Sikorsky Memorial Airport (KBDR), Bridgeport, Connecticut

Bonding commission approves $5.2M for runway 

HARTFORD -- The State Bond Commission approved $5.2 million in runway safety improvements at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford at its meeting Friday.

The commission, whose agenda is controlled by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, also approved $538,000 for rehabilitating the parking garage at Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport and $2 million for the Bridgeport Economic Development Corp. to help minority-owned businesses throughout the southern half of the state obtain bidding and performance bonds.

The Sikorsky Memorial Airport improvements have been stalled for years amid arguments by Bridgeport, which owns the airport, and Stratford. The town opposed lengthening a runway that would require shifting Main Street on the eastern side of the airport.

Under the agreement announced last year, the runway will stay the same length, but an emergency arresting system will be installed before a 2015 deadline. The project is expected to cost $51 million -- $43.4 million of which will come from the federal government, $2.4 million from Bridgeport and $5.2 million from the state.

"This plan has been around for many years," said Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch, a former state lawmaker who got together with another veteran of the General Assembly, Stratford Mayor John Harkins, to finally hammer out a deal.

About $6 million of the project is targeted for cleaning up a former Raymark Industries landfill in Stratford.

The commission also approved an $8.9 million grant for the Westport Housing Authority to demolish 33 mobile homes at the Sasco Creek Apartments and replace them with 54 new units.

Newtown, meanwhile, was awarded $3 million to continue its planning and design phase of a new Sandy Hook Elementary School.

The Housing Authority in Danbury won a $5.1 million grant for the rehabilitation of the Glen Apartments, including the conversion of heating and cooling systems, upgraded lighting and insulation, an emergency generator, and improvements to the community building at the 100-unit elderly apartment complex.

In Stamford, $10 million was approved for railroad and road replacements.

State Rep. Gerald M. Fox III, D-Stamford, said he was pleased that the commission approved the $10 million to finance preliminary engineering for the bridge replacements and road reconstruction for the Metro-North Railroad bridges over East Main and Atlantic streets in downtown Stamford.

"The bridge replacements and related road construction is critically important to Stamford and the region," Fox said Friday. "Funding dedicated to infrastructure improvements is welcome news to commuters and our neighborhoods." 

Source:   http://www.ctpost.com

Sangster International Airport, Montego Bay, Jamaica

Runway at Donald Sangster Airport, MoBay to be extended


MONTEGO BAY, Feb. 28 (JIS) -- The runway at the Donald Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay is to be extended at a cost of US$65 million.

Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller made the announcement on Friday (February 28), while addressing an Economic Reform Program (ERP) stakeholder’s conference at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in Rose Hall, St. James.

Simpson Miller pointed out that due to the existing length of the runway the airport is unable to accommodate “certain sized aircraft”.

“Specific steps have been taken to address this.  The design for the expansion of the runway by another 450 metres has been completed, and the Airports Authority has begun acquiring the additional parcels of land which will be needed,” she said.

She stated that there are some minor details to be worked out between the Airports Authority and the present lessee of the facility, adding that as soon as those discussions are completed the project should get started.

The Prime Minister said that a number of other projects are to come on stream, aimed at boosting economic growth and employment opportunities.

Among them is construction of the North/South link of Highway 2000. The Linstead to Moneague leg is expected to open mid-year, and the entire project is scheduled for completion by 2016.

“When completed, this road will open up for housing and commercial development, areas of the country, which have been hampered by limited accessibility,” she said.

Source:   http://www.jamaicaobserver.com

Owensboro-Daviess County Airport (KOWB), Kentucky: Coyote delays lieutenant governor's plane Thursday

Runway coyotes an occasional problem, says airport manager

Lt. Gov. Jerry Abramson was running a few minutes late Thursday for his speech to the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce's Rooster Booster breakfast.

He apologized, saying his plane was delayed by a coyote on the runway at Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport.

Source:   http://www.messenger-inquirer.com

Lack of funds stall airstrip development: Ranchi, Jharkhand - India

RANCHI: There's still some time before the state-owned airstrips in Jharkhand can don a new and improved avatar.

"We have drawn the plans to develop six airstrips. The estimates are also ready, but bureaucratic problem is causing the delay," said civil aviation secretary Sajal Chakravarty.

Some of the 20-odd airstrips in the state are covered with thick bushes, so much so that they are hardly visible to the pilots. The ambitious proposal of revamping six of the 20 airstrips has been put on hold due to acute shortage of funds.

