[Co-opa] Bend Airport Issues (fwd)

[Gary E. Miller]

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Yo All!

This just in from Dennis Douglas at the local EAA chapter.  A bit
surprising this is the first I have heard of this...

RGDS
GARY
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Gary E. Miller Rellim 109 NW Wilmington Ave., Suite E, Bend, OR 97701
	gem at rellim.com  Tel:+1(541)382-8588

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All,
I am sending this to the presidents of the local pilot organizations for
information and consideration.  As the City develops the new Airport
Master Plan over the next year or so, I think it is extremely important
that our pilot groups be keenly involved in, and contribute to, the
process.  I urge you to review the text below, download the AC, research
the information and related items on your own, discuss the issues with
your members, and bring the consensus from those discussions to the City
during the Plan process.  This is the only way we can be a part of
shaping our airport.
Regards,
Dennis Douglas

B-II to C-II Designation Change. 

The November 2008 issue before the City Council is whether or not to
suspend development on the west side of the airport until the Airport
Master Plan is complete in (perhaps) 18-months or so.  The Council will
likely agree to that.  One of the key issues at the end of the 12-18
month planning process is that the Master Plan may designate the Bend
Airport a C-II airport, upgrading its status from its current B-II
status.  But before that decision is made, our pilot groups should
understand what a C-II airport is, and what it entails for future
requirements.  Our local pilot groups should have an informed opinion,
and express that opinion, on this issue.


Airports are designed to standards given in an FAA Advisory Circular,
entitled “Airport Design” (AC 150/5300-13), a 324-page document[1].  In
AC 150/5300-13, airports are designated in terms of a letter-Roman
numeral code according to the aircraft that use the runway(s).  The
letter refers to the approach speed of the aircraft using the runway(s)
and the Roman numeral refers to the wing span and the tail height of the
aircraft using the runway(s).  A Category “B-II” airport is one that has
one or more runways to accommodate aircraft with approach speeds up to
120 knots (138 mph) and wingspans of up to 78 feet and tail heights of
less than 30-feet.  A Category C-II airport is one than accommodates
aircraft with approach speeds up to 140 knots (161 mph) with the same
dimensions.  Thus, higher-designated airports are used by faster and
larger aircraft. 


Most aircraft with approach speeds of more than 110 knots are jets. 
Aircraft with approach speeds of 120-140 knots and wing spans up to 78
feet are bigger and heavier jets.  But most of the aircraft that use the
Bend Airport are smaller, single-engine aircraft with approach speeds in
the 60-80 knot (69-103 mph) range and wing spans of 36 to 45 feet.  (An
“A-I” airport would meet the need for most of these aircraft.)  So a B-II
airport designation is entirely adequate for the vast majority of the
planes now using KBDN.

 

A change from Category B-II to C-II has many implications for the City. 

- - Runway Width: an airport that meets the C-II requirements has a runway
that is 100-feet wide (see the AC).  Bend’s (brand new) runway is 75-feet
wide.  Thus, to be C-II, the runway will have to be widened.  A lot of
money and time was spent on the newly completed runway, and you will
certainly recall the noise issues related to that.  Do you want to go
through that again? 

- -Runway Length: to accommodate the faster and heavier aircraft the runway
_may_ need to be lengthened…if so, more construction; more noise
complaints, more money.

- -Safety: The Airport Manager says the C-II designation is needed for
safety.  This has nothing to do with a tower or traffic patterns or
anything like that.  Sue says that it is safer if there is more set-back
from the runway centerline; the C-II increases this set-back.  The 10
hangars near the compass rose would be within the no-build line of the
C-II designation and thus would have to "go" when their lease expires. 
Is that OK, or would you like to see more hangars built on the west
side?   Question: is the Bend Airport "safe enough" insofar as the
building set-backs are concerned?  Musing: if more safety is better,
let's change the speed limit in school zones from 20mph to 5 mph; surely
the kids would be safer.  A tower would make KBDN safer, perhaps, but
does increasing the set-back really do anything in that regard?

- -Growth of the Airport: the question is, how much beyond its current
scope do you want the airport to grow?  What are the advantages and
disadvantages of additional growth?  What do our pilot organizations want
to see at the airport?

- -About those C-II Airplanes:  Why can’t C-II aircraft simply land at the
Redmond Airport?  And, as one Counsellor asked on October 15th, is
encouraging C-II aircraft to land at Bend “ a tail wagging the dog” which
will lead to bigger and bigger airplanes and never-ending expansion of
the airport?

Dennis Douglas

[1]http://www.faa.gov/airports_airtraffic/airports/resources/advisory_circulars/med
ia/150-5300-13/150_5300_13.pdf





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