[wxwatcher]

Dan,

Actually, it's been my ex[erience that most FBO's and airports try to stay low profile for one major reason, self-preservation. The quickest way to stir up anti-airport/anti-noise sentiment is to becopme a successful G.A. airport. Witness the number of anti-airport groups that appear any time someone even hints at airport improvements or expansion.

The interesting fact is that most airports predate the surrounding development, but local government officials did nothing to stop the encroachment into noise critical areas like approach and departure paths. I've seen a zoneing commission approve a high density housing development directly under the ILS approach path and one mile from the runway threashhold without any mention of the airport. Three years later, they were surprised when the airport noise complaints started coming in. Yet, they turned around and approved another housing development directly under the downwind leg to the same runway!!

In another location, the local real estate people got together and petitioned the county assesor to reappraise the local airport property at "best use" rates, high density apartment complexes. That effectively increased the property tax on the airport by 1000% and the owner was forced to declare backruptcy. Guess who bought the airport and what happened to it. Right, the realestate guys and it's now nothing but apartments and high density housing. This happens every day.

Now, there's even talk of requiring G/A aircraft to pass a smog test and have mufflers and catalitic converters to "cut down on the air and noise polution" around G/A airports.

With all this anti-airport sentiment out there, most FBO's don't want to draw attention to themselves. That just makes them targets for the local crazies and their anti-airport lawsiuts.

Worst case I've seen.. Reade Hillview Airport in San Jose. The airport has been there for over 60 years. Some smart developer decided the area across the street directly under the extended runway centerline would be a great place for a shopping mall. But instead of putting the parking lot under the approach path, he but the mall itself there. Within two months of the grand opening, an aircraft on emergency approach "bounced" off the roof of the mall. The store owners and the developer immediately filed suit to have the airport shut down because of the "safety hazard" to the shoppers. They never even considered the safety hazard to the pilots using the airport in their development plans. While the airport won that round, there's an ongoing campaign by local store owners and home owners to eliminate this "threat to their personal safety."

Like a prison, noone wants an airport in their neighborhood. Too bad if the airport was there first.

Jerry

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Comments and opinions are my own and do not reflect those of my employer.