Jharkhand Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA), constituted to provide better structural and technical facilities for existing airports and air transport systems, is unable to dispense funds to the civil aviation department for the purpose.

"The cabinet has declared JCAA as an illegal body for it was created without any legal sanction. Now we have been asked to constitute a new society and transfer the funds from JCAA to the new society," said Chakravarty. JCAA has Rs 15 crore in its kitty, which the department needs to develop the airstrips. The Jharkhand civil aviation department has started the process of constituting a civil aviation society. This has temporarily stalled the efforts to revamp the airstrips.

"The airstrips are danfraught with risk. At several airstrips, pits have been formed in the runway, in some pebbles are jutting out. At almost all airstrips, runway markings have been washed away," said an official, adding that the airstrips are at times used for the landing of air taxis.

The government owns seven airstrips in Jharkhand. Only Deoghar airstrip is in a good condition because it was revamped recently. The repair work of Dhanbad, Dumka, Daltonganj, Giridih, Chaibasa and Hazaribag is yet to be taken up. "I expect the repair work to be completed within six months,'' said Chakrvarty.

Story and Comments/Reaction:   http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Runway extension getting mistake-proofed: Gary/Chicago International Airport (KGYY), Indiana

In a cover-up of epic proportions, the Gary/Chicago International Airport is spreading blue tarps over its 1,900-foot runway extension in order to ward off pilots who might mistake it for the end of the main runway.

Any pilot trying to land on the extension would be in for a rude shock, as a railroad embankment carrying Canadian National trains still separates the extension from the main runway.

AECOM project manager John Lukas and airport engineer Ken Ross briefed the Gary airport authority on the cover-up project Monday, noting it might add $80,000 to the cost of the expansion project.

The blue tarp is going on top of black sand the airport already spread on the runway at the Federal Aviation Administration's request, Ross said. The blue tarps will be weighted down with sandbags.

The airport had suggested erecting billboards or installing red lights to ward off pilots, but the FAA balked at both those suggestions, Ross said.

So now it is going with an FAA-mandated solution reminiscent of the environmental artworks of the Cristo and Jeanne-Claude team, whose artwork has included covering whole coastlines with fabric and constructing curtains across river valleys.

It could be some time before the existing 7,000-foot main runway and the extension are finally joined, as the airport has run into problems with removing pollution from the site and with nailing down final railroad agreements that will allow Canadian National trains to move off the embankment.

Source:   http://www.nwitimes.com/

San Francisco International Airport (KSFO) Construction to Shut Down More Runways

Two runways at San Francisco International Airport will be closed next summer for the final phase of a construction project, airport officials said today.

Runways 1L and 1R will be reconfigured to create longer thresholds in case an airplane overshoots the runway as part of a federally mandated Runway Safety Area construction project, airport spokesman Doug Yakel said in a statement.

In addition, a new Engineered Material Arresting System will be installed that can safely catch a plane's landing gear if it overshoots.

Landing lights, navigation systems and other equipment will also be relocated as part of the project, Yakel said. Construction will start May 17, 2014, and last through September 2014. Work will be conducted day and night, seven days a week in order to complete the project quickly and minimize disruptions.

The airport will exclusively use its two main runways, Runways 28L and 28R, during the closures.

Travelers may experience minor delays during peak periods in good weather, and should expect more serious delays on bad weather days, similar to what the airports sees on winter days, Yakel said.

"We have been working with the FAA and the airlines for the past several years to develop a plan to adjust schedules and capacity in advance of the temporary closure in order to minimize the impact to our customers during construction," Yakel said in a statement. "Closing both runways at the same time is the safest and fastest option," Yakel said.

The airport previously closed a major runway in February this year as part of the same safety improvement project.

Source:  http://www.nbcbayarea.com

Mansfield Municipal Airport (1B9), Massachusetts: Runway Getting Cleaned Up

The Mansfield Municipal Airport's runway 4/22 is having some trees cleared after Selectmen already approved improvements for the main runway.

Selectmen unanimously voted to allow the Airport Commission to have the trees from the airport's grass covered runway which runs perpendicular to the Fruit Street entrance. The motion was approved in perpetuity, meaning the commission will be able to have trees cleared in the future without the permission of the selectmen.

Most of the trees that need to be cleared are on town property except for a few on private land, but the commission is talking to the owner about cutting them down. The commission will most likely dig up the tree stumps and plant grass. 

