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Phillips/City Airport LetterKalispell City Council: Regarding comments on the use of Kalispell Airport. I am a retired airline pilot who lives in the Kalispell area and own my own aircraft. I use the City Airport in lieu of Glacier International Airport almost exclusively because of the safety factor involved when you separate large jet traffic from slow light aircraft traffic. After flying 40 years for Pan Am and Delta Airlines combined, I can absolutely state there is an incompatibility of speed and maneuverability between these two aviation factions. Hence the need for an exclusive general aviation airport . There is an aid to the economy factor. Most of my friends and visitors to Kalispell are pilots and a number have their own aircraft. They find the location of the City Airport perfect and utilize the hotels and restaurants within walking distance. No muss, no fuss. I seriously question the constant hoopla by the "Chicken Little Crowd", ( the sky is falling group), regarding noise and the questioned inherent safety of City Airport, I have never seen any figures on how many take-offs and landings occur on a daily average. I'll bet there are very few and most users are small, relatively quiet aircraft.That should be the first item on any fact finding mission regarding noise. Little to moderate use, little noise. Also, the usage is seasonal, with summer months seeing the most visitors. The safety record has been superb to date which speaks volumes on it's own. With the planned re-alignment of the runway, both the alleged noise question and the safety factor should be mitigated and the extremely long running, accident free record will continue unchanged. This airport has been located exactly where it is for a very long time. To have a vocal crowd of anti-aviation people suddenly show up, howling the brilliant deduction that there are airplanes using that airport, makes me question their motives, eyesight and brainpower. Of course there are aircraft using the airport, they have been doing it for decades and the complainers showed up long after the airport was built. Have they been in a coma all this time? The airport supports itself with state funds, federal funds and very good management, enough said. The nay sayers choose to overlook that fact. Relocation would cost a fortune and negate the best feature of the airport. Convenience. This valley is surrounded by very high mountains. If you start trying to relocate an airport, the only available properties of sufficient size are probably located closer to the mountains and that suddenly becomes a major safety issue. As a member of the Montana Pilot's Association, I urge you to resist the strident voice of those who would deal a lethal blow to general aviation in Kalispell and a very vital part of our economic base. Sincerely, Larry Phillips Real Estate Broker Coldwell Banker Wachholz & Co. (406) 844-6107 office (406) 261-2565 cell (406) 844-6111 fax This message may contain an advertisement or commercial content. If you would no longer like to receive updates or information from Coldwell Banker Wachholz & Co. please click here <blocked::http://www.beinmontana.com/Default.aspx?tabid=71> or use the following link: unsubscribe@cbwrealestate.com and type the name of the agent in the subject line. View our privacy policy. <blocked::http://www.beinmontana.com/Default.aspx?tabid=112> © Coldwell Banker Wachholz & Co. (406) 751-4300, 1205 S. Main St. Kalispell, MT 59901, United States of America. All rights reserved.