I have a dog in this fight and I need your help! Y'all know I am building a new home by the airport.

When we bought the lot I half jokingly told the wife, now watch the state will want to close the airport.

I have friends on the ODA Oregon Department of Aviation board. Friends at the OPA Oregon Pilots Association. They tipped me off of the pending closer.

Yesterday I attended the monthly meeting of the ODA. The board consist of 3 paid state employees and 7 appointed members, all pilots. I ask them straight up if they wanted to close PC. 2 said yes for SAFETY! reasons.

PC is a tough strip. Strong crosswinds are common. It is narrow 30', short 1875', if landing south 1550'. There is no over run to the north, a street then buildings. To the south you have 40' and you in the water. Sounds like fun to us BCPs. Thats why I bought there and well a 5 minute walk to the beach and walk to 7 resturants isn't bad either. But I digress. The houses and business on both sides of the runway were built at a time when safety set backs were less. They should be grand fathered in.

My ideas to mitigate the states concerns are as follows.
1] The states main concern are business at the north end, a restaurant, and possible arcade. Put up a catch fence.
2] Liability. I think the limit you can sue the state for is $300,000 The state is self insured. I say buy insurance if the state doesn't want the risk. I am checking on prices. 4 fatalities in 2 planes since 1965
3] Right and left run off. Steel post with a cable barrier. Or better yet, let the grass grow tall and have a natural cushion. You will flip but won't get into a house. Bye the way a building has never been hit on the right or left of the runway.

This is not a done deal yet. Those of us who care about keeping this place open have to get proactive to save this gem of an airport. There are very few places like this left. Once they are gone, they are gone forever! More information to come.

I want your suggestions, PLEASE! contacting AOPA today.

Cheers...Rob

Utter bullshit. Let us know how the AOPA communication goes. I feel like there is more at work here than just fear of liability.

Wow it would be a shame to lose Pacific City, that's a great airport.

Sorry to hear OM. If a letter would help the situation....?
Ernie

I need to think about this for a minute...

Due Diligence....
Less time posting, more time...
I hope you got a good deal!

hicountry wrote:Sorry to hear OM. If a letter would help the situation....?
Ernie

Yes and I will get email and snail mail addresses posted.

Betsy Johnson is the state senator for the area. She is a pilot also.
[email protected]

Mitch Swecker is the director of the ODA a good guy caught between a rock and hard spot. x military.
[email protected]

Please cc me I will print out and take to the senator.

Latest, a friend has a friend who knows Betsy Johnson. She will talk personally. Good news.

Cheers...Rob

This would suck I'm in to help let us know all know on what to do........

Rob,
Numbers count, as we recently found out at MMV. If there are meetings on this let us know, lots of us local pilots use this strip.
Can you get a copy of the aircraft sign in log that would show the usage?
PFC is also used as an emergency strip for pilots dealing with coastal weather.
I doubt the state cares, but there would be a hit on the local economy if they closed. Get the PC businesses involved.
Glad you caught this early.

straight tail wrote:This would suck I'm in to help let us know all know on what to do........

Yes and I will get email and snail mail addresses posted.

Betsy Johnson is the state senator for the area. She is a pilot also.
[email protected]

Mitch Swecker is the director of the ODA a good guy caught between a rock and hard spot. x military.
[email protected]

Please cc me I will print out and take to the senator.

Latest, a friend has a friend who knows Betsy Johnson. She will talk personally. Good news.

We might need to do a mass turn out for next months ODA meeting. Then make an appointment with Senator Betsy Johnson to talk. Of course after that I'll buy the 1st round

Cheers...Rob

OregonMaule wrote:Yesterday I attended the monthly meeting of the ODA. The board consist of 3 paid state employees and 7 appointed members, all pilots. I ask them straight up if they wanted to close PC. 2 said yes for SAFETY! reasons.

That sickens me. Pilots voted to close an airport? Something doesn't smell right. It's not exactly like that land right there is super valuable for commercial or residential development, either. Maybe it is, I dunno.

