Centennial Airport Business Association Newsletter

Issue: # 3 June 2009
Welcome to the Centennial Airport Business Association's June Newsletter!  In an effort to keep our members and local community updated on the latest news impacting us all, we are now coming to you on a monthly basis. We have had some exciting changes recently and want to take a moment to bring you up to speed.

First and foremost, we recently held elections for new board members at our April membership meeting.  Please reference the sidebar to note your newly elected officers and board members.  With the addition of new faces and fresh energy, we have also established some new committees. These committees are as follows:
 
· Communications
· Operations, Safety, and Security
· Colorado Airports
· Community Outreach
· Education
· Schedulers and Dispatchers
· Membership
 
If anyone is interested in joining or participating in these committees please contact Brittany Davies at bdavies@mycaba.org.
 
CABA in Action 
Calls Made for Legislative Support of Aviation
Recently, Colorado State Senator Michael Bennett wrote a letter to Secretary Janet Napolitano of the Department of Homeland Security regarding the LASP.  He firmly supported the general aviation community and the strong industry concerns associated with the program.  CABA greatly appreciates his direct support of the industry and thanks him!

Thank You Senator Bennett

Furthermore, with general aviation feeling the profound impact of the economic downturn, CABA has drafted a letter to our congressional leaders calling for their support.  
Creating a Compelling Future
Operations, Safety, and Security Committee
By Michael Turner 
 
Greetings from your Airport Operations, Safety & Security Committee. I can describe our committee's direction by directing our attention to "where we've been and where we're going." by "we" I mean both us as a local community and us as the larger business aviation industry.

We've been hit hard, we're down and we're hurting; isn't that great? It is great because down is where all the new stuff happens. How do we as a community and industry rediscover and recreate ourselves? How do we posture ourselves so we can come up swinging again? Down is a very exciting place to be!

The only possible tragedy would be if we missed this chance to change. "Where we've been and where we're going" is all about drawing from our veterans as well as our future generation and building the next adaptation of ourselves.

CABA has demonstrated the commitment we need to forge ahead. Our members (where we've been) have a wealth of experience and influence as well as the vision to empower our young people (where we're going) to help us create a legacy worthy of our aviation heritage. Or, to put it in my favorite words, we're going to create a compelling future.

Question:
Why is it so important to create a compelling future in aviation?
Answer:
Our industry has lost its appeal as a career to young people who question whether it's worth pursuing their interest in aviation.
Our industry has lost its appeal as a service to the public at-large who are struggling financially and listening to misguided criticisms of business aviation.

Question:
What does creating a compelling future have to do with Airport Operations, Safety and Security?
Answer:
This is the time for re-examining how we do things, how we serve our clientele and our community. This is the time to recreate ourselves. The only thing certain is change. Whatever the future of operations safety & security is going to look like it's going to look different. We're going to be part of that change.

This committee invites all of our stakeholders to participate in setting a fresh course for airport operations, safety and security. This is the right time and place. CABA is the right association.
I invite each of you reading this newsletter to contact me with your thoughts and to join with us in this great work.
 
Warm regards,
Mike Turner

Potential Loss of Lease Extension Puts Jackson Hole Airport at Risk
By Dave Purvis
Grand Teton National Park is considering whether or not to extend the lease at Jackson Hole Airport (KJAC) in Jackson, Wyoming. Without the lease extension, FAA funding will no longer be available and KJAC will lose all commercial service by 2015 and close to all aircraft operations shortly thereafter.

The National Park Service (NPS) is soliciting comments regarding this extension, and everyone is welcome to post their comments with the NPS. The only thing required in the comment is to support the lease extension or not. To date, some radical organizations have flooded the comment box with negative replies. We need all the positive comments possible and you are the ones to make it happen.
Comment on this subject
Centennial Airport Initiates Noise Roundtable 
Panel Formed to Address Impact of Airport Noise
Centennial Airport has begun meeting and discussing the direction of the Noise Roundtable.  They have hired Walter Gillfillan and Associates as consultants that have several years of experience in these matters.   The focus of the roundtable aims to provide workable solutions for all parties involved.  There will be more information available in the months ahead.  However, if anyone has comments or questions please contact Todd Green, Noise and Environmental Specialist for Centennial Airport.  tgreen@centennialairport.com

Flight Training Corner:  
APA Practice Areas and Noise Abatement Procedures  
By Jared Johnson
 
A large amount of flight training activity originates from Centennial Airport, making the airport and surrounding areas potentially hazardous for pilots who fail to be diligent in their traffic avoidance procedures.  Areas that often go un-considered in a pilot's pre-flight planning are the practice areas that are used by flight schools based at Centennial.


PRACTICE AREA COMMUNICATION
Flight schools from Centennial Airport use two practice areas; one south west, and one south east.  Pilots are strongly encouraged to make practice area calls on 122.75, the common air-to-air frequency. Pilots should make a call prior to entering the practice area, and additional calls every ten minutes advising other pilots of their location, altitude, and intentions.

