Through-the-Fence Again Emerges as an Issue ...

Nov. 11, 2009
... as FAA issues guidance discouraging the practice. Compliance Guidance Letter 2009-1 – Through-the-Fence and On-Airport Residential Access to Federally Obligated Airports was issued by the agency recently and FAA welcomes comments through December 21. The National Air Transportation Association is at the center of this issue, as it represents tenant companies which potentially could be affected. Comments Mike France, NATA’s manager of regulatory affairs, “We’re sticking with FAA’s take on it. It’s usually not a good thing, and could lead to airports losing out under the grant assurances.†Which is exactly what FAA cautions. Says FAA in the guidance letter, “Airport sponsors have no federal obligation to provide airport access to off-airport enterprises or individuals. In fact, the sponsor may simply deny TTF access if it chooses.†Can’t get much clearer than that. The poster airport for through-the-fence operations and the havoc they can create is Scottsdale, which was designed to be a TTF model. It had a separate GA community as well as a number of corporations with TTF access for their business aircraft. Problem was, monitoring activity became a major issue, particularly as it related to everyone paying their fair share for access to the airfield. As I recall, the airport that brought a renewed focus at FAA on TTF operations was Gillespie Field in El Cajon, CA, where a condo hangar development raised agency eyebrows. At the recent AOPA convention, a new organization, ThoughTheFence.org (TTF), announced its formation.  The group states that it was formed by pilots to fight the FAA’s prohibition of hangar homes at publically funded airports. States Brent Blue, one of the organizers, “The FAA’s Airport Compliance Manual (ACM), dated September 30, 2009, clearly labels all hangar homes as incompatible adjacent airport land use. This stealth directive was released two months after [FAA Administrator] Babbitt stated at EAA AirVenture that these situations would be evaluated on an individual basis and now they come out with a wholesale directive.†Count on one thing: FAA has historically been steadfast in its opposition to through-the-fence operations, and as the guidance letter indicates, that isn’t about to change. Thanks for reading. jfi