"Supervisors OK grants to make Castle suitable for commercial flights"

Wednesday, August 20, 2003

Supervisors OK grants to make Castle suitable for commercial flights 
By MIKE CONWAY
The Modesto (CA) Bee


MERCED -- Castle airport is on track for a $4.9 million makeover to help
turn it into a top-notch civilian airport, ready to attract commercial
flights.

"The (Federal Aviation Administration) is extremely concerned with the
facilities at Castle meeting civilian FAA standards," county Public Works
Director Paul Fillebrown said. "They are helping to guide us along the way,
and help with the funding."

County supervisors unanimously approved three grants that would help convert
the former Strategic Air Command facility to what Fillebrown called full
civilian use.

"Any kind of commercial airline with passengers will not come to Castle
today because we do not meet the standards," said Scott Malta, manager of
Castle Airport Aviation and Development Center. The grants will move the
airport closer to what is known as Part 139 certification.

"Once we become certified, we have airlines that have said they will
actually start charter operations through Castle," Malta said. The
certification process will take several years, Malta said.

"Technically, one day this place could become a feeder or reliever for Bay
Area airports, if that becomes necessary."

One of the most expensive projects is making the runway lights conform to
those at major civilian airports.

The county has $1.2 million from the FAA to relocate the high-intensity
runway lights to a 150-foot width. They are now spaced at the 300-foot width
the Air Force used when Castle was a military base. With the lighting
project will come an overlay on the 11,800-foot-long runway to smooth out
the bumps left over from years of use by B-52 bombers and KC-135 tankers.

The FAA also will pay $765,000 to replace water valves and fire hydrants and
improve the efficiency of the water tower. An additional $300,000 is set
improve the access roads, and the county got $675,000 to rehabilitate two
large buildings near the runway.

"This is money specifically targeted for closed military installations,"
Fillebrown said.

An additional $1.5 million in FAA grants will go to repair the runway and
add a precision approach path indicator used for landings.

The Central Valley Infrastructure Grant Program will supply $326,000 for a
new rotating airport beacon, strobe circuit cable, runway markers and other
lighting.

Manager Malta said the county will need "another couple million" to achieve
the certification, but said the FAA has indicated a willingness to help pay
for the upgrades.

The runway repairs will begin in spring and take two to three months, Malta
said. Because of the length of the runway, the upgrades shouldn't affect
daily operations, he said.

The improvements also will make the airport more enticing to the Air
National Guard, which is considering Castle as the site for its rescue unit
based in the Bay Area. 

"All of these improvements are making the airport safer and better, so
realistically, as far as the Guard is concerned, these are good things,"
Malta said.


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