Until the Federal Aviation Administration says planes can land on runways without flying dangerously close to trees and structures, the agency has halted night flights into Daniel Field.
The restrictions are limited to flights using instrument-controlled approaches, the most common method of pilots using Daniel Field at night, Shealy said.
More trees will need cutting before the airport’s four runways are cleared. The FAA identified 200 “obstructions” around Daniel Field in the airspace for landings.
“If anything is penetrating that airspace, it’s considered a safety issue,” Shealy said.
FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said the obstructions were identified during a “periodic review of instrument flight procedures at Daniel Field.” Bergen referred further questions to Daniel Field, who she said was in the process of mitigating the issues.
Since being alerted to the obstructions, Augusta Aviation has focused on removing or lighting objects in the way of Daniel Field’s most-used runway, which parallels Wrightsboro Road. Aircraft using that runway approach from the west.
The process of identifying the objects, however, has been frustrating, said Steven Gay, president of Augusta Aviation. The FAA says there is one remaining obstruction, but the airport doesn’t know what it is.
“We are waiting for them to say ‘this will do it.’ Because it seems when they said ‘this will do it’ in the past and we do it, it doesn’t meet their ultimate criteria. It’s been a very frustrating thing for us,” Gay said.
Trees were removed from city property at the tennis center, Forest Hills Golf Club, the airport and rights-of-way. None were on private property, but Shealy said it’s possible the airport will have to pay landowners to remove trees as the other three runways have to be cleared.
Daniel Field, which is governed by the 10-member General Aviation Commission, recently fought a proposed Verizon Wireless cellphone tower off Wrightsboro Road. Although the FAA approved the tower, the airport said it wanted to avoid potential problems.
The airport’s close proximity to shopping centers, recreation facilities, neighborhoods and schools doesn’t pose a safety concern, said Kay Roland, chairman of the commission. She said its location is convenient for many flying into the airport.
“This airport is a gateway to Augusta, Ga., even though it’s a small airport. You have all sorts of corporate dignitaries fly in here. A lot of people who fly here bring jobs,” Roland said.
Roland said emergency medicine flights, such as transportation for organ donations, fly into Daniel Field. She said the airport is closer to the area’s hospitals than Augusta Regional Airport, the city’s commercial airport, which also has a general aviation terminal.
Daniel Field is about 3 miles from Georgia Regents Medical Center. Augusta Regional Airport is between 8 and 9 miles.
Shealy said more than 20 flights have had to land at Augusta Regional instead of Daniel Field since the FAA restrictions began this summer. Many organ donor flights are at night, she said.
“Daniel Field is not a playground for rich boys and their toys. We aren’t interested in that,” Shealy said. “This airport serves all the hospitals in the area. Every second counts.”
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