Aviation Needs to be a Good NeighborKalispell City Airport — S27
Fred A. Leistiko, Manager
Post Office Box 1997 - Kalispell, Montana 59903-1997 - Telephone (406) 250-3065
Fax - (406) 758-7758 Email - airport@kalispell.com
AVIATION NEEDS TO BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) continues to receive
complaints, throughout the country, concerning low flying aircraft. The FAA
teaches pilots that the "minimum safe altitude" over congested areas is 1,000 feet
above the highest obstacles in the area. A more important element pilots need to
remember is where the nearest "engine out safe landing area" is. When in the
traffic pattern at any airport, the nearest engine out safe landing area should be
the airport of intended landing. I have never seen a safe landing area in the
middle of a city, town, or settlement for a fixed wing or ultra light aircraft. Of
course, helicopters are a different story, because they normally land with zero
forward airspeed and, therefore, need a much smaller area to land.
Usually, as pilots become more seasoned, or experienced, the term
"minimum" takes on a different meaning. They start to add a few hundred feet
to the minimums. That is where being a good neighbor comes into the picture.
Mr. James E. Pyles, National FAA Safety Team Outreach Manager wrote,
"Altitude above you and runway behind you don't do you any good. Start your
takeoff roll at the beginning of the runway, so that most of your climb, to a safer,
more neighborly altitude, will be over the airport. Besides, you might be glad
you have that extra few feet should you have an emergency."
This is especially true at the Kalispell City Airport where the airport is
located close -in to the City of Kalispell. This makes for a great fly -in destination
for most aviators, but along with that comes more responsibilities, for being a
good neighbor airport. Recently, the aviation safety inspector from the FAA
Flight Standards District Office in Helena, Montana wrote "Noise is not an issue
that we can address by Federal Aviation Regulations, because they (FAR's) are
written to address safety." Noise abatement procedures are a local issue to be
addressed by the owners of an airport. The Kalispell City Airport management,
in conjunction with Red Eagle Aviation and the Airport Advisory Council has
established "Closed Traffic Pattern Procedures" and "Preferred Departure
Procedures for the City Airport. These procedures include traffic pattern
altitudes for noise abatement, and departure procedures when leaving the local
traffic pattern. The Airport would like the widest possible distribution of these
procedures.
David Hoerner, FAA Safety Officer, and Chief of Flight Operations at Red
Eagle Aviation, Kalispell City Airport says, "No one likes to hear the drone of
airplanes and helicopters overhead hour after hour. Always be conscious of
where you are flying and the noise level you generate."
Safety is not the issue here, therefore, the noise abatement procedures at
Kalispell City Airport - S27 become a sales job for aviation in general. Local
pilots are asked to take the lead and set the example for others to follow. Until
such time when the new, relocated runway becomes a reality, being a good
neighbor pilot, takes on a more important meaning.
o a
Fred A. Leistiko, Man ger
Kalispell City Airport
(Fred A. Leistiko is a member of the Montana State Aeronautics Board)
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