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United States Pilots Association |
Those of us who fly into Oklahoma City on business have regularly utilized the services offered at Downtown Airpark. This single runway airport was less than a mile from the business section of OKC and was extremely convenient since you did not have to land at either Wiley Post in Bethany or Will Rogers, almost in Norman. This past week I tried to file to Downtown and was advised by FSS the airport closed (see NOTAM #08/288). The runway is now restricted to private use only with permission of the owner. The restaurant remains open.
I elected to fly in to Wiley Post Airport, about 25 minutes in non rush hour traffic from the business district of Oklahoma City. The service was great, the wind really honked at 30 knots, and their airport restaurant was great.
When large cities lose a facility like Downtown Airpark, everyone hurts a little. What amazes me is the fact that I saw nothing in the print media informing pilots of the impending closure. I am sure that locals in the OKC area probably read about the closure, but no one seemed to get excited. Where were AOPA, NBAA, and other alphabet groups? Could nothing be done before the airport closed? Did the city not care?
Now take a look at Denton, TX (DTO). Here is exactly the opposite situation. The city has an airport board populated by pilots in many cases. Several members of the Texas Pilots Association are on the board. The airport recently opened a contract control tower and the facility is booming. A new jet service company is constructing an FBO, and the airport is now one of the busiest in this region. Translate that to the fact that people are doing well economically as a result of the airport thriving. A new aircraft paint shop is almost completed. All of this becomes money spent in the community several times over. I am proud to say that people like Don Smith and Terrance Jarog, as well as former USPA President Chuck Huber, are all active in keeping this airport at the cusp of expansion and good management. The local Congressman is a pilot and is helping get an approach radar installed that will be compatible with DFW. (Denton sits under the class B airspace for DFW.)
We as pilots and users of airports all over the country have to do more than just hangar fly on Saturdays. We need to get interested and get involved.
I live in Odessa, Texas, a city of some 100,000 population. This city has an Economic Development Council that has attracted several large businesses to the area. One of the points of attraction is always the airport. Odessa has Schlemeyer Field (ODO) with three runways. The airport is owned and maintained by the County (Ector) and administered by an Airport Board. The Airport Board is overseen by the County Commissioners who must approve all expenditures at the airport. We have well over 100 aircraft based on the field including several pure turbine, turboprop, and single and multi-engine piston aircraft. There are sailplanes and helicopters, as well as a squadron of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF). Currently the County is trying to build a crosswind runway to be able to handle larger turbine aircraft The problem is that runway might be used ten days a year. The larger jets will still not be able to come in most of the time because of the shorter main runways currently in use. Airport maintenance is practically non-existent. The one FBO utilizes one person from 0700 until 1800 every day.
Many of the local pilots, dissatisfied with how the airport is being treated as a stepchild, have organized the Ector County Aviation Association to lobby the County on issues concerning the airport. I have joined the interim board because I realize what an asset to the community as a whole the airport is. Perhaps if enough interested people in Oklahoma City did the same thing, the result might have been greatly different.
Steve Uslan, President
United States Pilots Association