Source:   http://mansfield-ma.patch.com

Groundbreaking Held at Rochelle Municipal Airport (KRPJ) for Runway Extension

ROCHELLE (WIFR) -- In the mid 1940′s business man LaVerne Schultz created a grass runway near his factory on Highway 251 south first known as Shultz Field. In 1963 Mr. Schultz donated 27 acres of land to the City of Rochelle in this same location and construction began on a 2100′ hard surface runway. In 1988 the runway was lengthened and widened to the current 4226′ x 75′ runway.

Over the last 5 years the City of Rochelle has worked closely with the Illinois Division of Aeronautics, the Federal Aviation Administration, local land owners and City officials to purchase land necessary to extend the runway to 5001’x75’. This additional length will allow current industries based in Rochelle to utilize the Rochelle Municipal airport instead of neighboring airports. The additional runway length will also act as a catalyst for more economic growth in the region. “The City of Rochelle has always been an innovative community and the airport runway extension is another example of the infrastructure assets that City has invested to further grow the local economy” said Mayor Chet Olson.

Fifty years after the City of Rochelle took over Schultz Field it was renamed Koritz Field. Hosting a ground breaking event for the 2013 expansion of the City of Rochelle Municipal Airport Koritz Field the City Officials boasted about their economic development progress. David Plyman, Rochelle City Manager said “Rochelle has become a very attractive location for industrial clients, especially those that require air and rail service. We are blessed to have the support of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and IDOT’s Division of Aeronautics on this project”.

The nearly $1,500,000.00 project expands the city’s runway length to 5,001’ allowing larger corporate jet aircraft to utilize the Rochelle Municipal Airport, giving the airport the ability to handle these types of aircraft will add to the amenities that Rochelle has to offer. Funding for the project is 90% funded by discretionary money distributed by the State of Illinois and a 10% by the City of Rochelle. Mark Delhotal, Airport Manager for the Rochelle Municipal Airport added, “The increased runway length will allow aircraft from across the country to fly directly into Rochelle instead of neighboring airports, which will allow more opportunities for businesses to be based in Rochelle”.

Jason Anderson, Economic Development Director for the City of Rochelle added, “We have been capitalizing on our infrastructure assets to bring more industry to Rochelle for more than 50 years. We have interstate highways I-88 and I-39, the Union Pacific and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroads, a City owned short line railroad, and our own municipal airport. It makes “logistical” sense to be in Rochelle”.

Story and Photo:  http://www.wifr.com

Zephyrhills Municipal Airport (KZPH), Florida: Runway rehab contractor selected

ZEPHYRHILLS — The Zephyrhills City Council unanimously accepted the low bid of a Tallahassee construction company Monday for a runway rehabilitation project at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport.

C.W. Roberts Contracting was selected from five bidders with a low bid of $4.7 million.

The company will rehab the airport’s runway 4-22, which is in disrepair, and install lighting on taxiway A. Mike Handrahan, airport manager, said it is the largest project to improve the airport since it was built in the 1940s.

“It will include a complete rebuild [of the runway] from the base,” Handrahan said. He said the project also will include more than 80 lighting fixtures on taxiway A and construction of a new aircraft run-up pad for runway 18.

About $5 million in funds from the Federal Aviation Administration, the Florida Department of Transportation and the city will be used for the project. Preparatory expenses for the project make up the difference between the bid and the available funding.

The airport’s 4-22 runway is 5,001 feet long and 100 feet wide. Initial funding would only pay for a 75-foot width for the runway project, but Handrahan said that would be detrimental to airport business and growth. Corporate jets often will not land on 75-foot wide runways, he said.

The city appealed to the FDOT to provide funding to rehab the runway at 100 feet wide and it was approved. Airport staff also found extra money by deferring other airport projects.

The exact start date for the project has not been set. The contractor is expected to begin soon and the project is expected to take about nine months to complete.

In other action, the council also unanimously approved Chancey Road Christian Church and The Samaritan Project of Zephyrhills as partners in applying for a state grant on homeless prevention.

City Manager Jim Drumm told the council that the funds being sought are leftover funds from a state Emergency Solutions grant. In March, Drumm had received complaints from council members and the public because he did not take advantage of the grant.

Drumm said he didn’t have enough time to complete the application.

“We learned about it very late and we were given a very short window to prepare,” he said in March. “We had less than 10 days to get it processed, and we were concerned that it wasn’t enough time to put together a quality proposal.”

Drumm said the city was informed of the availability of the leftover funds last week and that staff “quickly scrambled” to review the grant requirements and advertise the need for a nonprofit partner to administer the grant funds.

