Who Will Control Briscoe Field?
Photos
A couple of weeks ago the Briscoe Citizens Committee submitted questions to the Atlanta Regional Office of the FAA. Below are the questions asked and the response from the FAA.
Committee Question - If commercialized, are there any restrictions as to who can operate at said facility?
FAA Response - Any commercial operator who has been approved by the FAA can operate at said facility.
Committee Question - If an airport is privatized/commercialized, would there be a restriction (limit) on any aspects such as number of flights per day, types of aircraft, number of passengers, hours of operation, the descent/climb rate of aircraft to lessen noise impact to nearby residents?
FAA Response - No.
Committee Question - Can Gwinnett County as the owner of the airport facility or its privatized operator seek and secure a permit for commercial passenger service from the FAA (Part 139 Permit) which will include guaranteed limits on the number of airline carriers using the facility, the number of flights taking off and landing in a day, banning flights during certain hours of the day and night, limiting the size of aircraft taking off and landing, limiting other operations that might interfere with the quality of life of the community?
FAA Response – No.
Committee Question Is there an example of another facility where the FAA has issued a permit for commercial passenger service where the local government has been allowed to regulate and guarantee that flight operations are limited to limit the number of airline carriers using the facility, the number of flights taking off and landing in a day, banning flights during certain hours of the day and night, limiting the size of aircraft taking off and landing, limiting other operations
that might interfere with the quality of life of the community?
FAA Response - No. Reagan National (DC) has slots that are controlled by Congress.
Now some proponents argue we can control Briscoe, but these answers were very clear and to the point. Since the FAA regulates all US airports I tend to believe them over anyone’s local opinion.
Contributed by Harry Meanwell
GregRodgers
9:22 am on Thursday, April 26, 2012
Exactly...which is why you cannot believe a word that comes out of Brett Smith's oral cavity! All this only 10 gates with limited service. Its kinda like Comcast....12 months at a smaller rate...and after you will pay through the nose!! Give me a break we are not stupid. I just hope that the BOC stops turning a blind eye to the oooh so apparent.
Tim Sullivan
3:50 pm on Sunday, April 29, 2012
Curious then, how or who regulated flight liftoff and landing times at John Wayne airport in Orange county CA? I got stuck in DFW not so long ago because my connecting filght from DFW could not land at Orange county before 10PM. They wouldn't let us take off we had to spend the night in a local hotel.
Better Gwinnett
9:32 am on Monday, April 30, 2012
Tim - Given the info from Andrew below. Do you suggest we rely on Washington DC, the FAA, or the court system to protect our quality of life here in Gwinnett AFTER the BOC signs a contract to expand Briscoe?
R++ - One of the famous "Dacula Crew"
8:17 pm on Sunday, April 29, 2012
That could be the airline choice of operations at the field - the market there, at that time, it may not have been profitable to remain open.
But if an airline CHOOSES to operate an extended schedule there wouldn't seem to be any LOCAL control to prevent that business choice per FAA regs...
R++ - One of the famous "Dacula Crew"
3:49 pm on Monday, April 30, 2012
To balance this off "per CURRENT FAA" Regulations...
Andrew McNeil
7:48 am on Monday, April 30, 2012
Tim..let me educate you. The Noise abatement program at John Wayne was a result of numerous lawsuits generated by the introduction of 737s and DC-9s into the commercial fleet. Over time it led to a court-ordered settlement agreement in 1985. From that came curfews, noise abatement, etc.
However, in 1990, the Feds passed a law called the Airport Noise and Capacity Act. Its purpose is to "constrain, at the federal level, the ability of local airport operators to restrict the use of their airports due to noise concerns." The agreement at John Wayne Airport was grandfathered. Other airports are out of luck. Scott Seritt was right. We have no control.
This makes preventing Propeller from taking over Briscoe even more crucial, as we have no hopes of getting any sort of noise abatement. The FAA is in the business of promoting aviation. They don't care about ordinary citizens in the slightest.
The information can be found at www.ocair.com. Click on Community Relations and then Frequently Asked Questions-Noise. Part way down you will see the two relevant questions and answers.
M.K. Osborne
8:11 pm on Tuesday, May 1, 2012
If he does pull off a show and tell on the noise issue , make sure the plane doesnt have any special noise reduction equipment that others would not have . Needs to be all standard .