financing of a GA airport

On Thu, 13 Nov 2003 02:44:26 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:

On Thu, 13 Nov 2003 02:31:55 GMT, Don Tuite
wrote in Message-Id:
:

On Thu, 13 Nov 2003 01:42:12 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:

On Wed, 12 Nov 2003 11:16:11 -0800, "Peter Duniho"
wrote in Message-Id:
:

While many Americans lack the knowledge to
see it this way, airports are just as important an element of the public
transportation infrastructure as roadways and waterways, both of which are
readily acknowledged as worthy of public monies.

When SATS* is eventually implemented, municipal airports will become
indispensable. But there won't be any place left to build them,
because the city governments chose to close them and build strip
malls. :-(

If the airport's a better economic deal for the city than the mall,
it'll be eminent domain and bring on the bulldozers. Stuff gets torn
down all the time for freeways.

We can hope.

But do you think there might be a little opposition to siting an
airport within the residential zone that has now been permitted to
surround the mall? Or would the municipality displace those residents
too. Can you imagine the EIR involved in reestablishing an airport in
an urban area today? Tomorrow? :-(

Actually, I see them being sited as part of new industrial parks.
Bye-bye more farmland, but it's only a matter of time before American
agribusiness goes whole-hog (*especially* hog farming) for outsourcing
production overseas. (Like beef, seafood, fruits and most veggies are
not already produced largely abroad.)

Don

Larry Dighera wrote in
:

But do you think there might be a little opposition to siting an
airport within the residential zone that has now been permitted to
surround the mall? Or would the municipality displace those residents
too.

Seldom will a city council tear down either housing OR business property to
build an airport. It a matter of being short sited. Those houses and
business property produce tax revenue NOW. The airport may produce even
more benefit to the community EVENTUALLY, but meanwhile the council is
going to get the hit for raising taxes to make up for the shortfall. While
his opponent, some years later, is going to get the praise for the economic
improvements to the community.

Sadly, most politicians can't see beyond their own re-election.

-----------------------------------------------
James M. Knox
TriSoft ph 512-385-0316
1109-A Shady Lane fax 512-366-4331
Austin, Tx 78721
-----------------------------------------------

"James M. Knox" wrote in message
There are a number of different models used in the US. First off, let's
look at sources of income to the airport (excluding landing fees, which
VERY few airports in the US have):

o Fuel, oil sales
o Hangar rental
o Tiedown rental
o Building lease (to FBO's, maintenance facilities, etc.)
o Lease of overrun land (farming)
o Sale of pilot supplies, food, etc. (if direct)

Additionally, if the airport is open to the public, it is eligible for
public tax monies. This is the MAJOR source of support for most
airports, amounting to 90 to 95% or the total capital budget. This
money is basically a recognition of the fact that everyone in the area
benefits by having the airport, not just those who actually have an
airplane. [Similarly, everyone in the community pays school taxes, even
though they may not have children.]

[snip]

In addition to the capital budget typically being subsidized by both
federal and local governments, most small airports have their
operating budget subsidized by the local government (operating
expenses are not eligible for federal funds). Some GA airports are
self-sufficient on the operating side of things, but they are few and
far between. So, part of everyone's local tax dollars are going to the
local airport to support its operations.

This only applies to publicly-owned airports in the US. Private
airports, even if they are open to the public, are not eligible for
federal money and generally can't get state or local money.

On 13 Nov 2003 13:14:12 -0800, (Ace
Pilot) wrote:

This only applies to publicly-owned airports in the US. Private
airports, even if they are open to the public, are not eligible for
federal money and generally can't get state or local money.

Niggle: Actually, if a private airport is included in the National
Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS). and if it designated by
the FAA as a reliever or if it has scheduled service and at least
2,500 annual enplanements, it is eligible for up to $150,000 per year
in federal AIP grants under the Wendall H. Ford Aviation Investment
and Reform Act for 21st Century (AIR-21). (Same deal goes for public
NPIAS airports, but without the other stipulations.)

plug There are a ****load of other grants available for small
airports, but public works managers out in the boonies don't always
have the bandwidth to apply for them and the grants go begging. If
you happen to be involved in airport management (especially in the
Western US) and you want to check it out go to www.airportgrants.com.
They don't work for free, but the grants include money to pay
consultants for grant-writing. /plug

Disclaimer: I am not disinterested. Colleen and Carol are friends of
mine, and I give them PR advice from time to time.

Don

On Thu, 13 Nov 2003 09:05:09 -0600, "James M. Knox"
wrote in Message-Id:
:

Larry Dighera wrote in
:

But do you think there might be a little opposition to siting an
airport within the residential zone that has now been permitted to
surround the mall? Or would the municipality displace those residents
too.

Seldom will a city council tear down either housing OR business property to
build an airport. It a matter of being short sited. Those houses and
business property produce tax revenue NOW. The airport may produce even
more benefit to the community EVENTUALLY, but meanwhile the council is
going to get the hit for raising taxes to make up for the shortfall. While
his opponent, some years later, is going to get the praise for the economic
improvements to the community.

Sadly, most politicians can't see beyond their own re-election.

So where will the future SATS municipal airports be built?

In article ,
Larry Dighera wrote:

On Thu, 13 Nov 2003 09:05:09 -0600, "James M. Knox"
wrote in Message-Id:
:

Larry Dighera wrote in
:

But do you think there might be a little opposition to siting an
airport within the residential zone that has now been permitted to
surround the mall? Or would the municipality displace those residents
too.

Seldom will a city council tear down either housing OR business property to
build an airport. It a matter of being short sited. Those houses and
business property produce tax revenue NOW. The airport may produce even
more benefit to the community EVENTUALLY, but meanwhile the council is
going to get the hit for raising taxes to make up for the shortfall. While
his opponent, some years later, is going to get the praise for the economic
improvements to the community.

Sadly, most politicians can't see beyond their own re-election.

So where will the future SATS municipal airports be built?



They wont -- unless pilots get together and convince local entities that
closing or closed military airfields are valuable as airports -- not
housing developments.

Larry Dighera wrote in
:

So where will the future SATS municipal airports be built?

Good question. Ask me again in a few years.

When the city of Austin promised the FAA that they would purchase 3R3
and turn it into a reliever airport. They never even made an offer on
it. Both it and the main city airport closed within two weeks of each
other, leaving almost 600 planes looking for homes - the new airport
providing space for 61.

A bill was lobbied over a multi-year period to provide a GA airport "in
Central Texas." [For those who aren't familiar with Texas, that's sort
of like saying "in Central Europe" as far as distances. "Deals" were
struck, and the airport may not be in any county that doesn't want it,
nor near any city where the city council doesn't want it, nor may it use
any existing major abandoned airport facilities in any major central
Texas town whose name is Austin. [Yes, the old airport just sits there,
five years later, rusting away... grass growing up through the ditches
the council had dug across the runway.]

If there *is* a new CenTex airport ever built it most likely will be a
LONG way away from anywhere. The closest current airports are already
an hour or more away if there is traffic, and some of them are already
threatened with closure.

I'd love for my natural pessimism to be wrong, but ...

-----------------------------------------------
James M. Knox
TriSoft ph 512-385-0316
1109-A Shady Lane fax 512-366-4331
Austin, Tx 78721
-----------------------------------------------