To ensure success, the city approached several organizations that were determined to have the know-how to carry out the administrative duties. Chancey Road Christian Church and The Samaritan Project applied jointly and were the only applications received.

Samaritan Project and the Chancey Road Christian Church joined together for the grant because a paperwork error by the state has delayed The Samaritan Project’s nonprofit status approval.

The purpose of the grant is to assist individuals and families in finding permanent housing. The grant pays for both housing relocation, including rental application fees, security deposits, utility deposits or payments, last month’s rent, and housing search costs.

Source:  http://tbo.com

Chautauqua County/Dunkirk Airport (KDKK), Dunkirk, New York: Still working on runway extension

Pilots and passengers wanting to utilize the new runway extension and parallel taxiway for the Dunkirk Airport will have to wait a bit longer. At a recent Airport Commission meeting, it was announced the engineers and contractors were having some delays on the project. 

County Manager for Airports and Parks Sam Arcadipane said there has been a problem with the mix and core samples taken while paving the runway.

Peter Rase, engineer with Passero Associates, said the Federal Aviation Administration's mix currently on the runway is "more difficult to make and place" than mixes found locally, which has been causing troubles. The asphalt will not stick to the FFA's mix. Due to project specs, a test strip has to pass before paving can continue. The first two test strips failed, but a third passed, Rase said.

"We had a passing base test strip. We started production paving on the taxiway and everything was going along smoothly. Halfway through the day, the mix for whatever reason started to come apart. We stopped and removed all of the bad asphalt ... back to where the change had occurred and left the remainder back in. Since that time we have tried two other days to pave the base with no good results. The mix will not compact," Rase said.

An industry expect from Ohio spent a week here and made suggestions. The airport took those suggestions and paved again prior to the meeting. The paving seemed to stick, according to Rase.

"With that confidence we're going ahead and paving ... Right now we're cautiously optimistic that what we did is going to pass and we're set up to pave tomorrow for the taxiway to get the base day. It will be another two days on the runway to get the base done," Rase said.

Once the base is down, the top will be laid but will also need to be tested and some core samples have been taken. Rase said the failure of this mixture is rare and has never seen this severe of a situation in over three decades. He theorized the aggregate of the gravel mix, which is more round and doesn't want to compact. With the troubles, the project's budget will not be impacted. It is being worked out between the contractor and Gernatt Gravel Products who is the supplier.

"The contractor is bearing the burden, between the contractor and the supplier. I'm not sure how that's breaking out ..." said Rase. "They have been super cooperative, the contractor and the supplier."

The paving will continue and there is about eight days left to pave until the project is completed. All paving is weather permitting with a ground temperature of at least 48 degrees. Following completion of paving, the FAA requires a 30-day period before the runway and taxiway can be grooved or marked.

"The only reason they want a month is so the asphalt will cure so you're not ripping it up. This time of year with these temperatures, I'm not too concerned about that. I have done it a week after paving and it has been fine. The only reason we wait a month on the marking is to let the oil wear off the surface so the paint sticks. We can accelerate that schedule," Rase said.

In an unrelated matter, the board discussed a request to renew the lease for the Lucile M. Wright Air Museum located at the Jamestown airport for another 10-year lease. The lease will expire at the end of the year and the board did not act at the meeting. Len Nalbone announced the Jamestown airport purchased a boom truck for deicing and the truck can hold 2,000 gallons of fluid. The commission will meet again on Nov. 6 at 4 p.m. at the Jamestown airport.

Story and Comments/Reaction:   http://www.observertoday.com

Gogebic-Iron County Airport (KIWD), Ironwood, Michigan: Construction continues on taxiway

IRONWOOD TOWNSHIP — A $1.85 million taxiway project began at the Gogebic-Iron County Airport on Sept. 3, but won’t be completed until next summer.

Airport manager Mike Harma said completion is scheduled for July 1.

The second runway at the airport has been closed for a long time, Harma said. The additional taxiway will provide safety for passengers by providing for a space for planes waiting to take off, while other planes are landing.

The runway was built in the 1950s, Harma said He has been managing the airport since January.

Eighty percent of the subgrade is in place, Harma said, and workers from James Peterson and Sons of Medford, Wis ., were finishing burying light cans on Friday.

Next week, gravel will be put down.

Currently, planes have to delay landing if another plane is on the runway getting ready to take off, Harma said. Other airports with this system have had close calls, which is why the Federal Aviation Administration wants airports to install taxiways, Harma said.

