Airport belongs to people

First Piñon Aero' s spokesman Anders O. Field Jr. says: "Another potentially large market is represented by large Bay area companies that base their corporate aircraft in Stockton or other Central Valley locations sending them to San Francisco-area airports when they're needed. If those planes instead are domiciled at Minden-Tahoe Airport, the companies can reap substantial tax advantages." (The R-C Feb. 15, 2008) Does that sound like they will not go after those potential tenants in their marketing plan?

The Douglas County residents then spoke up.

Then Field says: "Our interest is in responding to the local market and we will do that ... We have no interest in creating a mammoth jet center and we aren't interested in promoting one group of aviators over another." (The R-C March 12, 2008)

Notice Field failed to define "the local market." That could easily mean the demand for facilities here, locally, from most anywhere Ð Silicon Valley for one. Are they not going to market their facility as widely as possible?

That sure is a mixed message and the confusion has raised the concerns of most Douglas County residents. Just what is the plan? Is Piñon Aero willing to limit the number of jet tenants? What assurances does Douglas County have that Piñon Aero is not planning a jet port? How many letters of intent do they currently have? (There are rumors of more than 20.)

Significant jet aircraft activity raises major safety issues for a local county airport which has no control tower Ð particularly one that has and wants to support substantial soaring activities. Mixing high speed jets with slow flying gliders is like mixing bicycles and BMWs on the autobahn. The two are simply incompatible.

Transponders in aircraft, once in contact with air traffic control, merely identify what they are and where they are - not where they are going or even their altitude. The air currents on which gliders depend are invisible and unpredictable to which the glider pilot must immediately respond to prevent disaster. Yes, a transponder is a small, simple, relatively inexpensive device, but you also need the radio with sufficient power to maintain contact with air traffic control to receive the request on which frequency to squawk - transpond.

The probability of the jets having the radar capable of 'transponded" identification is improbable Ð the Air Traffic Control reports the only proximity of the 'transponding' aircraft to the other pilot Ð not its direction nor its altitude.

Let us not forget that these corporate aircraft (jets) will probably be called out before dawn and no doubt return after dark adding noise where there is currently none as well as pilot fatigue due the long day. Then there is the aircraft smog production affecting the clarity of our blue skies and visibility of the stars in addition to the safety of the residents in their homes.

The consultant preparing the airport Master Plan was not informed of Piñon Aero's plan when preparing his document. The County staff knew of the Piñon Aero plan but, according to the consultant, did not divulge it to him. Questions that should be answered are Ð Why not? Why was Piñon Aero's plan kept a secret? Was it an oversight or somebody's directive? Why did the County Commission recently accept the flawed airport Master Plan status report sans the Piñon Aero plan?

Very shortly before Piñon Aero dropped its plan on the general public on the front page of the February 15, 2008 Record Courier the airport manager retired to become a "consultant" and the County Manager departs for another job. The timing is 'strange' to say the least.

Another question that needs an answer is who benefits from the major expansion of our County airport? Most likely it will be the airport management for they can claim higher compensation and a larger staff. Is that in the best interest of Douglas County residents?

Yes, the FAA has pumped large sums of money into our airport, but at who's request? Just who's airport is this?

Still another question is who will suffer the consequences of a major expansion of our County airport? That's a rhetorical question.

The Douglas County residents have spoken Ð we want our airport to remain a local, county facility, not a regional hub. Is anybody listening?

Who is running Douglas County - the County staff or the citizens?