CAA: GA News, "Sale of West Point, Va., Airport is 'Generally Acceptable,' FAA Says"

["Stephen Irwin" <stepheni@xxxxxxxxx>]

Thursday, August 15, 2002

Sale of West Point, Va., Airport is 'Generally Acceptable,' FAA Says
The Daily Press, Newport News, Va.


One of its five engines is dead and another is sputtering, but after
five years the Middle Peninsula Regional Airport finally is getting a
green light to take off.

"We're there,"said George Zahn, who chairs the airport authority, in a
meeting Wednesday. Zahn was referring to a letter he received Tuesday
from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Plans for sale of the airport, which is owned by the Town of West Point,
to the authority are"generally acceptable,"the FAA letter said. Only
some minor, technical details stand in the way of final approval.

Built to train World War II pilots, the airport is located in King and
Queen County. About 20 small aircraft are based there.

The airport, which now serves private aircraft, is envisioned as a base
for corporate planes and charter services.

It would be a selling point for Middle Peninsula communities in their
efforts to attract industry to the area.

Charter flying has grown since Sept. 11 as more people are finding it
more convenient than having to stand in line at major airports for
security inspections, said Dan Kavanagh, who heads the Middle Peninsula
Planning District Commission.

Kavanagh said safety is another consideration, referring to an FAA ban
in November of general-aviation flights from 100 U.S. airports near
nuclear sites. The ban grounded airplanes at Newport News/Williamsburg
International Airport because of its proximity to the Surry Nuclear
Power Station.

"But we weren't affected. We're far enough away,"he said.

But a more serious problem could keep the project grounded. Gloucester
County may follow the example of Mathews County and leave the
partnership.

Gloucester Administrator Bill Whitley told the authority that questions
came up during the budget process as to whether participation in the
airport project was worth the investment.

Each participating locality including West Point, and the counties of
King William and King and Queen would pay annual dues of about $19,000
in addition to a share of the $3 million estimated cost for airport
improvements and operation over 15 years.

The authority also hopes to receive federal and state funding totaling
about $5 million.

Mathews dropped out in October, questioning the airport's value and
whether a proposed regional industrial park next to the airport would
serve Mathews' interests.

Whitley said similar questions were raised during hearings on
Gloucester's budget.

"They wanted to know what the value is to Gloucester,"he said. The
supervisors indicated they wanted to wait to see the final draft of the
partnership proposal before making a decision.

Gloucester's decision, which could come next month, could influence King
and Queen, said that county's administrator, Elis Olsson."Right now,
we're not considering pulling out, but if Gloucester pulls out, anything
goes,"Olsson said.

Kavanagh, from the Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission that is
shepherding the project, said FAA approval was a breakthrough. A major
obstacle arose about two years ago when the FAA ruled that the $550,000
West Point would get from the authority had to be spent on an airport.

This presented a quirky dilemma in that West Point, as an authority
member, would be paying a disproportionate share toward the project,
Kavanagh explained. The authority worked this out, he said, by agreeing
that West Point's payment would count toward its pro-rated share of
project costs. The FAA accepted this arrangement Thursday.

West Point Town Manager Anthony Romanello has said that even if the
partnership falls through, the town would continue to operate the
airport.

If the four remaining partners hang together, however, the sale could
take place by year's end, Kavanagh said.


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