Saturday, December 12, 2015

Mojave Air & Space Port and Federal Aviation Administration working to avoid collision course

Mojave - At the most recent meeting of The Mojave Air and Space Port board, the main topic of discussion came back to a situation that just sprang up back in September in the waning days of Stu Witt’s presence and one that he, new CEO Karina Drees, and the board find themselves having to address rather quickly.  

The situation involves the Federal Aviation Administration’s approval to an energy developer in Mojave that allowed the installation of new transmission lines some 50 to 60 feet taller than the regular ones. 

They are very close to the airport creating a flight path hazard to one of the most iconic and historically significant airports in the world, and one that sees a great deal of flight activity on a regular basis. 

 With tenants such as Virgin Galactic, The Spaceship Company, Scaled Composites, and many local aviators like Dick Rutan, Al and Cathy Hansen and hundreds more that fly in and out of MASP with regularity. The FAA did not notify the airport when it gave approval for the higher poles, and at no time did the board have an opportunity for input or even advance knowledge of the approval given by the agency. They just did it with seemingly no regard to the airport whatsoever. CEO at the time Witt sought clarification on the matter and dove in with current CEO Drees only to essentially be shut down on the pole matter by the FAA and yet in acting to maintain the safety of flights at the airport they encountered ‘PART 77’. 

PART 77, is the FAA’s regulation concerning the ‘Safe, Efficient Use, and Preservation of Navigable Airspace’. It partly consists of a formula created by the agency for ruling on what does or doesn’t constitute a flight hazard and it rules on such matters based on the regulation. In seeking clarification on the pole matter and MASP airspace in general with the agency, Witt and Drees ran into two different interpretations by two different representatives of the agency. Based on old compiled data going back many years and revised data as culled by the second agency representative who saw MASP a being correct on the encroachment issue as opposed to the first regulators interpretation of the data they had. The poles are already in place, but a larger issue now lingers on the horizon. 

 Based on the pool of data produced by the two MASP’s actual land area as written in the pile of original plans going back some forty years at least, which when scrutinized by both the agency and Witt himself might produce a very real dilemma. That would affect MASP size, scope, and very likely flight operations as well. The agency came back stating that according to their calculations based on original plans, they claim that construction can come a full mile closer to the airport, which would make operations rather tight to say the least. Not to mention literally drowning the desert town of Mojave in the notorious wind turbines of questionable value and obvious scenic sabotage that the actual residents of Kern County are forced to see on a daily basis and most of which serve the energy ‘addiction’ of Los Angeles County exclusively. The board did file a formal objection to the agency that requires a timely response, and yet at the time of the meeting the board had no word back from the agency. 

 During the meeting, approval was given for the hiring of a specialty consultant, Dr. Fernando Guerra of Los Angeles. He will act as an intermediary between the agency and the airport to not only resolve the matters at hand, but as former CEO Witt stated the goal hoped for is to “Update PART 77” as well as stopping encroachment.” Describing the entire episode and continuing effects as an “Emerging unknown,” and one that the former CEO openly stated he plans to be a part of addressing before his pending departure from the airport.  

With hope that the historical significance and current high power tenants of the airport as well as the tremendously important spaceflight research that goes on there are not obstructed or hindered further in the quest to fully drown the residents of Kern County.  

The balance between the steady business the county seeks for continual growth and being bought out ‘carpetbagger style’ is a delicate one that MASP now finds itself drawn into.  

Source:  http://www.desertnews.com

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