Another Santa Monica?

[Bennett]

San Carlos (KSQL) is under attack, and the County Supervisors are in the process of setting curfew rules that potentially will impact every aircraft based there, including transient aircraft. Limited curfew is to start at 6:00 PM, with the full curfew at 9:00 PM. Also the the night curfew ends at 6:00 AM. Now there are all sorts of cut-outs and exceptions (M20 K models are "noisy", but 20 Js are not, and Mr. Ellison's jet at KSQL is exempt) But this is just the first step to making a run to close the airport. After more than 20 years of good relations with the local communities through multiple airport days, Young Eagle rides, museum simulators with CFIs at the on field museum, public benches and viewing platforms with tower and ground speakers, and much more, we now have a new, very real, very politically connected, and very well financed "downstream" group of homeowners that are pressuring the board of supervisors to shut down the airport, or at least change the rules to make it more difficult to use the airport on a 24 hour basis.

 

Why this new situation? Not because of any accidents. This is because a relatively new entity has come to KSQL - Surf Air. This is an "all you can fly for a fixed monthly fee" service. Not a Part 121 scheduled airline operation. But not a "standard" Part 135 Charter operation either. They fly Pilatus turboprops fly about 19 - 20 round trip flights a day into and out of KSQL. Many if not all are IFR. The aircraft are noisy - on the ground and in the air. KSQL just has one instrument approach - GPS with high minimums and a circle to land. Up to comparatively recently this has been a VFR airport. It lies under the SFO Class B ring that is 1500' directly over the airport, and the Class B ring drops to the surface not far to the north. To the west of the airport the Class B ring starts at 4000'. This doesn't leave much room for IFR operations beyond IFR to VFR on top. This GPS approach brings the Surf Air aircraft over Menlo Park and Atherton, both wealthy communities who are very vocal about noise and "perceived danger".

 

So because of Surf Air's operation out of this short 2600' by 75' airstrip, with buildings and electrical towers at the ends of the runway, we now have an opportunity for the developers to make a push to close the airport, and convert the land to high rise, high cost, housing.

 

I don't suggest for a moment the Surf Air doesn't have the legal right to do what they do at KSQL. They may be lousy neighbors to us based at San Carlos, but they do have that right. I understand that San Jose Airport with long runways, major airline operations, and underused new terminals has made offers to Surf Air to relocate there, but there doesn't seem to be any indication that this will happen. What has happened is that the board of supervisors have already spent over $100,000 (with more than $250,000 still scheduled) to install cameras between taxiways and the runway - I saw the installation yesterday when I landed, and it will be a huge mess if a aircraft hits it landing or taking off.

 

Why all this! I am not bashing Surf Air (although I don't like them). This is just to show how a change in operations can undue decades of work on the part of the aircraft owners, flight schools, and on airport business to integrate with the local immediately surrounding communities. I'm not being hysterical here, but I unfortunately must predict that the curfew is just the first step in closing the airport - just follow what is going on at Santa Monica I do believe that the board of supervisors is trying to find a way to push Surf Air out of KSQL, and still let GA "little guys" alone, but the curfew will effect us all.

 

A cautionary tale - it could happen to any one of our local airports .

 

 

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[Guest]

I'd be willing to bet that some of the very people complaining about noise are the clients of the new air service.

Clarence

[Bennett]

Clarence, You might be right, but these two cities are the home of more established wealth, with many retired and elderly folk. I suspect that some of them own their own their own jets (with professional crew) and keep them at San Jose Airport, which has proper facilities at their Jet Center. The underlying problem is that KSQL is not really a great facility for heavy "commuter" operations, but occupies very valuable land. Right after WW II the airport was moved to its current location "to get it out of the way", and now everyone wants the land. The Surf Air operation is the trigger to let loose all the rival entities that want the land, and to get the airport closed. Even if Surf Air were to relocate to San Jose Airport, the damage is already done, and now with all the adverse publicity, the push to close down the airport will continue. So far the resistance comes from our local pilot group, but we will be outspent. Where is AOPA? George we need you now. Sorry you left them.

 

 

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[M016576]

Bay Area, go figure.  