PRACTICE AREA DIMENSIONS AND REPORTING POINTS
The south west practice area is outlined by Chatfield reservoir, highway 85 (Santa Fe Dr.), Sedalia, and the foothills to the west.  Titan Rd, the east-west road south of Chatfield reservoir, is another common reporting point. The south east practice area is much larger, and is outlined by the Pinery, Franktown, Castlewood Canyon, Kelly Air Park, and Kiowa.  Other common reporting points are the town of Elizabeth and 'Three Towers' (an area east of the Pinery).

TRAFFIC AVOIDANCE
Keep in mind that many pilots will not announce their position, and it remains every pilot's responsibility to stay diligent for other traffic.  Also realize that non-participating pilots use the common air-to-air frequency not only to announce their intentions in other areas, but also for frequent and sometimes unnecessary conversations.  It is our responsibility as pilots to be patient when using this congested frequency.

NOISE ABATEMENT AND ALTITUDE SELECTION
It is absolutely essential that every pilot operating in the Centennial Area uses appropriate noise abatement practices.  According to an April 2009 report published by Todd Green, Centennial Airport's Noise and Environmental Specialist, Centennial Airport and its associated operations received 2,240 noise complaints from the beginning of 2009 through April.  This works out to between eighteen and nineteen complaints per day.  Many of these complaints came from households outside of the immediate airport vicinity, refuting the common assumption that noise complaints come only as a result of aircraft that are taking off and landing. According to 14 CFR 91.119, no pilot may operate an aircraft below 500 feet over a non-congested area or 1000 feet over a congested area.  A congested area, in the eyes of the FAA, is defined by the number of complaints that come from a given area or individual.  A single phone call to the local FSDO turns one person's house into a congested area, and enforcement action has, in the past, been taken against pilots who operated aircraft below 1000 feet in what the pilot considered a sparsely populated area.  The following is an FAA Chief Counsel Opinion taken from Federal Aviation Regulations Explained (Jeppesen, 2005).   'Congested area' is determined on a case by case basis. Examples of what was determined by the [NTSB to be congested areas] are 1. an area consisting of 10 houses and a school; 2. a university campus; 3. a beach area along a highway; 4. over a camp where there were numerous people on the dock and children playing on the shore." Most examiners and FAA inspectors in the Denver Area will take no issue with performing ground reference maneuvers at or above 1000 feet and a prudent pilot will also follow this basic rule.

COURTESY
Please take the time to inform other pilots of the Centennial Airport practice areas. If pilots make a serious effort to stay at or near their announced position the skies will be safer for everyone.  And if pilots consider the surrounding community when selecting altitudes, Centennial Airport will take less criticism from the community.
 
Spread the News!  
Do you have something to say?  CABA would love to have feedback from our membership.  We invite you to submit any articles or ideas for publication in the monthly newsletter.  Please submit all comments to Brittany Davies (bdavies@mycaba.org).
CABA Newsletter Articles
CABA in Action
Operations, Safety, and Security Committee
Jackson Hole Airport at Risk
Centennial Initiates Noise Roundtable
Flight Training Corner
Spread the News
Helpful Link
Upcoming Meetings/Events 
June 19th- June 23rd
Air Race Classic
June 20th
'Youth Meet the Racers'

1 pm- 3 pm
Denver Jet Center East
Click here for info


June 21st, 2009 
11 am- 3 pm 
A Celebration Of Women's Aviation: Putting a real face to American women's aviation heritage @ International Jet Aviation, Showing of The Legend of Pancho Barnes and the Happy Bottom Riding Club
Click here for info


July 14th, 2009
11 am- 1 pm (Lunch)
4 pm (Cocktail Hour) CABA Membership Meeting/Sunbourne Hangar Opening/ Hawker Beechcraft Display
Sunbourne Hangar
 
July 15th, 2009
11 am- 6 pm

Hawker Beechcraft Display
Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport-Mountain Aviation 


July 27th, 2009  
IS-BAO Workshop  Courtyard Marriott 1475 S. Colorado Blvd, Denver 80222  Contact Kathy @ kathyhp@comcast.net
Click here for info


Aug. 22nd- Aug. 23rd
Rocky Mountain Regional Fly In and Air Show Rocky Mountain  Metropolitan Airport
Click here for info 
CABA Mission Statement
"To foster and promote aviation and related business at and near Centennial Airport; to collectively address and respond to issues impacting Centennial Airport, including safety and operational effectiveness; to educate the general public about all aviation activities at the airport, and to preserve the airport and related businesses as valuable economic assets to the community at large."

CABA Board of Trustees 
Iver Retrum
(Chairman)

Dave Purvis
(Vice Chairman)

Brittany Davies

(Treasurer)

Larry Ulrich
(Secretary)

Donovan DeVasher
John Furstenberg
Craig Johnston
Michael Turner
Michael McCready

Gene Langfeldt
Craig Teasdale
 
Current CABA Sponsors
 
Centennial Airport Logo 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 SolarControl
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Centennial Airport Business Association | 8001 South InterPort Boulevard | Suite 300 | Englewood | CO | 8112