CAA: GA News, "Improvements proposed for San Diego's Fallbrook Community Airpark"

["Stephen Irwin" <stepheni@xxxxxxxxx>]

Friday, February 1, 2002

Improvements proposed for airport in Fallbrook 
By Christine Millay 
THE SAN DIEGO (CA) UNION-TRIBUNE


FALLBROOK - Nearly $920,000 worth of upgrades have been proposed for the
runway and for security at the county airport here. 

Fallbrook Community Airpark director Rick Jenkins has proposed spending
$750,000 to design and install a new asphalt overlay on the runway and
$166,667 for 4,500 feet of fencing for aircraft and ramp security. 

"We don't want there to be any danger," Jenkins said. "There's a couple
of areas where there's some damage . . . in the center of the runway.
The asphalt has gone down a bit." 

The runway improvements will be made if the Federal Aviation
Administration approves a $675,000 grant request. The state has agreed
to pay $33,750, and the county's Airport Enterprise Fund will cover
$41,250. 

For the security fencing, the county has requested $150,000 from the
FAA, $7,500 from the state and $9,167 from the Airport Enterprise Fund. 

Jenkins said he doesn't know when the FAA will announce the grant
awards. Getting the state money depends upon approval of the FAA grants.


Fallbrook's runway needs a new overlay to smooth over some slight
depressions, said Willie Vasquez, the airport's new assistant manager. 

"What happens is they tend to hold water, so you have three-fourths of
an inch of water standing on the runway," he said. "It's not ideal. We
want the water to sheet off to the sides when it rains." 

Vasquez said the airport needs many other improvements, including safety
zones at the end of the runway. "After the runway ends, you have a clear
area and that area right now drops off," Vasquez said. "We need to level
it in case a plane runs off the end." 

Jenkins said the FAA already has approved a $150,000 grant so the county
can revamp the airport's master plan, which would detail what other
improvements are needed. The process will start in about a month and
will take at least a year to complete. 

Future work at the airport likely will include additional fire hydrants
and a fuel facility, Jenkins said. 

The Fallbrook Public Utility District plans to install a water line for
a fire hydrant. The airport has one hydrant, Jenkins said, but needs
another near the site of the proposed fuel station.


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