Sameit/Kalispell City AirportKalispell City Council Members:
I have followed the debate over Kalispell City Airport in the
Daily Interlake with dismay. The group opposing improvements to the
airport, and even the very existence of the airport, is long on
rhetoric and very short on facts. Their arguments can be summed up by
the phrase "Not In My Backyard" (NIMBY). Yet they moved into their homes
and apartments knowing that the airport was there. They ignore the
reality that City Airport is a real gem, with hotels, restaurants, and
stores all within walking distance, obviating the need for a rental car.
It is also centrally located for the population of the Flathead Valley.
It is a friendly, established asset that should receive the upgrades
proposed.
I am retired from flying Navy fighters and large passenger
aircraft for a major airline, and am a Certificated Flight Instructor in
the Glacier Eagles Soaring Club based at City Airport. I have previously
instructed in gliders in Southern California and Southeastern Virginia,
and have seen hundreds of airports. I have thoroughly enjoyed my
association with Jim Pierce and the staff at Red Eagle Aviation, and I
know that our club does not have the option of moving to Glacier Park
International. When it was previously based at Ferndale or Lost Prairie,
club activity withered due to distance and the difficulty in obtaining a
tow pilot and aircraft. Please don't allow a vocal minority to dissuade
you from voting in favor of the airport improvements.
Doug Sameit
113 Spar Lane
Lakeside, MT 59922
757 343-8785