Info about landing slots?

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flyfox

Filing Flight Plan
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Mar 14, 2014
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Miami/East Hampton
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Flyfox
My local airport is under attack. A couple of billionaire real estate developers and investors have discovered that the land the airport sits on is worth and enormous amount of money. So they have stirred up a fake "noise" controversy by having a group of 10-15 people call a noise complaint hotline multiple times every day. They have now talked the town into rejecting FAA grants (to gain control of the airport as of Jan 1) and imposing certain restrictions on landings (to drive the airport out of business) so the town will ultimately sell them the land to develop. The restrictions include imposing a slot landing system of a maximum of 4 aircraft permitted to land per hour, and those slots will be auctioned to the highest bidder. I've heard of slots at major commercial airports like JFK to keep the number of scheduled flights at a manageable level and prevent traffic jams on taxiways, but those are for commercial airlines and it's like 65 slots per hour. Has anyone ever heard of a small local airport with one functional 4k ft runway (built in 1936) having a slot restriction on all aircraft of less than 5 planes per hour?? Has anyone heard of auctioning those slots off to highest bidders? My little airport is non-towered for 9 months of the year. How would a slot system even work for non-towered airports? I'm afraid my flying days are numbered because I'll never get a slot! Or worse, I'll take off but not be able to land back at my hanger because I got outbid to land! :confused:
 
I thought AIP grants had a several year contract period? It's one of the reasons why Santa Monica can't be touched until, at the earliest, 2020.

So if this is true then they can't impose landing restrictions on a public airport without FAA approval.

I believe the use of a landing slot purchase program would violate several grant assurances, especially the "Exclusive Right" one. This is only true if the AIP grants are still within "contract".
 
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Yes it is HTO. The grants are set to expire on Jan 1, and the town has made it very clear they are not renewing them to avoid the FAA mandate that restrictions be non-discriminatory and reasonable. Their plan is to ban all helicopters, jets, and turboprop aircraft entirely, and "ration" single and twin engine prop aircraft to 4 slot landings per hour auctioned to the highest bidder. I've just not heard of any other small local airport enacting this kind of slot restriction. I know HPN has a restriction of only 4 airline (10+ passenger commercial planes) on the terminal ramp at the same time for safety reasons, but that's not a GA restriction on landing. I also know Aspen has a 4 per hour slot restriction on jet planes landing in that tiny narrow mountain canyon, but again that is for safety reasons. Has anyone heard of an extreme GA restriction like this being imposed because of supposed noise complaints?
 
Federal grant commitments run for twenty years or forever depending on what they are for.
 
Contact AOPA.
Then contact NBAA & EAA.
Then find a really good Aviation lawyer who deals with the FAA.

Come to think of it, the ACLU might not be a bad idea.

Where is the AOPA airport rep? You may need to create a tenant/owner/pilot organization RIGHT NOW to start fighting the battle.

Contact the state Aeronautics division (usually part of the state Dept of Transportation) and get the latest economic report that shows how much money GA brings into the state as well as the specific airport.
 
Of course the real question - how are they going to enforce the slot system? All you need to do is declare an emergency & land and they can do nothing about it.
 
It sounds like threats and rumors, not saying they can't close it down, but the 4 landing slots are just to get people stirred up. I don't see any way of enforcing it, short of a control tower.:dunno:
But, never underestimate what some people will do to make a buck! :nono:
 
When you go to a slot system,who do you think will buy the slots ,basically closing the airport.
 
Screw em, just continue with business as normal.

Rally your aviation wagons with othe likeminded folks.

See if any business use the airport, loss of jobs is a hot topic now.

Contact AOPA, EAA, NBAA, though I doubt they will do anything.
 
I myself have done a good amount of charter into and out HTO. It can get REALLY hectic at times but doesn't seem unreasonable for a mid day rush. The airport has earned the nickname of "Vietnam" by some of the pilots due to intensity of traffic, helicopters in particular. They really should put in mandatory curfews because a beechjet blasting off at 0600 is bound to **** off the neighbors and it has ****ed me off while I was in the area at that time. HTO has done little to mitigate its noise pollution, and as such the strong will and thick wallets of its neighbors has a lot of say.
 
Oh I have no problem with reasonable restrictions during the "Vietnam" hours on Fri afternoons and Sun mornings during July and Aug! I have been nearly blown off the taxiway by a Sikorsky S90 so I don't even fly during peak times anymore. But these slot restrictions are for 365 days a year with the airport slated to be closed down from 5pm to 10am every day. I just didn't know if there was any precedence for it or if this will be a first for a small local airport.
 
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