cbarry Posted October 5, 2016 Report Posted October 5, 2016 I realize economic conditions are not the best in all areas of the country, but is anyone else starting to recognize a noticeable deterioration in runway, taxiway and/or ramp conditions (just generally across the country) to the point that you're starting to get concerned about damage to your Mooney? Quote
gsengle Posted October 5, 2016 Report Posted October 5, 2016 That's been going on a long time at smaller airports.... in my area there has actually been recent improvements. So not super concerned more than the general issues of the decline in GAI also pick where I land based on comments of others and reviews online, ForeFlight, runway condition in AFD etc Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote
N201MKTurbo Posted October 5, 2016 Report Posted October 5, 2016 The city takes reasonable care of the Chandler flying club. Quote
Danb Posted October 5, 2016 Report Posted October 5, 2016 our ramps will be repaved later this month ,the complete west T areas Quote
Mooneymite Posted October 5, 2016 Report Posted October 5, 2016 Asphalt roughly follows oil prices. Everyone should be noticing a lot of paving projects...not just at airports because of cheaper asphalt. Quote
DaV8or Posted October 5, 2016 Report Posted October 5, 2016 Things are good here at Byron. This year they patched, tarred, restripesd and put in new lighting. We're in pretty good shape. However there are lots of small airports near by that aren't. There are some rotten ones out in the valley. Quote
pinerunner Posted October 5, 2016 Report Posted October 5, 2016 My airport in Pittsfield Maine just did a bunch of repaving. This is a small town with a contracting company, Cianbro, that does large road projects. Some corporate planes and LOTS of GA activity so they're first in line for upgrades and aviation is not declining there. I think it's the Beechcraft capital of Maine. But I've flown into one older small airport, in particular, where I felt every patched seam in the runway and vowed never to go back. Quote
Joe Zuffoletto Posted October 5, 2016 Report Posted October 5, 2016 4 minutes ago, Mooneymite said: Asphalt roughly follows oil prices. Everyone should be noticing a lot of paving projects...not just at airports because of cheaper asphalt. Definitely the case here in Denver. They're resurfacing big sections of Centennial Airport and the surrounding roads, plus other roads all over town. Quote
Oldguy Posted October 5, 2016 Report Posted October 5, 2016 Over the past two years they have resurfaced the runway and the taxiways out here at KPLR. Put in a displaced threshold on RWY 3 to get a good approach glideslope and we are still waiting on the FAA to get out to certify the LPV and VASI (initially scheduled March 2016). Quote
cliffy Posted October 5, 2016 Report Posted October 5, 2016 Private airports who knows Public airports especially with any kind of air service can get federal funds for the work We have an on going 5 year plan here filed with the FAA for runway work Quote
INA201 Posted October 5, 2016 Report Posted October 5, 2016 KSPA....new concrete ramp, new terminal building, and slated for 600 foot extension to 5800 in the next year. Activity here has improved marginally in the last few years but not many young pilots. I do think GA decline is evident overall. I'm encouraged by the poll here that showed the ages of Mooney pilots spread pretty evenly. Quote
Bob_Belville Posted October 5, 2016 Report Posted October 5, 2016 KMRN is being repaired, sealed, and painted right now. The only runway was closed a couple of days in September. (The airport is publicly owned is sees a good bit of turbine traffic.) Quote
rbridges Posted October 5, 2016 Report Posted October 5, 2016 I've seen a few look neglected around here. 53A is a small one close to me. Kinda sad. Old hangars and gas pumps. Grass growing through cracks in the runway. Our airport, OTOH, has been resurfaced and a new row of closed T hangars built. Quote
Dave Colangelo Posted October 5, 2016 Report Posted October 5, 2016 I was up at KDYL the other weekend and there was grass growing out of some of the cracks in the runway, first time I had ever seen that. KPNE (my other main airport) is generally well kept but significantly larger. In the northeast anything thats paved is a constant battle with the elements as the weather gets worse. Quote
Joe Zuffoletto Posted October 5, 2016 Report Posted October 5, 2016 Trinidad (KTAD), in southern CO, is closed for several months while they scrape and repave both runways. So there are some rays of light out there. Most of the Front Range and eastern plains airports here around Denver are in pretty decent shape. The only exceptions I can think of are a couple very small strips in rural communities. Quote
peevee Posted October 5, 2016 Report Posted October 5, 2016 Just now, Joe Zuffoletto said: Trinidad (KTAD), in southern CO, is closed for several months while they scrape and repave both runways. So there are some rays of light out there. Most of the Front Range and eastern plains airports here around Denver are in pretty decent shape. The only exceptions I can think of are a couple very small strips in rural communities. TEX they leveled the hump out 4 or so years ago... but the CO DOT aeronautics division I think is a lot more active than whatever some other states have. Quote
