INSIDE THIS ISSUE: LATS Workbook Questionnaire ...1, 2 2008 WPA Award Winners ................3 WPA-PAC ..........................................3 WPA Chapters....................................4 Wind Energy Systems ........................5 Looking for Volunteers .....................6 Advocate of the Year ..........................6 Calendar of Events ............................7 WPA Membership Form ...................8 April/May 2009 President’s Message 7. Pearson Bridge over the Columbia So Just What are 8. Friday Harbor Sewage treatment on the downwind 9. Twisp 125 unit housing development 10. Harvey Field Snohomish County pressing for closure We Working on 11. Hoquiam Towers disrupting the ILS approach 12. Tonasket Housing Development. at the WPA . ? 13. Blaine Closed . assuming City can pay its debt 14. SB 5636 CAP to receive additional reimbursement funds from State Every year at our General Membership 15. HB 1903 Mandate all Ethanol be removed from premium fuel Meeting in Puyallup I take a few moments and review all of the projects we are working on. The 16. SHB 1008 Windmill turbines in proximity to airports following week I attend the Spokane Chapter’s 17. LATS Long-term Air Transportation Study due in June 2009 charity auction (what a great event). And again There are others including a number of administrative projects such as the WPA I went through our list of challenges. Not all Management System, the Website and our newly formed WPA-PAC. attendees are pilots which explained the queried But, of all these projects there is one that needs your immediate attention . it look on some faces. John Dobson, WPA President is THE project . Line Item # 17 LATS (Long-term Air Transportation Study) The average WPA member assumes the Over the past two years the Aviation Planning Council has listened to every expert in State organization has their backside . that we aviation. They are formulating their final recommendations for the Governor. But before are working to protect their airports. They assume we are in Olympia guarding against they do that . they want to hear from you . they must hear from you! I am personally onerous legislation. But every once in a while the question is asked, “So just what are asking you to obtain a copy of the LATS “Workbook” Questionnaire. we working on at the WPA”? So for the benefit of those members who did not make it to I have asked our Webmaster, Kevin Kelly, to post the LATS “Workbook” Questionnaire Puyallup or Spokane here is the “crib notes” list of projects on my desk: on our website. Go to www.wpaflys.org and look for the following logo . click-it. 1. Vista Field City wants a “town center” This 26 page “Workbook” Questionnaire contains a lot of data . maybe more than 2. Cle Elum Developer requesting a rezone for residential use you wanted to know . but be patient. 3. Cashmere House approved 600’ from the end of RWY 07 The first question begins on page 5 of the workbook. To help you with this process 4. Yakima Departure end of 27 . family wants to develop land. we have printed our suggested responses 5. Felts Field City of Spokane Valley residential to rezone on downwind and comments in this issue of WINGS. 6. Spokane Int. Departure End 25 . approved 250 residential units We have also posted a copy of the LATS “Workbook” Questionnaire in a WORD document. Just download and save the file to your computer . fill in your responses and send it to WSDOT in an email. If all else fails call your Chapter officers or me and we will walk you through it. Please don’t delay . timing and your aviation future is in the balance. The questionnaire must be submitted to WSDOT by April 17! WPA’sWPA’s Recommended Recommended Responses Responses to and Comments to and on Comments the LATS PAID Workbook Questionnaire Permit #5 on the LATS workbook Questionnaire PRSRT STD PRSRT U.S. POSTAGE Snohomish, WA Snohomish, Key Issue 1-1: Capacity Constraints Anticipated by 2030 Q # 1 SHOULD THE STATE INVEST IN ADVANCED AVIATION TECHNOLOGY? The State would take an active role in advancing the implementation of new technologies that increase capacity and relieve congestion at airports, including the Next Generation Airport Transportation (NEXTGEN) technology. NEXTGEN technologies include automation information systems, communications, navigation, surveillance and weather, and may contribute to increased runway capacity at congested commercial airport and more efficient use of airspace. The State would work with Congress to accelerate the implementation of NEXTGEN at the national level and explore financial incentives for adoption of NEXTGEN technology. Recommended Response: Support Any Comments: Assumption: NEXTGEN technical specifications and functionality will be designed and implemented by the FAA. It will include a number of communications, tracking, satellite and information technologies. That said the State may want to invest in / complement NEXTGEN in the following ways: 1. Add additional weather reporting stations strategically placed throughout the State . Consider Stampede Pass and Republic Airport Area 2. Request the installation of