Inside the Fence
By John Infanger, Editorial Director
September 2001
The slow progression (inroads?) of local
bodies to gain more control over airports continues. Meanwhile, another
prominent aviation name gives way to the Signature moniker.
As we go to press, news comes that a U.S.
District Court Judge in Ft. Myers, FL, dismissed a lawsuit brought by
NBAA and GAMA against the City of Naples Airport Authority. Naples, of
course, put in place a ban on smaller Stage 2 jets that were not included
in the commercial airline ban of 2000. Naples had already implemented
a Stage 1 ban, with FAA’s blessing.
The airport administration at Naples is
in little position to argue, but could in fact be promoting, the wishes
of its community — a quiet airport. They like everything quiet in
Naples, even your backyard BBQ.
NBAA and GAMA, mindful of the precedent
of allowing an airport to shut out "an entire class of users"
in what is billed as a national transportation system, sued to stop the
ban. The U.S. District Court sided with Naples.
This is precedent at a precedent-setting
time.
Anyone who is not remotely up to speed on
this issue should now sit in the front of the class. There is an activism
in this country at present that is building, and it’s calling for
more local control over everything local. And we don’t care if the
feds like it or not. This is how revolutions get started.
With Naples, GAMA and NBAA are looking to
FAA to step in, in pursuit of "administrative remedies." In
fact, much of industry has been looking to FAA for just such clear direction.
People at the agency will convince you they’re trying; yet, the direction
has yet to come through. Meanwhile, there are rumblings that the answer
— i.e., more federal control — may come from Capitol Hill.
It may be time to brush up those conference
notes about how to get more active in the local chamber, politics, etc.
It also may be time for the industry as a whole to appreciate the fact
that the rules at the playground may be changing. We work with it, or
it works us.
It reminds me of an airport in a land far,
far away called Richards-Gebaur, a Kansas City (MO) reliever. The regional
authority sought to close the airport to build a rail/truck center. In
return for getting out of its grant assurances, it offered a guaranteed
fund to build up the infrastructure at the surrounding GA relievers, in
both Missouri and Kansas. Industry groups refused to work with K.C. and
fought it, and there’s a new rail/truck center underway in Kansas
City.
While even a skeptic would not doubt AOPA/Phil
Boyer’s ability to turn even that circumstance around, it’s
not the point. A clear direction from the federal government that a system
is a system would suffice. The courts, it seems, are providing direction.
Either way, the battles on the local level will persist; new ways to work
with communities may be needed.
Over the years, I’ve really grown
to appreciate Charlie Priester. Charlie is second-generation Priester
Aviation, a name in the history of Midwestern FBOs. Signature Flight Support
is buying the Palwaukee FBO, giving it a string of four FBO pearls circling
Chicago. Hello, DuPage.
An ex-Marine, Charlie is a Chicago style
nose-to-the-grindstone kind of guy who has been consumed (he would say
blessed) by aviation all his life. He was also an FBO’s FBO as the
NATA chair.
We’ll miss his name on the marquee.
It’s that change thing again.
Thanks for reading.