Whats that line from Star Wars?  "You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy."  Describes some of the entitled folk with tech money around there... the world is there to serve them.

 

sad... I like that airport.

[Bennett]

I'm sure the tech sector loves Surf Air. Why not. They park your car for you, if you want, no real TSA routines, and the cost is reasonable if you fly often. I just wish they (PC-17 turbines) were quieter, or that the FAA would create an approach with a flight path over the South Bay, but unfortunately the there are three commercial (airline) airports (SFO, OAK, and SJC) that compete for the airspace. It is not that unusual to have an airliner crossing above San Carlos at 2000' MSL. I guess I shouldn't worry as with the federal funding KSQL accepted, it will be quite a few more years until it can be closed, but as we have seen at Santa Monica, new rules, curfews, and "Big Brother" regulations will make the airport far less usable for our typical GA uses, and probably less safe.

 

 

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[Hank]

Is it within the city's rights to shut down the airport every night? I'd think know the FAA would have something to say about that.

[Bennett]

  On 3/12/2017 at 5:56 PM, Hank said:

Is it within the city's rights to shut down the airport every night? I'd think know the FAA would have something to say about that.

 

The FAA has allowed other airports to impose a curfew. For instance San Jose Airport has a curfew that applies to "noisy jets", and Larry Ellison of Oracle fame fought a long battle to exempt his "bigger" jets to operate 24/7. His smaller jet at San Carlos is also exempt under the Board of Supervisor's curfew. The new cameras already installed, and the future cameras scheduled to be installed are to record the aircraft numbers of those planes coming and going during the curfew hours. I would think this would not be a "criminal" offense, but more like a traffic ticket issued by the county. I do think the Board of Supervisors is trying to impose "reasonable" rules, to allow for most individual GA operations, while finding a way to stop Surf Air from being allowed to operate from San Carlos, but this is overkill, and the worse part is that now all the years of work of making KSQL a good neighbor to the adjacent cities is negated, and new players see the very real opportunity to shut down the airport and develop the land for non-aviation purposes. So the paradox is that I and many other local pilots have to defend Surf Air's right to operate from San Carlos 24/7, even if we can't stand their presence here.

 

As I said, this can happen at any GA airport, and strong long term good relations between the airport and surrounding communities helps, but doesn't truly solve the problems of competing entities for valuable land. A small number of "harmed", but politically astute and rich homeowners (and opportunists) can exert leverage to local authorities to promulgate regulations to cripple a local airport, and harass its pilots.

 

Nationally we are losing our urban airports, and while Santa Monica and San Carlos are in crazy California, this pressure for airport closure will continue. Our fight should be your fight, and unfortunately I don't see our AOPA, or EAA doing much to help. The National Business Aircraft Association has joined the fight at Santa Monica, but their motivation might be different than us "little" folk flying our Mooneys.

 

 

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[Danb]

The damn SOB's take our golf courses,take our airports all to build houses and expand the malls. There's not enough traffic here why not build another 100 houses on those golf courses and airport. What next

[Bennett]

  On 3/12/2017 at 6:47 PM, Danb said:

The damn SOB's take our golf courses,take our airports all to build houses and expand the malls. There's not enough traffic here why not build another 100 houses on those golf courses and airport. What next

 

Try and build a new marina in California. The number of agencies that have some sort of jurisdiction is enormous, and CA has more regulations about marinas than believable.

 

 

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[M016576]

Reason #369 why I'm never going back to live in a city (particularly a left leaning one):  too many people.  And those people don't like pilots!

[Bennett]

Fortunately CA is the home of many pilots, and not everyone supports Berkeley thought processes. Still a great place to live if you can afford it, and if you can ignore the crazies (admittedly, hard to do).


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[wishboneash]

Sad to see this happening. Livermore was under assault for a long time.  Things have been quiet recently. Palo Alto is a mess with its short runway and congestion on the field. Too many people want to live here and don't want to deal with the "noise" yet want access at their doorsteps! What about Moffett? According to wikipedia...  "Strong community opposition to the use of the airfield by FedEx Express and UPS Airlines blocked the transition of the airfield to public use in the 1990s". So, GA is being hit from all sides.