The next phase of the project will be engineered in 2014, with construction in 2015, Harma said, completing a full parallel runway for the airport.

The project is funded through a federal grant, with 95 percent of the money coming from the FAA. The state of Michigan and the airport split the remaining 5 percent.

Construction will be on hold for the winter season at the end of the month, Harma said, with blacktopping and wiring for runway lighting on the schedule for next spring.

Source:   http://www.yourdailyglobe.com

Wilmington International Airport (KILM) uses Federal Aviation Administration grant for runway work

The Wilmington International Airport recently received more than $6 million from the Federal Aviation Administration for infrastructure improvements – a sign business leaders feel sends a “very good message” to businesses located locally and across the country.

“Meaningful improvements to the airport go a long way in continuing to show that our airport is doing well and is capable of improving business in our community,” said Wilmington Business Development CEO Scott Satterfield. “It could play well in our conversations with companies and could make a difference in their decision.”

The airport typically gets about $3 million from FAA in grant money based on passenger numbers, but this year the airport received an additional $3.5 million in discretionary grants to complete a runway project that has been in the works for several years.

The airport completed a 750-foot extension on the north end of the airport's north-south runway – which runs from Smith Creek to near the intersection of Blue Clay Road and North Kerr Avenue – back in August. But this extended area is not yet available to planes.

Julie Wilsey, the airport's deputy director, said the airport now has to purchase land near the end of the runway and remove some trees to clear the end of the runway for landing. It also plans to repave the entire runway, add additional navigational aids and mark the new runway threshold. Runway thresholds are markings across the runway that denote the beginning and end of the designated space for takeoffs and landings.

“We have a hard time doing anything simple. There are so many moving parts, so much funding needed,” Wilsey said. “We had to separate it out.”

Completing the runway and adding additional navigational aids has been on the airport's list of capital improvements for five years, according to Wilsey. Runways also have to be fully repaved every 20 years, so Wilsey said the timing was perfect to request funding from the FAA to finish the project.

Final work on the north-south runway project will not start until April, she added. The airport does not have an estimate on how long the work will take because much of it is weather dependent. The current runway, without the added length, will continue to operate until work begins.

Local contracting company S.T. Wooten Corp. will handle the work. Wooten was also the contractor on the original runway extension work.

Satterfield applauded the airport's use of a local contracting company.

“It's fantastic they would use this improvement to help boost the local economy,” he said.

Original article:   http://www.starnewsonline.com

Federal Aviation Administration making demands on Warren County, Ohio

LEBANON —

The Federal Aviation Administration has attached strings to funding for a new $3.4 million taxiway at the Warren County Airport.

Airport authority officials met with the Warren County commissioners Tuesday to discuss plans for further expansion at the airport and FAA demands. The FAA is apparently uncomfortable with the county’s arrangement with Bob Henderson, who owns and operates the airport. The county owns the runway and land to the east of the runway.

Bill Simmons, retiring president of the Warren County Port Authority, says the FAA would essentially like the county to force Henderson to sell his portion of the airport to the county. He said the feds don’t like public improvements that benefit private businesses.

“The FAA would prefer us to own the whole thing, to basically confiscate the property,” he said.

Simmons said they are in the process of drafting an “Operations Alternatives Study” for the FAA that outlines why the current setup with Henderson is preferable. If the FAA allows the status quo to continue, Simmons said the county will undoubtedly have to renegotiate the contract with Henderson.

“We will probably be forced by the FAA to negotiate a more cumbersome contract with the Warren County Airport that will define the cost of services provided to the county in return for a defined value to the Warren County Airport of their access to the government owned airport,” he wrote in a report to the commissioners. “The FAA’s primary issue is private commercial access to publicly funded facilities and potential anti-competitive practices.”

Henderson has recently spent $2.3 million expanding his side of the runway. The airport authority pays Henderson $27,600 a year to run the airport. The county — which is required by state law to operate a county airport — has spent $764,892 purchasing properties and easements so that trees can be downed and a pond filled in, to meet FAA requirements and extend the usable length of the runway.

The FAA wants the county to construct the taxiway on the east side of the runway and bring new development on the county-owned land. The county would have to abandon the dilapidated taxiway on the west side, which would be problematic for the planes housed on Henderson’s land, according to Simmons.

Commissioner Dave Young said he has no problem with developing the east side and he has been approached by developers. He said while the county is very satisfied with the arrangement with Henderson, if the airport operation on the other side of the runway were ever sold, they might be stuck with someone who won’t be as cooperative and it’s a good thing to keep their options open.

