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Thread: Bad airport neighbors

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Sep 2012
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    Central Ohio
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    Angry Bad airport neighbors

    I posted in my blog this morning on the topic and it really boils my blood....

    Does anyone else think it's crazy for people to move in near an airport and complain about it?
    Brent Owens
    RV-8 'Contrary Mary' - Flying
    www.fixedwingbuddha.com



  2. #2

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    Jul 2011
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    Sidney, OH
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    I agree, if your going to buy a home near any facility that creates noise, street traffic, or any commercial activity you need to THINK before you sign the offer. Unfortunately, too many people are so impressed by the nice features a new home offers that they overlook the neighborhood. Developers are only interested in making a profit, will not make any mention of anything that might discourage a sale. Airports are really vulnerable, given the large amount of real estate they require and as the suburbs sprawl they tend to surround the older airports. This is a set-up for real estate developers to grab-up some really prime property and it is happening all over the country. It's not some kind of plot, just a simple opportunity for a few people to make some $$$. There is rarely any serious opposition to expanding a major airport like say O'Hare in part, because the airlines and the local govt. needs the facility and the revenue it generates. Smaller airports with low levels of activity are easy targets, OSU is not small and the best way to fight this stuff is to point out the economic impact the airport makes to the whole community. We just had an election where a lot of talk focused on jobs, closing an airport replaces permanent jobs with a one time bump in construction, very short term thinking.

    Joe

  3. #3

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    arizona department of real estate website. airport boundary maps. territory in the vicinity of an airport. mandatory disclosure to buyers before closing. all states should do that. basically - you were told before you bought, so sit down and shut up.

  4. #4
    Jim Heffelfinger's Avatar
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    As is here.... note development stalled just NW of airport. when the economy returns there will be houses here..... Name:  Rio Vista O88.jpg
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  5. #5

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    Nov 2012
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    Yes it is crazy. I am still dumbfounded when people come in and say they never new the airport was even here. The airport has been here for years and is right on a busy main road. drivin with blinders and buying houses with blinders.

  6. #6
    Jim Heffelfinger's Avatar
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    see 16 Right video...... classic encroachment - embattled airport

  7. #7
    turbo's Avatar
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    imagine being married to one of these people. we can deal with a few complainers around the airports. keep flying and you have won. this is what you may find if you go flying more. seen off NH beach last summer.

    Name:  img0798bp.jpg
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    Ed DArcy 'Turbo'
    R-44 N7511G 1,300 hrs / RV-6 N26ED 4,700 hrs / helicycle 100 hrs
    Stuart, FL Hartford,Ct Virgin Gorda, BVI

  8. #8

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    Oct 2011
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    If I can offer a more long term perspective, I will start by noting that airports are generally inward directed, and the current trend of erecting fences to keep out the general public has made it worse. In the northeast US, it is less and less common for the average airport to have any sort of open house that invites the general public in to see what the airport does, and its positive impact on the community. Our airports are not presenting any positive messaging outside the airport fence.

    All of those neighbors vote, and there are a lot more of them than there are airport tenants and transients, so for better or worse, the airport people have to make their presence visible in a positive way. Any many do not. Flying Young Eagles is a start, but can not be the end if you want a healthy relationship with your neighbors. At my local city airport the local Young Eagles Coordinator reaches out to the schools and lots of kids, and their parents, come out. For the image of the airport, its the parents who show up that are most important.

    I will note that at the local city airport, the airport manager and the airport authority members have little interest in marketing the airport to the public. They appear to see the non-flying folks outside the fence as noise complaints and potential vandals and terrorists. So if there were a municipal vote to close the facility, what do you think the outcome will be?

    In the specific case of White Plains, which I have observed in the distance for a number of years, you have an airport that is almost entirely populated by corporate hangars, an airline terminal, and higher end type general aviation airplanes. The physical plant involves two states and at least two municipalities, all of which have different political interests. The corporate flight departments tend to want to be anonymous for various reasons (business strategy, external and internal politics...) The airlines and charters view the location as just another station. The sum total is that there is nothing on the airport that any of the airport staff or tenants wants to invite the public in to see, there is no positive messaging being delivered to the general public, and all of those neighbors experience the airport as jet noise. And there are a lot of unhappy voters.

    As the former Speaker of the US House, "Tip" O'Neil, once observed, "All politics is local".

    If you want to make an impact on the future of your local airport, A) Live in or move to the municipality that owns the airport, B) get involved in the politics of the airport. This is not instant gratification, but if you can influence the governing board of the airport, if you can lobby the airport manager to host an event that invites the community to see what goes on at the airport, if you can get the airport to invite all of the local realtors in to tour the airport, you can start to make connections that may result in a neighbor population that views the operations more favorably.

    I fly and I vote. You should do both too.

    Best of luck,

    Wes
    N78PS

  9. #9

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    Jul 2011
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    "Turbo", I am shocked that you would publish on this aviation forum photos of the rear views of half naked young women.
    Shame on you.
    P S. Where are the front views, and don't you have any from Florida or BVI ?
    Last edited by Bill Greenwood; 11-26-2012 at 01:05 PM.

  10. #10

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    Sep 2011
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    Here in Big Bear, CA, ( L35) we take special efforts to keep the public aware and informed about the value of the airport to local safety and economy. Our town is located in a forest-fire prone area so the airport is invaluable as a staging place for fire helicopters and the public knows this and is thankful for the safety provided. We also had the Chamber of Commerce calculate how much money the airport brings into the local economy thru vacationers, skiers, fishermen, tourists, fuel sales, restaurants, motels, etc and it was around $4M/yr. During the summer months, we do Young Eagles each month and usually fly around 40 kids per Saturday event, so that makes more good PR with the public. In a rural community atop mountains, anyone with a severe medical emergency like a heart attack needs evacuation down to a large hospital, so the airport is the place for Medevac flights and the public knows this and supports the airport completely. Should we have a bad earthquake or road closures from heavy snows, the airport is the only means for contact with the outside world and is appreciated by local citizens because we don't let them forget with periodic letters in the local newspaper. Whenever a developer even mentions airport land, the locals go to bat against it with the City Council and have successfully preserved our airport.

    Bob H

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