The crosswinds runway needs $5.5 million in repairs and
safety-related work, none of which is eligible for reimbursement
by the Federal Aviation Administration, said Brad Penrod,
authority chief operating officer. However, the authority can
obtain federal funding to convert the runway to a taxiway.

Penrod said that if the authority spent its own money to repair
the runway, there would be nothing left for other improvements at
the county airport.

The runway targeted for closing is the county airport's shortest.
It is used primarily by recreational pilots in small aircraft and
by students learning to fly. At 2,547 feet, it's too short for
larger corporate jets and accounts for only 4 percent of all
take-offs and landings.

It has a southwest-to-northeast orientation that helps small
planes when crosswinds make landings on the other two runways
more difficult.

With the closing, the authority plans to use a 3,825-foot runway
with a northwest-t o-southeast orientation for crosswind
landings. The third runway, the airport's longest at 6,501 feet,
has an east-west orientation.


http://www.pittsburgpost-gazette.com...164/330948.stm