“I don’t think philosophically we’re too far off (with the FAA),” he said. “It’s almost the chicken or the egg, they are saying go ahead and build all this and then they’ll come. We’re saying we don’t want to build it until we have to and then run it, but we are willing to do that.”

Original article:   http://www.middletownjournal.com

Sangster airport in Jamaica seeking US$40m runway extension

(Jamaica Observer) Negotiations are underway for an over US$40 million runway extension at the Sangster International Airport aimed at attracting heavier aircraft from fast growing tourist regions.

The development — separate from the recently completed runway resurfacing — would be the amongst the largest investments in that airport since privatization in 2003, according to Elizabeth Scotton.

Currently the company and Government are in discussions on the design and financing, she said.

“The cost is complicated,” said the chief commercial officer at MBJ Airports Ltd, which operates the airport located in Montego Bay. “It will require the acquisition of land, additional lighting, a lot of infrastructure. It will cost over US$40 million because its a very significant project. We hope to conclude discussions by the end of the year.”

The runway would be extended by some 15 per cent to just under 10,000 feet (3 kilometres), which would put it on par with rival destinations in the region.

She indicated that a longer runway would facilitate increased entry of travelers from Eastern Europe, one of the island’s fastest growth market in tourism.

The airport’s total passengers hit 3.38 million in 2012 in line with the annual two to three per cent growth.

“It’s not to say we will automatically get those travelers but by adding the additional runway length it would open us up to new markets and increased capacity,” she summarized.

Most commercial aircraft can rotate at Sangster, she reasoned. However aircraft heavy on fuel returning to Russia are constrained by the runway length and may opt to reduce the plane’s load factor by imposing passenger or luggage requirements.

Later she clarified in a message: “You can actually say if you wish that some aircraft, like the A330-300 and A340 operated by airlines like Aeroflot could not likely operate from here with the existing runway length to that distance”.

Scotton said that extending the runway is not part of MBJ Airports concessionaire requirement. However, she declined to indicate whether the Government of Jamaica would shoulder any of the cost.

“The discussions on how it will be financed are continuing with Government,” she said in a telephone interview with the Observer. “We also continue discussions with our lending partners at the IFC — the lending arm of the World Bank.”

MBJ Airports recently completed its US$18.5 million runway resurfacing project. The IFC in its annual report indicated that it disbursed some US$7.5 million towards that project. Scotton said that the resurfacing would extend the runway life by some 20 years, which is a part of requirements under its concessionaire agreement.

“The runway resurfacing is separate from the the runway extension. It is still under discussion,” she said.

MBJ Airports is a consortium led by Spanish based conglomerate Abertis and Vancouver Airport Services. The consortium made an initial investment of US$112 million when it acquired the airport in 2003 from the Airports Authority of Jamaica.

Original article:  http://www.stabroeknews.com

Emporia Municipal Airport (KEMP) Reopens

The Emporia Airport reopened to air traffic Tuesday afternoon after being closed for almost 45 days while the main runway was being resurfaced. 

As the final striping was done and barricades were being removed, planes were already lining up to take off.

The airport had been closed since Aug. 12 to allow for Shears Construction to complete the resurfacing. The project consisted of milling and then putting a 2-inch overlay on the runway. The project cost more than $1.2 million and hadn’t been done in more than 20 years.

During the runway closure, there was only one incident.

“A plane was trying to get to Lawrence but because of bad weather, couldn’t, so at 10 p.m., with no runway lights, they landed on the runway,” Adams said. “Only after they pulled up and saw the blinking constructions lights did they realize the airport runway was closed.”

Emporia receives significant air traffic and the closure left Emporia pilots having to move their planes to other airports to be able to use them during the closure. Other pilots left their planes grounded during the resurfacing.

Emporia Flight Instructor Brian Cornell said he was excited to have the airport open again. During the interim, he had to use the Burlington airport to train students.

“Burlington made us feel welcome, but it was more difficult to get people trained since they had to travel 30 minutes to get to Burlington,” Cornell said. “Other students receiving instruction just decided to wait until the Emporia Airport opened again.”

There is still more work to do, but most of it can be done while the runway is open.

“The airport will need to be closed for one day at the end of October to put down some permanent striping,” Airport Manager Ken Adams said.

As a celebration of the runway’s completion and improvements, the airport will host a Wings and Wheels open house for the community on Oct 26. Cornell, one of the event organizers, has lined up single and multi-engine planes, jets, vintage aircraft, hot air balloons, gliders, helicopters, powered parachutes and more for the open house.

