"Opinion: Growth at Minden-Tahoe Airport not out of control"

["Stephen Irwin" <stepheni@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Friday, April 6, 2007

Opinion
Growth at airport not out of control
By John Endter
The Gardnerville (NV) Record-Courier


After reading the R-C Guest Opinion from March 28, 2007, I decided to get
involved. After all, that was the primary message of Jennifer Ware's
editorial. To begin, I must disclose that I am a private pilot, fly a very
small airplane, but do not run a business at the airport. I rent a hangar
from the county and have an interest in the future of our airport. Last
month, I attended the Airport Advisory committee meeting and Wednesday, I
attended the airport master plan committee meeting. The complaint that seems
to be aired at these meetings, and in the media, is that airport growth is
out of control and soaring is in decline at the Minden-Tahoe Airport. After
10 years in the Valley, I have not noticed either, so I decided to dig
deeper.

Minden-Tahoe Airport is a small town airport with a country flare and growth
at the airport is not out of control. In 1993, Douglas County adopted the
Douglas County Airport Master Plan. In this public document, it is reported
that in 1991 there were an estimated 76,300 operations. In data published by
the consulting firm currently working on the new airport master plan, it is
reported that in 2005 there were 79,800 estimated operations. This equates
to a year over year growth rate of 1Ú3 of a percent for the past 14 years.
Given what the overall growth in the county was during this period, the
airport is the best kept secret in the Valley. The airport's past growth
rate is also in line with the current consulting report of 1Ú2 of 1 percent
forecasted growth per year for the next 20 years. 

What about the decline of soaring at the airport? The 1993 master plan data
shows that in 1991 there were an estimated 27,328 glider-related operations
at the airport. The current consulting report shows that in 2005, that
number is estimated at 30,800 glider-related operations. These reports
indicate that glider activity is actually up by 12.7 percent; not in decline
as Jennifer Ware and the Carson Valley Vanguard Coalition leads us to
believe. And furthermore, in 1989, there were at least two glider-based
businesses sharing the 27,000 annual operations. Today, there is basically
one glider operator, Soar Minden. They operate the lion's share of the
30,000 annual glider operations. So how is it that his business is down by
50 percent as reported in Jennifer's editorial? After looking at the hard
numbers, Soar Minden's business appears to be growing. So who is the Carson
Valley Vanguard Coalition?

I searched the online FAA's pilot database and this is what I found. There
are nine CVVC board members. The pilot database search revealed that five of
the nine members are non-pilots. But the other four are all glider pilots
including Jennifer Ware and Jim Herd. Does the Carson Valley Vanguard
Coalition have a hidden agenda that is focused on gliders? It would appear
so. Remember, there are many users of the airport and all concerns must be
considered in the next master plan. 

I try very hard to look at all the facts and take a common sense approach to
solving issues. If we all sit back and don't question the comments of
others, the squeaky wheel will get the grease. But if we ask why the wheel
is squeaking in the first place, we can fix the wheel instead of covering it
up with grease. The current master plan and airport advisory committees are
doing a great service to the public and the County in addressing everyone's
concerns. But, they can't do it without input from the airport users and the
public. Get involved and most of all get the facts and ask lots of
questions.

-- John Endter is a Minden resident

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http://www.californiaaviation.org/dcfp/dcboard.php

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