REDLANDS >> Pilots at Redlands Municipal Airport and representatives from Hangar 24 met Wednesday to clarify a request made to close the airport during the upcoming AirFest and discuss more details of the show.
The Airport Advisory Board on Tuesday recommended against a proposed full closure of the airport the day of the airshow, May 16. Since the meeting, Ben Cook, owner and master brewer of Hangar 24, met with the owners of Coyote Aviation — the business most impacted by the show — and agreed on some modifications to the plan.
They shared an option with the committee that would restrict only hangars east of the Coyote hangars during the block of time air traffic is prohibited. They would use a rope barrier that could be removed when the flight restrictions are lifted, allowing people to move freely among the hangars.
Cook said they would group the aviation portion of the show together, making the time for restrictions shorter.
“We just came up with that while walking around talking about things,” Cook said.
Sue Cook, organizer of the 2015 AirFest and mother of Ben Cook, had sent the city a request on Dec. 3 seeking a full airport closure from 3 to 7 p.m. the day of the show but ideally for the entire day. The board was presented a proposal to close the airport for the full day of the show, which they did not support. The City Council will consider the request Tuesday.
During Wednesday’s committee meeting, Sue Cook clarified that they only need flight restrictions from 3 to 7 p.m., not the entire day.
The request also includes a partial closure to allow for fence installation on Friday and to restrict pedestrian access in some areas.
Event organizers are seeking a 300-foot crowd line from the center line of the runway, which would allow planes performing in the show to land and take off from Redlands.
Last year, performers landed and took off from San Bernardino International Airport.
The crowd line would fall between the hangars, resulting in the need to restrict access to tenants.
Sue Cook said they will present their modifications to the council Tuesday. They need City Council approval in early January in order to meet their deadlines.
Ben Cook said he also agrees with restricting beer sales to the west ramp and setting up a kid zone and family-friendly area to the east.
The committee had been recommending establishing a beer garden rather than having numerous beer concessions stands like last year.
They are also asking for more kid- and family-friendly events.
The committee and the Cooks also hope to use a different type of fencing for this year’s show, rather than the 6-foot chain-link fence the city required them to use last year.
This year, they are seeking bicycle fencing or rope fencing to allow for better viewing of the show by attendees.
Ted Gablin, co-chairman of the committee and president of the Redlands Airport Association, said the location of last year’s fence was also problematic for airport users, when it was set back 200 feet.
Dennis Brown, a pilot at the airport and former airshow organizer, said Federal Aviation Administration asks only for a positive crowd control line, which could be a physical barrier or line on the ground.
Councilwoman Pat Gilbreath said she spoke with a Riverside police officer involved with the airshow hosted at the March Air Reserve Base, who said they use a rope with a sheet stapled over where the ropes connect that reads “no trespassing.”
“That satisfies FAA. I think the city needs to be educated too on what that requirement is because they are concerned about safety, obviously,” Gilbreath said. “That airshow has been going on for quite a while and is very successful.”
The Advisory Board formed an airshow subcommittee in November that has been meeting to discuss guidelines for airshows at the airport. Their recommendations are due in February. The City Council is expected to consider the AirFest application, fee waiver and permit applications in March.
The committee has been meeting to work on recommendations for future events held at the airport, including Hangar 24’s AirFest.
“This has been the product that’s going to come out of our work,” Gablin said, holding up a list of issues and resolutions established by the committee. “It started with identification of the issues that we had at previous events at Redlands airport. We identified the problems and then suggested some solutions.”
Source: http://www.sbsun.com
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