“This will be a great opportunity to showcase all the improvements and things happening at the Emporia Airport,” Cornell said.

Original article:  http://www.emporiagazette.com

San Francisco International Airport (KSFO) Runways Shut Down For Debris Cleanup

More than 100 volunteers will fan out across two runways at San Francisco International Airport on Wednesday to pick up debris that could damage aircraft, a spokesman said.

The volunteers, mostly SFO employees, are taking part in the airport’s annual effort to clear its major runways of “foreign object debris,” or “FOD,” SFO spokesman Doug Yakel said.

FOD refers to any object that does not belong on an airfield and could cause damage by getting sucked into an airplane’s engines, such as rocks, pieces of pavement or mechanical parts, Yakel said.

The Runway FOD walk is meant to bolster runway inspections that SFO safety officers conduct on a daily basis, and involve a wider swath of employees in safety practices, Yakel said.

Air traffic control will halt all airplane traffic on two runways between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. so the team of volunteers can sweep the area.

The Runway FOD walk is not expected to cause any flight delays, as the operation will take place during light air traffic, Yakel said.

Original article:  http://sfappeal.com

Reconstructed General Aviation apron paving began today; $1.3 million project at Riverton Regional Airport (KRIW), Wyoming

(Riverton, Wyo.) – A test strip of asphalt was laid down this morning on a newly reconstructed general aviation apron at Riverton Regional Airport as part of a $1.3 million asphalt improvement project.

Also scheduled for paving is Taxiway C, on which 2.5 inches of asphalt was milled last week and will be overlaid this week as the apron is paved.

Maxwell Construction of Salt Lake City is the general contractor on the project, and Dave’s Asphalt of Riverton is providing the hot mix. Overseeing the project today was Dave Maxwell, owner of the Utah contracting firm.

Details of the project can be found here.

Story and Photos:   http://county10.com

Official: Trenton Mercer Airport (KTTN) not being expanded, just upgraded

 

Three separate projects are under way at Trenton-Mercer Airport in Ewing Township, N.J., but none involve expanding the facility’s runways, an airport representative said Thursday. 

Two of the projects, estimated to run about $16 million each, are required by the Federal Aviation Administration to improve safety, said Jon Donahue, a manager for C&S Companies. The New York-based firm is working with the airport to coordinate the three projects.

Donahue presented an outline of the work on Thursday to the Delaware Regional Aviation Committee in Philadelphia. The committee advises the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission on aviation issues.

A handful of members of Bucks Residents for Responsible Airport Management attended the meeting in the main conference room of the DVRPC in the American College of Physicians Building at Independence Mall West.

The BRRAM members said they were there to gather information to use in their battle to have an Environmental Impact Statement done on the airport. The group members, who primarily are from Lower Makefield and Yardley, said the FAA should have ordered the extensive study after Frontier Airlines started providing commercial service from Trenton-Mercer in late 2012.

The airport’s flight paths cross over many neighborhoods in the two Bucks County municipalities. The Frontier Airlines flights have increased air traffic noise pollution, BRRAM members said. (The airline has temporarily discontinued its service at Trenton-Mercer while the three renovation projects are under way.)

One of the $16 million projects involves installing an Engineered Material Arresting System at the ends of the airport’s runways. The crushable concrete masses, known in aviation circles as EMAS, are used to stop an aircraft from overshooting a runway, according to the FAA.

The other $16 million project is devoted to replacing decaying taxiways, Donahue said. The work is much akin to crews replacing aging roadways, he said.

The FAA is covering 90 percent of the costs associated with the EMAS and taxiway projects, Donahue said. The rest is being financed by state and county money.

The third project should run about $4 million and involves terminal upgrades that include a baggage conveyor belt and construction of two new bathrooms, according to Donahue. The project also will expand the airport’s parking lot from 600 spaces to 1,200 spaces, he said. Mercer County is paying for that work.

Most of the renovations and upgrades should be completed by early November, Donahue said. Frontier Airlines plans to resume service at Trenton-Mercer Nov. 8, officials said.
 
Story, Photo Gallery and Video:   http://www.phillyburbs.com

After THAI incident, Suvarnabhumi Airport to get new runway

Heavy traffic at Suvarnabhumi Airport and Sunday’s incident with a disabled Thai Airways International aircraft which closed a runway for three days compels the Airports of Thailand (AoT) to build a new runway as soon as possible.

