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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_AIRAB_08.16.2004 Minutes of the Meeting of the Airport Advisory Board City of Georgetown, Texas Monday, August 16, 2004 The Airport Advisory Board of the City of Georgetown, Texas, met on Monday , August 16, 2004. Members Present: Arnold Wieder, Chris Cagle, Howard Fomby, John Bader, Mark Dietz, Tim Sullivan Members Absent: Don Pfiester Staff Present: Travis McLain Minutes Regular Meeting 1. Call to order. Chairman Mark Dietz called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M. 2. Consideration and Approval of Minutes of July 19, 2004, meeting. Howard Fomby: Motion to approve the minutes of July 19, 2004. Arnold Wieder: I second the motion. Motion approved 6-0. 3. Airport Manager’s Report: A. July 2004 Monthly Income and Expense Reports Travis McLain: We received 7 RFQ’s for engineering services of the Control Tower. B. Noise Study Update: Still in Ft. Worth going through FAA review. Master Plan Update: The report is 30 days behind, Mr. Willis has indicated that there will be a PAC meeting in September and a public meeting is scheduled in October (dates not established yet). C. Report on Council Actions 1. Approved Microfusion Mandatory Construction Deadline to December 31, 2004. D. Civil Air Patrol Update None. E. General Information Items None. 4. Citizens Wishing to Address the Board None. 5. Discuss Helicopter operations and possible actions on recommendations. Don Dison: (Helicopter Operator) Georgetown Municipal Airport has experienced great growth, which presents a challenge to be good neighbors; which includes noise mitigation and educating the general public; as to the value of the airport. The same thing has happened with helicopter operations. We now have 6 to 10 helicopters based at the airport. All helicopter pilots are safety oriented and want to mesh with the fixed wing operations as well as be good neighbors. We need to be aware externally of the same problems that fixed operations have had and internally that we police ourselves accordingly to not get negative responses of the general public. Don Arsenault: (Helicopter Operator) Are there any specific complaints? Mark Dietz: The need to have certain area(s) at the airport for training, fueling, and safety. Howard Fomby: These are not complaints, just the need for more knowledge. We ’re concerned that we’re getting more helicopters and different kinds of behaviors. We need to see if we need to establish rules or regulations for safe usage. Tim Sullivan: Also, we are in the process of the update of the Master Plan which will include helicopters in their operations under the Rules & Regulations or under the Minimum Standards. Chris Cagle: I visited with a helicopter operator, who is very professional and very experienced. Flight operations are as safe as possible. My general impression was that he is doing a very good job. Brian Dalke: (Helicopter Operator) I am the Chopper Guy. I provide sightseeing rides and flight instruction (50/50). My number one philosophy with my students is: Comply with FAR/helicopter operations, and avoid the flow of fixed wing traffic. We do not use runways for take -off or landings. But with that freedom comes a high level of responsibility, we literally can take off from anywhere we want to. My philosophy is to get away from where the airplanes are. I operate at 1400 MSL to avoid fixed wing traffic. John Bader: How will the tower affect helicopters? Tim Sullivan: It is important to have safe operations between now and when the tower is in operation. Chris Cagle: A designated area for helicopters will help fixed wing traffic. Brian Dalke: (Helicopter Operator) Helicopter flying is very dynamic in operations and you need to expose students over the entire airport. Now we have two or three helicopter operations, we cannot all fly in the same area. Chris Cagle: If we have two or three helicopters doing the same thing in different locations on the airport; what’s the student pilot, who’s soloing in a Cessna 150 going to be thinking about? We need to confine helicopter operations to a specific area, until we get a tower. Don Arsenault: (Helicopter Operator) I have been in the airplane business forever and the helicopter for the past 10 years. To avoid conflict, helicopters fly traffic patterns on the opposite side of the runway from fixed wing aircraft. Parallel pattern: needs a traffic flow for each crossing runway is not a good idea. You have students flying with no radio; we have to have separate flows for safety. Don Dison: (Helicopter Operator) We need to avoid Serenada on the west side of the airport. Don Arsenault: (Helicopter Operator) Taxi across 18-36 before departing west Ed Myers - Scott & White Chief Pilot: (Helicopter Operator) We are unique in that we have 8 pilots at each base (here & Temple); we try to fly as friendly as we can here. We only fly if we ’re dispatched, called to the scene, making a PR flight and once a year each pilot has to do a check flight. The size of the helicopter signifies the amount of noise. We make departures and arrivals per Fly Friendly; and sometimes