They're like the energizer bunny...

Jay, ya got my sympathy. I went through one airport closure, and am
in a group that stopped a 2nd airport closure. The latter only
because of a very influential and connected pilot in our group.

Doesn't sound like you have such a person, so yeah, maybe you're
screwed. Here's some possible ideas.

I know this is your first thought, but, did the airport accept FAA
funds for improvement?

Maybe you can get the airport "moved." No kidding, in the last 10
years two airports in N. California have been moved, the longest move
being just 2 miles away. By move I mean a brand-new airport was built
with FAA money and the old one closed down.

Good luck and hang in there.

I know this is your first thought, but, did the airport accept FAA
funds for improvement?

Yes. As a result, there is no immediate danger of closing.

However, I'm not worried about tomorrow. I'm worried about 2020.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:sOFzc.36232$2i5.9871@attbi_s52...
I know this is your first thought, but, did the airport accept FAA
funds for improvement?

Yes. As a result, there is no immediate danger of closing.

However, I'm not worried about tomorrow. I'm worried about 2020.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

How about the occasional airport event (or do you already do those)? I saw
one revitalize a small-town airport that was going downhill. They just did a
pancake breakfast, rolled out a few of the locals' planes for people to look
at, and got some nearby warbirds to come in to give rides. One of our local
airports does an open house with the pancakes, a raffle, local planes and a
static display of a few interesting planes and life flight helicopters flown
in from nearby. Local clubs come in and put up booths for this and that.
Another local airport does that plus Young Eagle flights. An acro demo is
nice, but I've seen kids stare and ooh at local planes - especially the
interesting experimentals - just doing touch and goes. A hangar dance is
always a winner, too, with or without barbecue. Anything that makes the
airport seem like a special part of the community may help in the long run.

Kathy

Kathy wrote:

Anything that makes the airport seem like a special part
of the community may help in the long run.

Kathy


Excellent point.....

How many TV stations, newspapers, clubs & organizations do you have in
your neck of the woods.

Everything from the Rotary to the 4H I'll bet.

Find a friendly hangar and start inviting them for a friendly B-B-Q
and flight around the patch.

Get to know everyone in your local media from the owner, manager,
to the news director, and writers, on air talent.

Make sure they are all individually invited out at different times on an
on going basis for complimentary flights.

Find owners, FBO's, and pilots who will make themselves available on
short term emergency notice for when you have a local story that could
be enhanced by aerial shots.

Let the media know that people COULD be available to take them up for a
one hour local to cover some of these events.

Give, give, give..... and then give some more..... get the media on your
side and sooner or later you shal receive.

I've never met a media outlet, or media personality, or photographer,
that would turnd down a one hour local....... Have you...??????

SPEAKING OF GIVING..... Your own a hotel with a dining room don't you.

When's the next Rotary meeting.... MAKE SURE YOU HOST IT - at a price
the can't refuse. In return ask for permission to speak for a few
minutes about what the local council and mayor are trying to do.

Make sure you got lots of aviation stuffy there for them to see.

Have a couple of free draws for a YOU GUESSED IT - a one hour local
flight.

Get everybody up in the air that you can.... State and local police
chiefs, the big cheeses, head of your hospitals, invite a bunch of
local lawyers, ( I know you will have to hold your nose but do it
anyways ), your biggest local building contractors, realtors, ( show
them why the airport is a jewel and why tearing it down for short term
gain is a poor idea )........ and on and on and on.

You keep talking about all the flying that you and Mary do.

Make a commitment that from now on you will not make any local flights
where you do not have an invited guest as a passanger.

I'm sure your kids will give up their seats for the good of the cause.

Try to get the operators at the airport to make the same commitment, as
well as private pilots..... NO EMPTY SEATS.

When's your next civic election....... Who wants to run for office.

Treat them and their family to a burger and a flight.

Explain the importance of having the airport open, and let their
political ambitions take over.

Nothing like a wanabee mayoral candidate in waiting, to start attacking
the incumbent.

JAY I COULD GO AND ON ALL DAY.

Welcome to marketing 101.

JAY I COULD GO AND ON ALL DAY.

