Hulla/Kalispell City Airport1 /27/ 10
To Whom It May Concern:
I live in the flight path of the Kalispell City Airport and can hear the planes as they rev
their engines before departure and the noise they emit during departure and upon arrival
all the time. I feel there is far too much attention focused on a small vocal group of
people that want to turn back the hands of time and rid Kalispell of another piece of its
"uniqueness" and vitality. Beside the economic importance this airport offers and the
convenience of being able to fly into Kalispell from afar, I enjoy seeing and hearing the
activities of the sky divers, the rustle of their chutes opening, and the diversity of the
aircraft that come and go. I also enjoy the gliders that run the ridges out my back yard,
and I am thankful that firefighting, agricultural and other emergency aircraft have an
airport unencumbered by the politics of having to compete with the commercial traffic at
the County Airport.
I also spend several hours a week in a building right under the final approach to the
landing strip. Planes regularly pass overhead only 100-200 feet above. Inside, life goes
on unhindered and without interruption. I do not own a plane, but I do derive enjoyment
from watching and hearing the activity surrounding their use. Moving the landing strip
south 1000 feet makes sense as it will increase the separation between the buildings and
planes on final approach or departure and will increase the size of the "crash zone" in the
event something goes wrong. Moving it elsewhere makes no sense to me. It has served
this community and our visitors well in the past and needs some upgrading to do so into
the future. I feel this would be money well spent and would encourage you to move
forward with your plans for runway improvement and expansion.
Life is not without risk. Mitigating risk often falls on our government officials. I feel the
proposed changes have properly assessed the risks this facility presents. The current
plans satisfactorily address these risks. The "not in my neighborhood" syndrome is at
work here and I just wanted you to know that I live in the neighborhood, the airport has
been a part of my neighborhood since I moved there many years ago, and that this is a
facility I want to remain as a part of my neighborhood. Thank you for your time and
understanding.
Sincerely,
Wes Hulla
928 — 81h St W
Kalispell, MT 59901