Has it received any federal funding for improvement?

Hey Rob let me know if there's anything that some of us pilots that the live over in Washington can do to influence the saving of this airport

This does suck because PC is on my top 10 list of airports to visit after I get flying again (well, after you get your vacation home built). Hope this noise will help keep it open. And I'm with Z, sickens me too that 2 pilots are against this airport. Maybe they have some back door deal in the works??

If they dont want the liability why not propose selling it to an airport trust for $1. The trust is set up by local pilots and homeowners along the strip. Strip remains open to the public and everybody is happy. May not be as easy as that but the RAF may have some other ideas.

Good luck.

Zzz wrote:That sickens me. Pilots voted to close an airport? Something doesn't smell right. It's not exactly like that land right there is super valuable for commercial or residential development, either. Maybe it is, I dunno. Has it received any federal funding for improvement?

No on federal money. The land was donated so if it is not an airport it is suppose to go back to the owners. It is not a super spot for homes, it's in a flood plain.
Thanks Z

richw56 wrote:Hey Rob let me know if there's anything that some of us pilots that the live over in Washington can do to influence the saving of this airport

For now an email to the people in earlier post. cc me I'll print them and take a stack of paper to senator Johnson.
Thanks for the help Rich

58Skylane wrote:This does suck because PC is on my top 10 list of airports to visit after I get flying again (well, after you get your vacation home built). Hope this noise will help keep it open. And I'm with Z, sickens me too that 2 pilots are against this airport. Maybe they have some back door deal in the works??

Pat I haven't figured a back room deal, but won't rule it out. I think we can win this.
When the house is ready your all welcome. Especially you Pat and all my buds who I have stayed with!
G'Day...Rob

Mr. Ed wrote:If they dont want the liability why not propose selling it to an airport trust for $1. The trust is set up by local pilots and homeowners along the strip. Strip remains open to the public and everybody is happy. May not be as easy as that but the RAF may have some other ideas.

Good luck.

Hey there Denis: we talked about that very thing today. We said make a corporation Friends of Pacific City Inc. Charge a landing fee $10.00 to cover maintenance, catch fence north end, insurance and so forth. We are going to propose this at the meeting with ODA and OPA when it happens soon. Great idea on the RAF I'll call them tomorrow.

I have been busy all day. Called on liability insurance. Call 2 engineers on catch fence. Called a fencing company. Been on the phone with the President elect of the OPA. Talked to another friend with personal connections to the Senator from the area. Also called the AOPA rep for the NW and emailed the ASN airport support network arm of AOPA.

The ODA may have awakened a pissed of midget. I would say sleeping giant but we are a small group.

Cheers...Rob

Want to read some sad, and goofy sh%t, talk about stupid pilot tricks! I have read every NTSB report for Pacific City from 1962 to present. The records online only go back to 1962.

Hey pilots don't land down wind on a short runway with buildings, trees, and wires at the end. Don't land 1/3 to 1/2 way down and then try to do a go a round. They have been doing the same damn thing forever.

http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/Respo ... f09e0e26d1
When it loads in the top row of columns click the word "LOCATION" that will put all the city's with the same name together. Scroll down to Pacific City. Read em and weep.

Only 16 accidents in 47 years, not to bad. 4 dead in 2 planes. One plane on fire in flight. Incorrect repair, oil line sprayed oil on exhaust. 2 dead. Second plane flew into IMC almost dark. Pilot lost it and augured into the bay. 2 dead.

G'Day

Obviously a huge threat to the public. How many died in auto accidents in 47 years in PC? Maybe they should consider closing all the roads too.

I've met Mr. Ulane (NW AOPA rep) a few times and fired off an email concerning the possible closure of PC.

I'll see what else I can do.

robw56 wrote:Obviously a huge threat to the public. How many died in auto accidents in 47 years in PC? Maybe they should consider closing all the roads too.

Better close off the beach to surfing, too!!
http://www.accidentin.com/article48089527_arch20120702/teen_s_arm_severed_in_surfing_accident_in_pacific_city.htm