Aviation Advisory Committee (AAC)

 

The Aviation Advisory Committee met on the above date with the following members present: Mike Harris (District 2), Brian Watkins (District 3), Michael W. Wooley (District 4), Chip Mapoles (District 5), and Randy Roy (NAS Whiting Field). County staff present: County Administrator (Hunter Walker), County Engineer (Roger Blaylock), and Administrative Services Manager (Tammy Simmons).

 

Mapoles called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. The minutes of the March 21, 2012, and April 18, 2012 meetings were approved unanimously.

 

Aviation Advisory Committee Presentation – Santa Rosa County – May 16, 2012

Presented by Hatch Mott MacDonald - David Skipper and Jonathan Ignacio

 

§Master Plan Update Overview

o   Today’s Objectives

§ To request AAC to share its interests and identify specific issues

§ To generate input

o   What is an Airport Master Plan?

§ It is a 20 year development plan for the future use

§ It shows the airport and various facilities as of today

·         Air space requirements

·         Different offsets

·         Airport Layout Plan

§ Airport Layout Plan includes concept plans for what you will see in the future

§ Provides recommendations

·         A road map for the future

·         How funds can spent

·         How FAA can program dollars for the airport

o   Master Plan Update

§ Why do we have one?

·         Required by FDOT/FAA to fund projects

·         Forecast and identify your future development for the next twenty (20) years

·         Long term plan for economic growth

·         Required every ten (10) years

·         Bottom Line – It’s a development framework for future facilities

o   Projects must be part of the Airport Master Plan

o   Local funds are important to be able to access FDOT and FAA funding

§ FAA typically funds 90% of projects

§ FDOT typically funds 5% of projects

o   FDOT funds can be reallocated to priorities within the same year

§ The Update Process includes:

·         Data Collection & Facilities Inventory - complete

·         Demand Forecast Analysis – complete and presented to this Committee April 2012 and have now sent to FAA, FAA currently has this information in the review process.

·         Facilities Requirement Analysis – half way through this process to see what facilities may be required in the future to meet the demand forecast

·         Review of Air Space – next step

·         Update of Airport Layout Plan – show any future improvements in the air space

·         Capital Improvement Cost estimates – a list of projects, priorities and cost

§ Goals and Objectives

·         Identify & Establish Best Land Utilization

o   Around the runway

o   The large tract of property to the North

§ Airport use

§ Non-airport use

·         Economic sustainability – don’t want to build too much, too soon

·         Assist Development of Second FBO – additional t-hangar on the east side of the runway will assist the development of the east side

·         Development T-hangars on East Taxiway

·         Evaluate use of remaining property in Master Plan

§ AMP Process – A Collaborative Approach

 

 

§AAC’s Role

o   Provide inputs into the AMP process

o   Identify specific issues

o   Share its interests as representatives of the communities

o   Review plans & reports, provide feedbacks

 

Blaylock stated this committee will review each of the elements and make specific recommendations back to the Board of Commissioners to accept the master plan allowing them to see the capital improvements prior to adoption.

 

Blaylock stated FAA’s priority is safety; they will spend money on runway rehab, lighting rehab, run-up aprons, etc. Lessees control the leased property and are responsible for the improvements to support their operations. To improve parking on the leased properties FDOT will participate in funding at a much lower rate and at a lower priority. Also if we fund any improvements on leased property we would have to do so for all airport lessees.

 

Blaylock stated additional instrument approach procedure is something this committee can recommend; however, it is beyond the scope of a master plan. Instrument approach procedures would require air space studies.

 

Ignacio stated instrument approach can be considered for funding by FAA if it is considered an element of safety and serviceability of the airport, it is an element that needs to be looked at, as it stands now we have not looked at it to include in the package.

Roy stated this would need to be studied because of the co-location of NAS Whiting Field and some of the deconflictions with precision approach radar (PAR) and Instrument Landing System (ILS) approaches.

