Chapter 2 – Inventory of Facilities BREMERTON NATIONAL AIRPORT | AIRPORT MASTER PLAN Chapter 2 – Inventory of Existing Conditions The purpose of this chapter is to document the existing facilities and conditions at Bremerton National Airport (Airport Identifier Code: PWT). The Airport is owned and operated by the Port of Bremerton, Washington. This project replaces the 2004 Airport Master Plan Update1 which will serve as a primary source for inventory data. However, where available, more current or comprehensive data have been included in the chapter to illustrate current conditions. Existing airfield facilities were examined during on-site inspections to update facility inventory data. The consultants also worked closely with Port staff to review the current facility and operational data maintained by the Port. Airport Locale Bremerton is located in south-central Kitsap County on the Kitsap Peninsula. Bremerton is the largest city on the Kitsap Peninsula. The Kitsap County seat is located in Port Orchard, approximately 8 miles from the Airport. Kitsap County has a land area of approximately 393 square miles, extending from western Puget Sound to Hood Canal. Kitsap County is home to the U.S. Navy Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Naval Base Kitsap (formerly NSB Bangor and NS Bremerton). The county has a diverse and growing economy. The 2010 U.S. Census for Bremerton (incorporated area only) was 37,729 and 251,133 for Kitsap County. The Washington 1 Bremerton National Airport Master Plan Update (Coffman Associates) CHAPTER 2 – INVENTORY OF EXISTING CONDITIONS MAY 2015 - 1 BREMERTON NATIONAL AIRPORT | AIRPORT MASTER PLAN Office of Financial Management (OFM) 2012 estimate of population for Bremerton was 39,650 and 254,500 for Kitsap County. Bremerton National Airport and the adjacent Olympic View Business and Industrial Park are located approximately nine miles southwest of downtown Bremerton, within the Bremerton city limits on State Highway 3. A location and vicinity map for Bremerton National Airport is provided in Figure 2-1. The Airport and adjacent land totaling approximately 3,700 acres, known as the South Kitsap Industrial Area (SKIA), the majority of which was annexed by the City of Bremerton in 2009. The Bremerton Raceway facility is located on the east side of the Airport, separated from the active areas of the airfield by a chain link fence and locked gates. Surface access to the Airport is provided by State Highway 3, which connects to State Highway 16. Highway 16 extends from Tacoma to Port Orchard, where it connects with Highway 3. Bremerton National Airport is 9 miles southwest of Bremerton and 28 miles northeast of Shelton via Highway 3; Tacoma is 31 miles east of the Airport via Highways 3 and 16. As noted in the Introduction Chapter, Bremerton National Airport has been in continuous aviation use since its initial construction as a small airstrip in 1936. The Airport serves Bremerton, Port Orchard and greater Kitsap and North Mason Counties. There are fourteen (14) public-use airports located within 35 nautical miles of Bremerton. The majority of the airports are general aviation, although several (SEATAC, Boeing Field, Paine Field, and Renton) also accommodate transport aircraft, either in commercial service or related to aircraft manufacturing. The significance of the airport service area will be discussed in detail in the aviation activity forecasts (Chapter 3). Physical Geography Bremerton is located on the Kitsap Peninsula, directly west of Seattle on the west side of Puget Sound. The Kitsap Peninsula is comprised of low-lying coastal forest lands, bays, inlets and forested uplands. The Peninsula is connected to the east side of Puget Sound by the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and the Washington State Ferries, with terminals located in Bremerton, Southworth, and Kingston. Hood Canal separates the Kitsap Peninsula and Olympic Peninsula. The Hood Canal Bridge provides road access to the Olympic Peninsula; Bainbridge Island is connected to the Peninsula by the Agate Pass Bridge; and direct roadway access to the south Puget Sound area is provided via Highway 3. CHAPTER 2 – INVENTORY OF EXISTING CONDITIONS MAY 2015 - 2 Bainbridge Island KITSAP COUNTY 3 Bremerton Bremerton, WA Port Orchard Bremerton Junction East Port Orchard 3 16 Everett Bremerton National Airport 101 SKIA Subarea 515 9 104 Lynnwood Edmonds OLYMPIC Mountlake NATIONAL FOREST Terrace Shoreline Bothell Woodinville Poulsbo Bangor PUGET SOUND 305 Kirkland Redmond Silverdale 520 Bainbridge 202 Island Seattle Bellevue Sammamish 3 Mercer Island Bremerton Port Orchard East Port Orchard Issaquah Bremerton National Airport 3 Burien Renton HOOD CANAL Belfair Tukwila Seatac 169 Des Moines 101 Maple Valley Kent Covington Gig Harbor 