N201MKTurbo Posted October 5, 2016 Report Posted October 5, 2016 42 minutes ago, peevee said: TEX they leveled the hump out 4 or so years ago... That takes all the fun out of it... I remember getting airborne, landing on the face of the hump and then getting airborne again at the top of the hump. Quote
Jim Peace Posted October 5, 2016 Report Posted October 5, 2016 (edited) FWN,,Sussex NJ,,,,don't even think about landing there.... MGJ Orange county NY,,they have some improvements going on there now but I do not think they are going to fix the taxiway going to runway 3. That is not Mooney friendly at all. CDW,,,Caldwell NJ ,,taxiing to runway 4 southwest of the FBO about every 100 feet there is a crack or some sort of uneven expansion joint that will have mooney owners needing to real seal their tanks sooner than later... many others out there...... Edited October 5, 2016 by Jim Peace Quote
Jim Peace Posted October 5, 2016 Report Posted October 5, 2016 1 minute ago, N201MKTurbo said: That takes all the fun out of it... I remember getting airborne, landing on the face of the hump and then getting airborne again at the top of the hump. It was really fun in a lear or gulfstream......... 1 Quote
Seth Posted October 5, 2016 Report Posted October 5, 2016 4 hours ago, INA201 said: KSPA....new concrete ramp, new terminal building, and slated for 600 foot extension to 5800 in the next year. Activity here has improved marginally in the last few years but not many young pilots. I do think GA decline is evident overall. I'm encouraged by the poll here that showed the ages of Mooney pilots spread pretty evenly. I stopped there for fuel back and forth to Mooney Summit this past weekend. Great airport. A cafe would be a great addition too! These are nice improvements for the first commercial airport in South Carolina (where Lindbergh stopped!). Great airport - great fuel price. The extension should open it up to the insurance policies of many jets. -Seth Quote
Seth Posted October 5, 2016 Report Posted October 5, 2016 8 hours ago, cbarry said: I realize economic conditions are not the best in all areas of the country, but is anyone else starting to recognize a noticeable deterioration in runway, taxiway and/or ramp conditions (just generally across the country) to the point that you're starting to get concerned about damage to your Mooney? I saw a stagnation and then in the last three years a lot of work done at many airports. A lot of it was the red tape working through the system from all of the spending that was initiated already years ago. Small private airports though are getting squeezed no matter what. And less pilots and aircraft flying is not helping. -Seth Quote
bonal Posted October 6, 2016 Report Posted October 6, 2016 K1o2 runway is still in OK shape but not as good as when I first started flying there 6 years now. The restaurant was completely Redone and is now open again and I heard they started a lunch service as well as dinner. The food is very good and the hamburger will require an increase in useful load for some Mooneys. A few years ago I got a Copy of the counties plan for improvements to the whole airport including new hangars an FBO and more but unless we find away to increase the pilot population those improvements would be the equivalent to a bridge to nowhere. But what the hell I pay a ton in taxes that get spent on nothing but waist so why not spend it on my local airport. Quote
peevee Posted October 6, 2016 Report Posted October 6, 2016 (edited) 17 hours ago, N201MKTurbo said: That takes all the fun out of it... I remember getting airborne, landing on the face of the hump and then getting airborne again at the top of the hump. either way it's about one of the easiest of the ski country airports really. I was in this summer and a guy in a malibu landed and let the fire go out on the runway and couldn't get it started again. My PAX didn't appreciate maneuvering around that valley much trying to make time for him to get off the runway. I won't go near that place in the winter though. Edited October 6, 2016 by peevee Quote
N201MKTurbo Posted October 6, 2016 Report Posted October 6, 2016 1 hour ago, peevee said: either way it's about one of the easiest of the ski country airports really. I was in this summer and a guy in a malibu landed and let the fire go out on the runway and couldn't get it started again. My PAX didn't appreciate maneuvering around that valley much trying to make time for him to get off the runway. I won't go near that place in the winter though. Why won't you go near it in the winter? It is a $5.00 cab ride to the lift. My experience is that they do a good job of clearing the runways and ramps. And the DA is lower. The weather is usually really bad or really good, just don't go when it is really bad. Quote
peevee Posted October 6, 2016 Report Posted October 6, 2016 (edited) 3 hours ago, N201MKTurbo said: Why won't you go near it in the winter? It is a $5.00 cab ride to the lift. My experience is that they do a good job of clearing the runways and ramps. And the DA is lower. The weather is usually really bad or really good, just don't go when it is really bad. Winds aloft across the rocks make the ride pretty not worth it plus limited ramp space. Oh, and everything is more expensive. Edited October 6, 2016 by peevee Quote
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