Ignacio stated the economic indicators would influence any recommendation be concerned for the triangular portion in the north-east corner of the airport currently listed at future non-aviation related use regardless if the county keeps it within the airport property or gives it up as part of the Industrial Park.

Blaylock stated we have not spent any airport dollars in that triangle, it is undeveloped, and it could become industrial property that can be sold.

Wooley stated the prudent thing to do is to relabel this piece as future use so we leave ourselves options. If we let it go we will never get it back.

Blaylock stated one thing to consider is a common taxiway should it become aviation related use. If it is not in our master plan we would have to go through a master plan ALP modification before we could even apply for dollars.

Ignacio stated the 2002 forecast was more aggressive because of the economic conditions.

Walker stated the one thing we would not want to do is have a negative impact on Whiting’s mission.

Ignacio stated we are looking at a constraint development because of the arrangement with the Military and the County and the implication it has with the runway length.

 

§Project Update

o   Overview & Progress

§ Data Collection & Facilities Inventory - complete

§ Review of air space and obstruction survey

§ Aviation Activity Forecasts - complete

§ Demand/Capacity Analysis

§ Update of Airport Layout Plan

§ Capital Improvement Cost estimates

o   Key Dates

§ Finalize Aviation Forecast – June ‘12

§ Demand/Capacity Analysis & Facility Requirements – July 2012

§ Draft Updated ALP – Aug. 2012

§ Submit Draft ALP to FAA – Aug. 2012

§ Submit Updated AMP to FAA – Dec. 2012

§Next Steps

o   Incorporate comments from FAA/AAC/SRC and finalize Aviation Activity Forecast

o   Develop Demand/Capacity Analysis

o   Identify Facilities Requirements

 

Blaylock announced the county website, http://www.santarosa.fl.gov/airport/documents/HangarLayout.pdf to review information on the hangars, the current AMP, and the current ALP.

 

Skipper stated they are master planning 11 T-hangars on the east side of the runway, they are going to plan for the grading and get permitting in place for a storm water pond for the ultimate development of all of the t-hangars. They plan to bid out one t-hangar and three taxiways, which will be funded by FAA. They are at 90% construction plans, they are sending the plans to FAA and the County for review this week, and they plan to advertise for bids for the asphalt work on the taxiway the first of June and then they will be helping the County put together a design build package for the t-hangar and the RFP and bid will follow sometime late summer. Construction should start October/November.

 

Dave Glass provided an update on their pilot training program.

 

Glass reported 100LL fuel prices have stabilized.

 

Dale Holbert requested an email of hangar availability from Simmons to place in their newsletter.

 

Holbert stated there is a quarterly FAA Safety Seminar tomorrow evening; May 17, 2012, starting at 7 p.m. at Pensacola State College in the Hagler Auditorium titled “Pensacola ATC (Air Traffic Control) Pilot-Controller Forum” presented by feature speaker Tom Boland, Air Traffic Manager, Pensacola Approach Control. The seminar will cover national and local flight and ATC procedures, runway safety, and new local operations and airspace usage.

 

Holbert provided an update on the Discovery Park.

Walker stated there currently is some infrastructure in the eastern portion of the airport to accommodate the hangars and the 2^nd FBO.

 

Walker stated at some point we may want to look at the “Commercial” hangars because they are rarely occupied for some alternatives to make these more productive.

 

Simmons provided the following report on hangar availability: 7 T-hangars will be available at the end of this month with 2 available now and all three commercial hangars are available with no waiting list.

§FF-1, FF-2, and C-6 are clean and ready for rental

§C-2 and G-3 are in line to be cleaned for leasing

§D-6 will be available soon

§B-6 will be available after the end of the month

§All H, commercial, hangars are available

 

Mapoles stated at the next full quorum meeting we will update the officers, Chairman and Vice-Chairman.

 

The Committee approved unanimously to cancel the June 20, 2012 meeting. Walker stated the next meeting will be at 5:00 p.m. on July 18, 2012. Meeting adjourned at 5:47 p.m.