must fly into the winds. We make our departures at a low level of 300 feet. What Don says about separating traffic, works. Arnold Wieder: AOPA article: FAR: helicopter must avoid fixed wing traffic. Helicopter may fly below fixed wing traffic. Communication is important. Helicopter rotor wash down ward can damage parked aircraft. Helicopter pilots have responsibility and must avoid fixed wing traffic. Concern: low departures can be dangerous. What is safe altitude over populated areas? Ed Myers: (Helicopter Operator) We operate twin engine helicopters. The chances of two engines failing are slim. We have been trained that a safe altitude is 300 ft. AGL (above ground level) except when landing. Mark Dietz: We are in the process of updating the Master Plan for the Airport and helicopter operations are something we’re weak on. That’s the reason we wanted this meeting so that input from helicopter operators could be included in the Master Plan Update. The information you ’ve provided us will be given to the consultant for consideration and finalize d into the Master Plan. I appreciate all of you coming this evening and providing your input. No action will be taken this evening; it will be put on next month’s agenda, and likely an action item. We do need to include helicopter operations into the Fl y Friendly program. Ed Myers: (Helicopter Operator) One thing you might want to consider is Helicopter routes for helicopters at the airport. Howard Fomby: Some people think the Fly Friendly program is about noise control, the primary aspect of the Fly Friendly is to create voluntary rules to help promote safety. At the Georgetown Municipal Airport there is some uncertainty about what a helicopter is going to do. Fly Friendly is an opportunity to take your input and put together some rules so that helicop ter operators can create consistency in your behavior and the fixed wing pilots will have something to tell them what the helicopter is going to do; which dramatically improves safety. Howard Fomby: Could helicopter pilots come up with recommendations before next meeting? Tim Sullivan: Safety is more important than noise control. Mark Dietz: I am going to suggest that Travis provide copies of the noise sensitive areas to the helicopter pilots so that we can get your recommendations next month. 6. Discussion and Possible action on recommendation for Airport Layout Plan, Rules & Regulations and Minimum Standards. Tim Sullivan: Did everyone see Kathy Heidemann’s letter and Chuck Willis’s reply? It was very well answered. No reply from Kathy Heidemann to date . According to the Ethics Training Arnold & I attended; e-mails to all Airport Advisory Board members could be considered a meeting. Therefore, send e-mails to only the person that asked, not to everyone. Howard Fomby: The key is if it’s information, then it does not matter, if it’s process oriented, it does not matter, but if we start to share opinions then that can be considered a meeting. Mark Dietz: Back to the agenda item, my understanding is that Chuck Willis will provide information in September. Arnold Wieder: Will we get advanced copies? Mark Dietz: Yes. 7. Discuss the Airport Safety Observation Report and Methods to Promote Airport Safety. Arnold Wieder: We only have one report (attached) concerns of - 1) confused traffic pattern Arnold Wieder: In the AOPA, the latest issue of their pilot magazine has a good article on runway incursions. In the issue they also included this free pamphlet on runway safety – A Pilot’s Guide to Surface Operations. Chris Cagle: Could you contact the AOPA to see if they could supply the pamphlets in bulk to the airport? Arnold Wieder: The article says that there are more fatal accidents during takeoff than on landing. Mark Dietz: Could you e-mail someone on the AOPA website and see if we can get some of those pamphlets. Arnold Wieder: Sure. 8. Discuss meeting with selected Central Texas Airports. Mark Dietz: The subcommittee met this past week and we talked about items to be presented and we planned to meet with (4) other Airport Advisory Boards and TxDOT on Thursda y, September 16, 2004, 6:00 p.m., at the Terminal Building. 9. Discuss Airport Museum. Howard Fomby: I have talked to Mark Thomas (Economic Development Director / City) and he will take the lead on this item and the on-going responsibilities so that someone will be available. Tim Sullivan: Would you like someone from the board to help out and represent, the board? Howard Fomby: That would be terrific. Tim Sullivan: I will volunteer. 10. Consideration and Possible Action for setting Agenda Items for the September 20, 2004, meeting. A. Discussion and possible action on recommendation for the Airport Layout Plan, Rules and Regulations, and Minimum Standards B. Discussion on the Updated Master Plan C. Discuss Helicopter Operations D. Report on meeting with selected Central Texas Airports 11. Adjourn. Howard Fomby: Motion that we adjourn. John Bader: I second the motion. Motion approved 6-0. Submitted by: Travis McLain Airport Director Approved: Attest: ____________________________ __________________________ Mark Dietz, Chairman Chris Cagle, Board Secretary