered the actual measurements for the east-west runway — officially Runway 12/30 — was 3,996 feet.  Ludeman said the goal was to ensure the runway was at least 4,000 feet, which would designate Tracy as a medium size airport under Caltrans and allow more pilots to land their planes at the airport at the southern end of Tracy Boulevard.

For those who were unable to attend our Annual Meeting in Mojave, CA. Oct 19-21 2012, you really missed out. Not only did we have a great line up of speakers, and some interesting tours, Mojave Spaceport is truly an innovative, mysterious and fascinating place.

Where else can you find a Convair 880 and F4 Phantom guarding the airport gate? The mothballed airliners are parked everywhere, and the airport staff are willing to provide a tour of the airport for a small fee, for those who land there.

During our weekend meeting there was a retired 747, in old United Airlines colors, sitting right there on the ramp without its engines. The cowls were on but no engines. We saw an old 727 parked on the ramp too, and it left sometime during the weekend.