509 Auburn 18 Black Diamond Federal Way 16 167 Fox Island Tacoma 164 University Place Shelton Sumner Enumclaw 410 Puyallup Bonny Lake Steilacoom Buckley Parkland 512 McChord Air Force Base (JBLM) Fort Lewis BREMERTON NATIONAL AIRPORT | AIRPORT MASTER PLAN LOCATION MAP | FIG. 2-1 BREMERTON NATIONAL AIRPORT | AIRPORT MASTER PLAN Moderate mountainous terrain surrounds the Airport, which sits at 444 feet above mean sea level (MSL). Maximum elevation figures (MEF) depicted on aeronautical charts indicates the highest terrain elevations are found to the west, over the Olympic Peninsula, ranging from 5,400 to 8,100 feet MSL. High terrain is found to the north, reaching 4,800 feet MSL. The areas to south and east have low-lying terrain surrounding Puget Sound ranging from 1,200 to 2,800 feet MSL. Climate Kitsap County has a maritime climate with mild winter and warm summer temperature ranges that are characteristic of the Kitsap Peninsula and Puget Sound. The region produces moderate amounts of winter snow, usually in conjunction with periodic storm events, but does not normally experience extended periods of freezing temperatures. Historic climatic data for Bremerton (Observation Station 450872) is available from 1899 through 2012.2 The data indicate that July and August are typically the warmest months; December and January are the coldest. On a monthly basis, the average maximum temperature is 75.3 degrees Fahrenheit (August) and the average minimum temperature is 34.5 degrees (January). Bremerton averages 45.39 inches of precipitation and 7.7 inches of snowfall annually. Historical Aviation Activity Bremerton National Airport accommodates a wide variety of aeronautical activity, including small single- and multi-engine aircraft, business class turbine aircraft (business jets and turboprops), civilian helicopters, and military fixed wing aircraft and helicopters. The Airport has several commercial tenants providing aircraft maintenance, flight training, and other services which generate local flight activity and attract itinerant users. The FAA recommends use of activity ratios for non-towered general aviation airports to estimate annual operations, when actual operations data (counts) are not available. This technique was used in previous master plans and the state aviation system planning to estimate activity at Bremerton National Airport. The 2004 Airport Master Plan estimated that Bremerton National Airport had 160 based aircraft and approximately 49,500 aircraft operations in 2002 (309 operations per based aircraft). The 2007 WSDOT Long Term Air Transportation Study (LATS) forecast update estimated 194 based aircraft and 50,800 annual aircraft operations at Bremerton National Airport for 2005 (262 operations per based aircraft). An updated count of 192 based aircraft was conducted by airport management staff in September 2012 (see Table 2-1). Based on a ratio of 250 to 300 operations per based aircraft (typical of a medium activity 2 Western Regional Climatic Center CHAPTER 2 – INVENTORY OF EXISTING CONDITIONS MAY 2015 - 4 BREMERTON NATIONAL AIRPORT | AIRPORT MASTER PLAN general aviation airport with moderate activity), the current level of annual operations at Bremerton National Airport is estimated between 48,000 and 57,600. A detailed analysis of aviation activity data will be presented in the updated Aviation Activity Forecasts (Chapter 3). Current airport activity is summarized in Table 2-1. TABLE 2-1: BREMERTON NATIONAL AIRPORT (PWT) BASED AIRCRAFT AND OPERATIONS ACTIVITY TYPE ACTIVITY LEVEL Based Aircraft September 2012 Airport Management Count Single-Engine Piston 173 Multi-Engine Piston 10 Turboprop 0 Turbojet 3 Rotorcraft 5 Ultralight 1 Total Based Aircraft 192 Annual Aircraft Operations WSDOT LATS Operations Estimate (2005) 50,800 2012 Estimate (based on FAA-defined ratio of 250 to 300 operations per based 48,000 to 57,600 aircraft) Airfield Facilities Bremerton National Airport has one runway (02/20) that is oriented in a north-northeast/south- southwest direction (020-200 degree magnetic heading). The runway has extensive lighting and instrumentation. The Airport has an extensive taxiway system that provides access to all developed areas of the airfield. The Airport’s former crosswind runway (16/34) was closed more than 20 years ago. The southern portion of the closed runway has been fenced off and currently accommodates the Bremerton Raceway facility. The published airfield elevation is 444 feet above mean sea level (MSL).3 The airport traffic pattern altitude is 1,000 feet above ground level (1,444 feet MSL). The Airport utilizes a right traffic pattern for Runway 02 and a standard left traffic pattern for Runway 20. This results in both traffic patterns being 3 Surveyed by the National Geodetic Survey. Datums: National