Sedona Airport needs your help

[Bob Stephens]

I am calling on my Mooney friends to help the Sedona Airport.

The Sedona Airport is owned by the County who has given the Airport a lease to manage the Airport until 2050. Recently they have contacted the Airport Authority and said they want to cancel their lease and take control of the Airport (maybe give it to the City to run). One of the City Council members ran on the platform to close the Sedona Airport. The County already manages two airports (Seligman, Bagdad AZ) which gives an indication of how they would run the Sedona Airport.

If the County were to be successful we all can see where this is going - curfews, restricted flights, more noise complainer influence over shutting the Airport down.

The County has no easy way to cancel the valid lease they gave to the Sedona Airport Authority so they are trying to stir things up with public opinion.

Here is the link to the Red News poll. Please vote for the Sedona Airport Authority.

Thanks, 
Bob

http://redrocknews.com/component/mijopo ... rport.html

[MB65E]

Gee, Sounds like Santa Monica...

-Matt

[carqwik]

For those who have never flown into Sedona...a winter picture of the place looking towards the northwest and another picture (start of runway 21 of the airport is on the far left) looking north to Flagstaff:

 

[FlyWalt]

Ummmm, Do you remember that lease that we signed with you that says that it lasts till 2050? Well we really didn't mean 2050. We really meant 2005. It was a typo. We are the government and we are allowed to make mistakes like that and get away with it.

[Jeff_S]

Sounds like you need to get your regional AOPA representative into the discussion. This is exactly what they are set up to do, and they have the infrastructure and the know-how to help fight this issue.

[flyboy0681]

Sedona has the best on-airport restaurant I've ever been to.

[CCowboy]

As the airport has likely received federal FAA grant funding, that would prevent draconian measures by the city.  AOPA ASN should be a starting point.  Involving the Arizona Pilots Assn would also be a good resource to gather pilots from around AZ.  Being the local port for Senator John McCain, it is unlikely to be shut down as long as he flies there.  Also, SEZ is the point for a lot of Biz Jet traffic for some high end resorts, they would likely not want to see the airport shut down.  Money will speak louder than a local yocal city councilman.  This airport is an "institution" in the airspace system here in AZ, there would be a lot of push back from many pilots, operators, resorts, and the local C of C.

[Yetti]

Cutting off nose to spite face....  How does all the money get there to be spent?   Best I heard of this was complaints by the locals about an Army base.  One day the base commander ordered the payroll to be paid in $2.00 bills.    Locals stopped complaining