precision and non-precision approaches such as WAAS-LPV 3. Provide tax incentives to aircraft owners to encourage / expedite the installation of new NEXTGEN equipment. Q # 2 SHOULD THE STATE USE DEMAND MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES? The State would support the evaluation of demand management techniques at its busiest airports to allow for more efficient use of available capacity in a manner that does not unreasonably impair airlines or other users of the system. Recommended Response: Against Any Comments: Demand should be determined by the market place. Specifically, pricing strategies tend to be detrimental to GA. When Pricing Strategies are brought to bear on Commercial Operations they tend to be detrimental to the consumer. If anything the State should look for ways to handle increased demand . such as adding additional airports. Q # 3 SHOULD THE STATE REDISTRIBUTE DEMAND TO NEARBY AIRPORTS? The State would balance the aviation system by advocating and taking actions to support the redistribution of excess demand from capacity-constrained airports to surrounding facilities that have available capacity. The State would ensure that adequate facilities are in place at surrounding airports well-positioned to accommodate the excess demand. A demand re-allocation analysis conducted in LATS identified airports that are positioned to potentially absorb demand from the Washington airports expected to reach 100 percent capacity by 2030. Airports within 60 miles of Sea-Tac that can potentially accommodate commercial service include Boeing Field, Paine Field, Bremerton, and Olympia. Airports within reasonable proximity to Boeing Field that can potentially absorb general aviation demand from the airport include Renton, Auburn, Paine Field, Tacoma Narrows, and Thun Field. Airports well- positioned to alleviate capacity constraints at Harvey Field include Paine Field and Arlington. Recommended Response: Against Any Comments: The Market Forces and capacity should dictate where pilots land. The potential for “Political Meddling” is too great. There may be a case to offer “encouragement” based on Airport Master Plans and forecasted growth . but reality suggests this would never happen. Washington Pilots Association Pilots Washington NE Way PMB 397, 227 Bellevue 98004-9721 WA Bellevue, (Continued on page 2) Any Comments: At this point in time the RCWs do not address hazards to flight . in a meaningful way. It should not be the obligation of the airport sponsor to displace the threshold or increase IFR minimums because a landowner allows a tree to grow into the flight path. It should not be the State’s obligation to remove such obstacles. The onus should be on the property owner after the State has determined an object to be unsafe. Q # 4 SHOULD THE STATE INSTALL WEATHER REPORTING EQUIPMENT? Page 2 - WPA Wings The State would focus resources on installing weather reporting equipmentApril/May at airports and in specific2009 regions of the state that have frequent occurrences of adverse weather conditions. This program would LATS workbook Questionnaire (Continued from page 1) include an assessment and installation of new technologies to help detect and transmit information to pilots crossing mountainous and coastal regions in the state. Q # 4 SHOULD THE STATE EXPAND AIRPORTS WITH CAPACITY CONSTRAINTS? Recommended Response: Support The State would work with airports, regional authorities and federal agencies to support and fund Any Comments: The area adjacent to Stampede Pass and the mountains surrounding Republic infrastructure improvements at airports with capacity constraints. The State would take a stance to would be two examples. support the expansion of those airports to accommodate forecasted demand. Recommended Response: Support Q # 5 SHOULD THE STATE IMPROVE MANAGEMENT OF AIRPORT PAVEMENT? Any Comments: Maximize what we have . even to the extent of adding a second runway. The State would focus on maintaining airport pavements at their lowest life cycle costs and maintaining a Pavement Condition Index (PCI) at the following minimum levels: Runway PCI 75 Taxiway and Apron Q # 5 SHOULD THE STATE CONSTRUCT NEW AIRPORTS? PCI 70 The program would focus on supporting airports to maintain their pavement through an effective New general aviation or commercial airports would be built to address long-term demand, such as a maintenance program. new commercial and/or general aviation airport in the Puget Sound Region, a new general aviation Recommended Response: Support airport in Southwest Washington and possibly a new general aviation facility in Northeast Washington. Any Comments: Asphalt projects are built with a known lifespan. That lifespan could be Recommended Response: Support extended with proper maintenance . periodic maintenance measures must be required. Any Comments: It is already clear in the Puget Sound Area . we need a new airport to support GA . i.e. the old Sandpoint Naval Air Station. Q # 6 SHOULD THE STATE ESTABLISH A PROGRAM FOR LANDING AIDS AND AIRCRAFT TURNAROUNDS Construction of such an airport would not be $3 billion. The J.U.B.