Airport Vehicle Access

[takair]

The airport where I base my plane and bought a small T hangar recently imposed restrictions on vehicle access to the hangars and ramps.  The situation right now is fluid.  The apparent trigger was vehicle damage by unknown persons on the EMAS.  Up until that point, we had access through a gate using a card reader.  They are now putting up additional fencing and will locate a pedestrian gate near some of the hangars, but a distance from the tie downs and other hangars.  They will provide escorted vehicle access.  
 

This post is not to speculate as to how the incident happened or who did it, authorities are involved, but I am curious if other airports restrict vehicle access to tie downs or hangars for paid tenants.  I’ve not experienced driving restrictions at any previous airport I have been based at, including international airports and airports with airline traffic.  Granted, there was training and security involved, but access was still granted to owners or renters who had completed the appropriate training.  So, does anybody else experience this type of restriction?  It feels like it starts to cut into the utility of having ones own hangar and airplane.  

[gsxrpilot]

Here at BJC in Denver, vehicle gate access is with a card, and the car must have an airport registration sticker. It works well, but they also have cameras all over the airport watching the gate both directions, all the hangars, taxiways, ramps, etc. They also enforce the driving rules very well. And before getting a card, you have to sit through an airport safety and training class.

There is a local pilot, a bit of a YouTube celebrity who lost his driving privileges. He owns a hangar almost directly across from mine. Driving too fast and riding a wheelie on his motorcycle across the ramp, got him a warning and a 30 day ban. During the ban, he was seen going in through the out gate right as someone pulled through. That got him a permanent ban. I met him the other day walking across the ramp with wife/girlfriend, dragging suitcases. It's a long walk.

The system seems to work very well. And I certainly like being able to drive to my hangar and park the car inside if leaving for a trip.

[RLCarter]

Contact the AOPA ASN Volunteer ASN Search HERE, if there is not an ASN for your airport contact AOPA and let them know what is going on. There are very few Airports that do not receive Federal Funding which comes with an extremely large list of "Do's & Don'ts" the Aiport HAS to abide by or they Repay the grant monies issued. The ASN volunteer should be going to Airport Advisory Board meetings and they can bring it up there as well although Covid-19 might have the meetings put on hold for now. 

[takair]

1 minute ago, RLCarter said:

Contact the AOPA ASN Volunteer ASN Search HERE, if there is not an ASN for your airport contact AOPA and let them know what is going on. There are very few Airports that do not receive Federal Funding which comes with an extremely large list of "Do's & Don'ts" the Aiport HAS to abide by or they Repay the grant monies issued. The ASN volunteer should be going to Airport Advisory Board meetings and they can bring it up there as well although Covid-19 might have the meetings put on hold for now. 

Thanks.  He has been contacted already, but I don’t know that anything will come of it.  Things seem to be happening outside of the normal process, including the advisory board.  I’ve searched for specific references in the regulations and the funding agreements, but this area seems rather vague.  Safety is always emphasized and I think the AOPA rep referred to it as a privilege vs a right.  COVID is not helping the matter of communications.

[RLCarter]

@takair our airport hired a new manager who implemented HIS revised Rules. One of the rules was No Painting in the hangars (private or city owned) without prior writen  authorization..... I wore him out on little brackets and pieces, so now it's no longer a rule , I think I would need escorted in and out a bunch

[amillet]

There could be a good reason for no painting.  At our hangars one owner’s insurance recently had to pay to fix overspray damage to several aircraft and vintage autos in adjacent hangars. They are not airtight or overspray tight. 

[Hank]

12 hours ago, RLCarter said:

@takair our airport hired a new manager who implemented HIS revised Rules. One of the rules was No Painting in the hangars (private or city owned) without prior writen  authorization..... I wore him out on little brackets and pieces, so now it's no longer a rule , I think I would need escorted in and out a bunch

It would help on each visit to leave something in your car (2 more escorts to retrieve it), make a trip from your hangar to the store and back, etc. Forgetting your hangar key in your car is entirely believable . . . .

[RLCarter]

2 hours ago, amillet said:

There could be a good reason for no painting.  At our hangars one owner’s insurance recently had to pay to fix overspray damage to several aircraft and vintage autos in adjacent hangars. They are not airtight or overspray tight. 

true, and I get that part but this was no painting of any kind. On my side of the Airport they are all Box Hangars with at least 10ft between them, the Hangar behind (up wind) mine is now used for painting aircraft by an A&P/IA and other than the smell I havent had an issue yet

[RLCarter]

8 hours ago, Hank said:

It would help on each visit to leave something in your car (2 more escorts to retrieve it), make a trip from your hangar to the store and back, etc. Forgetting your hangar key in your car is entirely believable . . . .

exactly, their rules...we just play be them

[LANCECASPER]

23 hours ago, gsxrpilot said:

Here at BJC in Denver, vehicle gate access is with a card, and the car must have an airport registration sticker. It works well, but they also have cameras all over the airport watching the gate both directions, all the hangars, taxiways, ramps, etc. They also enforce the driving rules very well. And before getting a card, you have to sit through an airport safety and training class.

There is a local pilot, a bit of a YouTube celebrity who lost his driving privileges. He owns a hangar almost directly across from mine. Driving too fast and riding a wheelie on his motorcycle across the ramp, got him a warning and a 30 day ban. During the ban, he was seen going in through the out gate right as someone pulled through. That got him a permanent ban. I met him the other day walking across the ramp with wife/girlfriend, dragging suitcases. It's a long walk.

Let me see if I have this right . .  he is no longer allowed to drive a car or motorcycle on airport property, but he can taxi, take off and land an airplane on airport property . . . hmm. If he is that wreckless he should probably just be banned from hangaring there.

[gsxrpilot]

58 minutes ago, LANCECASPER said:

Let me see if I have this right . .  he is no longer allowed to drive a car or motorcycle on airport property, but he can taxi, take off and land an airplane on airport property . . . hmm. If he is that wreckless he should probably just be banned from hangaring there.

Yeah, you have it correct... doesn't make a lot of sense actually. 

Other than maybe it's just about following rules. He seems to follow the rules when in his airplane, just not when in his car. 

Someone did ask in the meeting what would happen if he gets his car through the gate somehow and is caught driving around the ramp again. The airport said they would cancel the lease on the land under his hangar. He'd have to take it down and move it, or sell it. But he would also be banned from the airport and would be arrested for trespassing if he violated that order. 

[takair]

1 hour ago, LANCECASPER said:

Let me see if I have this right . .  he is no longer allowed to drive a car or motorcycle on airport property, but he can taxi, take off and land an airplane on airport property . . . hmm. If he is that wreckless he should probably just be banned from hangaring there.

In our case, they limited access to all GA tenants vs finding the culprit.  The big FBO still has people including non-pilots, driving in and out.  I really don’t get airport politics...any politics for that matter.

[tigers2007]

There is a local pilot, a bit of a YouTube celebrity who lost his driving privileges.

That’s not Jonas is it?

[gsxrpilot]

1 hour ago, tigers2007 said:

 

That’s not Jonas is it?

 

No. David Lesh.