Welcome to marketing 101.

Thanks, Shiv. Good points, all.

Sadly, while our opposition is made up of university types, all enjoying
their summers off, the rest of us have to work for a living. Since Mary and
I work from 100 to 120 hours per week between us, plus trying to spend as
much time with the kids as possible, it's safe to say that our time
allotment devoted to the schmoozing of local officials and media types is
virtually non-existent.

I need to clone myself.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" writes:

I know this is your first thought, but, did the airport accept FAA
funds for improvement?

Yes. As a result, there is no immediate danger of closing.

However, I'm not worried about tomorrow. I'm worried about 2020.

Oh, well, @#$*(&(@#! Ya had me worried there, mate.

OK, you've got to derail this idea of eliminating the airport
commission, can't help much with that.

For the longer term, start reaching out to the community. Do you
(plural-your airport group) have Young Eagle days? How about an Open
House, where you show not only airplanes, but all kinds of old cars,
new experimental cars, tractors, etc. etc. With a University nearby
you have a great source of odd things to demo at the Open House.
Basically you want to generate a warm, fuzzy feeling for the airport.

You--or somebody good at it--is going to have to learn to schmooze
with the big boys. Ya gotta play the game. Most of us on this forum
don't like the game, or even realize one is being played. Too bad,
the ball's being kicked right now and if you're looking the other way
you'll get whacked in the head and not even know what hit ya. Here's
a hint--the game is not played on the Letters to the Editor page of
the local rag, nor by emails to the city council. Like others have
said, follow the money.

Sounds like Mr. Daley set a nice example for airport nazis everywhere.


Jay said:
I'm tired, man. We fight, and fight, and fight, and we defeat them at
every
logical level, both publicly and privately -- and then they pull together
a
sneak attack like this.

Jay Honeck wrote:
snip
We are soooo screwed.

It seems like this is happening to airports all over the country. Very
few municipalities recognize their airports as valuable parts of the
transportation infrastructure. I fought similar fights for years at
College Park (MD) airport, then fought overdevelopment issues at Freeway
(MD) airport, and now I'm involved in the same type of attacks from the
City Council at the Ocean City (MD) airport. Write as many letters as you
can and speak at as many City Council meetings as you can.


--
__!__
Jay and Teresa Masino ___(_)___
http://www2.ari.net/jmasino ! ! !
http://www.oceancityairport.com
http://www.oc-adolfos.com

Howdy!

In article ,
Jay Masino wrote:
Jay Honeck wrote:
snip
We are soooo screwed.

It seems like this is happening to airports all over the country. Very
few municipalities recognize their airports as valuable parts of the
transportation infrastructure. I fought similar fights for years at
College Park (MD) airport, then fought overdevelopment issues at Freeway
(MD) airport, and now I'm involved in the same type of attacks from the
City Council at the Ocean City (MD) airport. Write as many letters as you
can and speak at as many City Council meetings as you can.

....so where do things stand with Freeway? Did the county (state?) pass that
rule about density around airports? Or is Rouse still planning to put
houses on the extended centerline across Rt 50?

yours,
Michael (under the edge of the pattern and loving it)


--
Michael and MJ Houghton | Herveus d'Ormonde and Megan O'Donnelly
| White Wolf and the Phoenix
Bowie, MD, USA | Tablet and Inkle bands, and other stuff
| http://www.radix.net/~herveus/

Michael Houghton wrote:
...so where do things stand with Freeway? Did the county (state?) pass that
rule about density around airports? Or is Rouse still planning to put
houses on the extended centerline across Rt 50?

To tell you the truth, I can't remember what Martha said in her last
e-mail message to "the group". I think they're leaving open space along
the extended centerline, but not as much as we'd like I haven't been
paying as much attention since moving my plane to Ocean City. I still
live in Bowie, though.

Michael (under the edge of the pattern and loving it)

I guess, as long as you don't mind filing a flight plan every time you
want to scratch your butt.



--
__!__
Jay and Teresa Masino ___(_)___
http://www2.ari.net/jmasino ! ! !
http://www.oceancityairport.com
http://www.oc-adolfos.com