Transport Minister Chadchart Sittipunt insisted that Suvarnabhumi Airport needs a third runway to ease traffic congestion and to be prepared for emergencies.

THAI flight TG679 from Guangzhou skidded off Suvarnabhumi Airport’s eastern runway Sunday night, forcing its closure until Wednesday night, causing delays to hundreds of flights.

Chadchart said the new runway would not be longer than 3,000 meters following AoT’s recommendation that an environmental impact assessment (EIA) would be compulsory if it is longer than 3,000 meters.

However, AoT should conduct an EIA in conjunction with the construction, bearing in mind the possible impacts on people, he said.

Sita Divari, AoT board chairman, said AoT would strictly follow the Transport Ministry policy and would conduct an EIA during the construction.

He said the third runway would be reserved for emergency use.

AoT directors discussed the matter Tuesday together with building a new runway for Phuket Airport, he said.

Marisa Pongpattanapun, chairwoman of the Airline Operators Committee (AOC), said the third runway is necessary to prevent landing and takeoff delays as much as possible.

The transport minister has appointed a fact-finding committee to investigate the THAI’s Airbus A330-300 incident. It took 65 hours for the aircraft to be moved from the runway to a hangar.

The committee was instructed to submit its report within two weeks in order to find measures to effectively handle such an incident at all airports in the future.

The committee must find out whether passengers were transferred from the aircraft in accord with required procedures, whether the media crisis management including covering the THAI logo after the accident was appropriate, and whether the post-accident aviation management was correctly done.

Original article:   http://www.pattayamail.com

Thai Airways Airbus A330-300, HS-TEF, Flight TG-679,  Accident occurred September 08, 2013

Development Review Board has questions about Deerfield Valley Airport expansion

WILMINGTON- At Monday night’s meeting the Development Review Board requested that Hermitage Real Estate Holding Company LLC representatives provide construction permits from previous owners of the newly named Deerfield Valley Airport. The DRB also set a site visit to the airport for Monday, September 30, at 5:30 pm, which will be followed by a public meeting at town hall.

Before granting a permit for Hermitage to extend the Deerfield Valley Airport runway to 4,400 feet, the DRB is requesting original development plans from the 1960s, as well as state and local permits pertaining to the development of the airport from the 1990s. The board wants these documents to back up language in Hermitage’s application that mentions the existence of the airport for over 45 years. “What I’d like to see is documents that show that,” said DRB chair Nicki Steel. “We have nothing in terms of a piece of paper showing the original time for when it was started.”

The permits were part of a list of information that the DRB needs from Hermitage and the town. Other items the board would like to collect include clarification of airport hours of operation, information about lighting, and information on whether abutters who live in Dover can be included as interested parties in the proceedings.

The board will also take time to evaluate how the airport plans fit into the town’s zoning ordinance, after Hermitage representative Bob Fisher explained that the Hermitage application lists their plans as conditional use, when in reality they are looking at a pre-existing, nonconforming use. Fisher says this is because the area where the proposed runway extension will go is a residential district with allowed commercial use, and since the airport plans were developed in the 1960s with expansion to 4,400 feet in the 1990s, the Hermitage plans actually fit the definition of a pre-existing, nonconforming use. The Hermitage changed its request to be an extension of a nonconforming use.

Bob Harrington, an engineer working with the Hermitage, explained that the original runway was 2,650 feet with 850 feet in Wilmington. Harrington also said that the extension to 4,400 feet had been approved with an Act 250 permit in the late 1980s, at which time he began construction, clearing 1,200 feet to the south and putting in the necessary fill. “Did that make it part of the runway?” asked Steel. “No, it was never paved, just filled in,” said Harrington. “Because of the economic situations of the time it was abandoned.”

“If you look at the map from at least 1970 this was the proposed footprint of the airport,” said Fisher, “that’s why no lots were made on that orange line (the orange line on Hermitage’s map shows the extension area) because this airport was slated.”

Harrington said that the need for the extension, as well as widening the clear space along the sides of the runway, were required by the FAA in order to allow B1 planes and jets to land at the airport. “ It (airport) had many major defects by FAA standards and that’s the reason why we’re doing this project.”

Ken Kaliski, senior director of Resource System Group in White River Junction, presented the board with a noise level study his group performed. The board had not been given time to read it, so Steel asked Kalinski to summarize some of the main points of the study. Kalinski said that the FAA uses a 65-decibel standard for noise at airports the size of this one, but he was recommending a 55-decibel limit because it was in a residential zone.

Read more: Deerfield Valley News - DRB has questions about airport expansion