Okeechobee County Airport 5 a Gulfstream V Refueling at Okeechobee County Airport
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News from the Florida Department of Transportation Aviation Office Florida Flyer www.dot.state.fl.us/aviation Fall 2008 INSIDE 3 At the Hangar A bi-weekly television show in the Sarasota area features a variety of aviation topics Courtesy of Okeechobee County Airport 5 A Gulfstream V refueling at Okeechobee County Airport. Banyan Air Service This nationally recognized FBO, located at Fort Okeechobee County Lauderdale Executive Airport, has a passion for performance Airport 6 keechobee County Airport, in Airport infrastructure Osouth-central Florida, is located Okeechobee County Airport has 2008 Florida Aviation on 864 acres approximately three miles two active asphalt runways, 14/32 and Awards north of Lake Okeechobee and 45 miles 5/23. Runway 14/32 is 4,000 feet by west of Port Saint Lucie. The airport 75 feet and runway 5/23 is 5,000 feet State Aviation Manager Bill provides a safe and well-maintained fa- by 100 feet; both are in good condi- Ashbaker announced the cility to serve the business, government, tion, having been repaved in 2003 and winners at the Florida Airports and general aviation needs of its clients. 2007, respectively. Both runways have Council Conference Prior to World War II, Okeechobee full parallel taxiways. Runway 5/23 has County Airport was a grass strip used edge lights, precision approach path for crop dusting. Later, the U.S. Depart- indicators (PAPI), and area navigation ment of War leased the airport from (RNAV) non-precision approaches. Visit our web site! 1942–47 as an Army Air Corp bomber An automated weather observing sys- training base. The Army built the major tem (AWOS) provides weather data on www.dot.state.fl.us/aviation infrastructure of the airport including 118.675 or (863) 467-1148 or by way of We recently updated our web the two runways. The federal govern- the Internet. site so you can navigate more ment returned the airport to Okeecho- Adjacent to the airport’s termi- easily and find the information bee County in 1947, and the county has nal building is the 198,000 square-foot you need operated it ever since. See Okeechobee, page 4 MANAGER’S CORNER by William J. Ashbaker, P.E. Florida is losing a valuable opportunity. It is nobody’s fault. Like so many recent unfortunate events in the aviation industry, it is a result of our faltering economy. The loss is a consequence of DayJet Services’ need to shut down their “per seat, on- demand” air service. Airlines cutting service is too commonplace these days, but this is a little dif- ferent. DayJet is unique in many ways beyond their approach to offer on-demand customer service. DayJet offered intrastate passenger service. This is a segment of Florida’s air transportation system that is sadly lacking. Further, DayJet’s profession- al staff worked hard to promote several innovations that go beyond benefit to their own company. Ed Iacobucci, Traver Gruen-Kennedy, Bruce Holmes, Malcolm Mur- phy, Charlie Durkin, and many more DayJet employees that I have not met worked to encourage innovations and promote projects and programs at the state and federal levels that would benefit Florida’s economy and environment. DayJet was instru- mental in the decision by U.S. DOT Secretary Mary Peters and FAA Administrator Robert Sturgell to choose Florida as the first of the contiguous 48 states to receive NextGen. “DayJet’s NextGen is the FAA’s next generation air transportation system. NextGen is a far-reaching modernization of the national air traffic system that will substantial- professional staff ly change air traffic control and pilot, aircraft, and airport operating procedures. worked hard to NextGen uses digital technology to redefine every element of air transport—from communications and surveillance to navigation and air traffic management—to ad- promote several dress the nation’s need for increased airspace capacity and efficiency. It will shift air traffic management from old ground-based technology to satellite-based cockpit- innovations that go enabled operations. NextGen promises to reduce aviation carbon emissions by 12 to 20 percent while beyond benefit to lowering fuel consumption and cost for industry and delays for passengers. With full their own company.” implementation, it promises efficiencies that will double airspace and airport airside capacity and improve safety. Of course, the idea of reducing aircraft fuel burn that will result in fewer greenhouse gas emissions and reduce aircraft operating costs is getting a lot of attention. The FAA invited the Florida Department of Transportation, DayJet, and Embry- Riddle Aeronautical University to partner to implement NextGen in Florida over the next five years. DayJet volunteered to equip their aircraft with NextGen