Copalis Beach State Airport threatened?

Dave Krall in a note forwarded to the Pacific Northwest Flying forum says
that there is a movement afoot to close Copalis Beach State Airport. This
airport is worth extra effort to save it. Noise is not a legitimate issue;
as the web site notes the sound of wind and waves drowns out the sound of
aircraft. Rather, people who have beach houses there regard the beach as
their private property and the landing of aircraft as an intrusion. They
have been known to throw rocks at airplanes and drag logs across the beach.

I wonder if it is possible to get this airport on the National Register of
Historic Places? How would you go about doing that?

From http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/aviation/Airports/Copalis.htm :

Located at the mouth of the Copalis River, Copalis is a unique airport. It
is the only known beach airport in the United States, and is the only
stretch of ocean beach in Washington where landing is legal. The runway is
the 4500 foot stretch of ocean beach from the Copalis River on the south to
the rocks a mile north. The clam digging is excellent, and resting or
watching the great Pacific Ocean from here is fantastic. You can surf, fish,
hunt for glass fishing balls, or find interesting pieces of driftwood. No
camping is allowed at the airport.

Since the runway is the beach itself, there are some things to watch out
for. First, land only on the damp sand; the dry sand is very, very soft and
dangerous. The airport is generally unusable at high tide since the runway
is under water. The available parking area will also be under water, so
remaining overnight can cause definite problems to an aircraft. Usage is
very high during periods of low tides. As many as 75 aircraft have been
reported as being parked there at one time. Ground vehicle and pedestrian
access is legal, so the area can be extremely congested. Since the ocean
washes the runway twice a day, debris and driftwood are possible. Overflight
is essential to inspect for pedestrians, vehicles, animals, and debris.
Remember, people on the ground can not hear the airplane with the power off,
so be ready to go around. The airport is generally open year round.



--
Christopher J. Campbell
World Famous Flight Instructor
Port Orchard, WA


If you go around beating the Bush, don't complain if you rile the animals.

In article , C J Campbell wrote:
Dave Krall in a note forwarded to the Pacific Northwest Flying forum says
that there is a movement afoot to close Copalis Beach State Airport. This

Figures. One of the nice things about renting from Wings Aloft in
Seattle was that they allowed you to land at any airport--including
Copalis Beach.

Unfortunately, the one time I went there, it was high tide, so we
wound up doing a low approach and having lunch at Hoquiam. I never
made it to one of annual the Wings Aloft fly-ins there.

Now I'm on the wrong sound. I hope it's still there when I get back.


Morris