technology and gather data on new routes and landing approaches between Florida city pairs. Now that DayJet has discontinued service, this will not be possible. The project will go on without DayJet’s aircraft. DayJet will continue to provide technical support to the project. In fact, DayJet is assisting the FAA and Embry- Riddle to find an additional partner to provide flight support for the project. But, it will be hard to rekindle the enthusiasm and promise for the future that DayJet brought to the table when they were developing a new approach for air transportation and expanding their fleet of small jets. There is still a possibility that DayJet may be able to overcome their financial challenges and restart their air service. We certainly hope so. DayJet is a friend to Florida. FLORIDA FLYER 2 Fall 2008 At the Hangar A bi-weekly TV show in the Sarasota area features a variety of aviation topics he television show “At the Han- Right: Nick Tgar” highlights all things related Carlucci, on to aviation, says Nick Carlucci, one of the left, and Jim the show’s hosts. The 30-minute show Slobodnik. is broadcast every other week on chan- Below: Jim nel 21, BLAB TV, in Sarasota, Florida. Slobodnik (right) Technical terms and aviation jargon are with an aircraft explained in plain English, says Carluc- owner setting up ci, so anyone can understand. for a show. The need for a TV show A few years ago, Carlucci and his aircraft partner Jim Slobodnik realized the need for a non-technical show that presents the positive aspects of the avia- tion community. Slobodnik knew the local television station manager through a mutual friend, and after some discus- sions and preparations, the partners aired their first show. “We have been on the air every oth- er week for seven years,” says Carlucci. “And our only repeat show was on hurri- cane shutters.” “At the Hangar” has cov- ered hot air balloons, Florida trips from the air, high wing vs. low wing, tours of aviation facilities, maintenance of air- craft, flight safety, and even large-scale Photographs courtesy of Nick Carlucci remote-control model aircraft. “We did a show on ‘flying for food’ where we how it abruptly ends at Naples. We flew With such a variety of topics and toured restaurants at airports,” says Car- to Biloxi and highlighted Hurricane Ka- interviews—and only one rerun in the lucci. “We have highlighted safety prod- trina damage, and we’re going to show show’s history—you would think the ucts and GPS and its application, and post-hurricane recovery on a future show requires plenty of time and a size- we’ve done a lot of light sport shows.” show.” able budget. But these guys “don’t get a nickel” for doing the show and they ac- Interviews galore Ditching the plane tually work full time during the week. The partners have interviewed pi- Sometimes real-life events bring The show’s sponsors pay for the produc- lots, aircraft owners, and Sun ’n Fun about an appropriate topic. When Car- tion costs. vendors. They interviewed a woman lucci and Slobodnik were flying their The partners tape most of the shows who worked for an aircraft manufactur- Cessna 172 on a Memorial Day week- on weekends, sometimes taping two or er during World War II, as well as World end, they lost their engine and had more shows in a day’s work. On one War II veterans, including a Tuskegee to ditch the aircraft (see “Planning Sunday during the summer they taped Airman and a woman who served in the Ahead Saves Lives” on page 8). So, of two shows, including one on the differ- Women Airforce Service Pilots. course, they did a show on ditching air- ence between washing a car and wash- Most of the shows are taped in the craft. They now have a new airplane, a ing a plane. field rather than in a studio. “We go to Cessna 182, and a new partner, Richard air shows, we highlight volunteers, we Fowlkes. Fowlkes is a partner in the air- Producing the show highlighted an airplane that was the best craft ownership, and he has also joined Most of the time, Slobodnick home-built plane at Oshkosh,” says Car- Carlucci and Slobodnik in producing lucci. “We showed the Everglades and “At the Hangar.” See At the Hangar, page 8 FLORIDA FLYER 3 Fall 2008 the Red Star Pilot’s Association (see from page 1 Okeechobee County Airport, www.flyredstar.org) flew eight Russian and Chinese vintage military aircraft lighted parking apron with aircraft tie- to Okeechobee and displayed them for downs, which was repaved in 2007. The Points of Interest a weekend, generating a great deal of lo- 24-hour, self-service fuel farm, with two cal interest. 12,000 gallon tanks of 100LL and Jet-A • 42 aircraft are currently based at Plans are underway for a new FBO fuel, is located at the northwest corner Okeechobee County Airport facility with a 36,000 square-foot termi- nal building and many pilot and passen- of the apron.