Port Aransas, TX to close Airport for September

pilot_dude said:
How could someone so involved know so little? :dunno:
Click to expand...

I was thinking the same thing until I remembered that the OP is a business owner and might have only best self interest on mind.

On a side note, you will really like the new LED runway lighting system. Clear, highly visible and won't blind you at night. Plus save the airport a ton on utility bills.
 
pilot_dude said:
How could someone so involved know so little? :dunno:
Click to expand...
That information is out of date. Money for pavement rehab was removed from this project, per the City Manager.

Had the taxiway and ramp rehab money been left in, NO ONE would be upset about closing the airport for a month. As it stands, however, in a month we will come back to exactly the same airport, except for a perimeter cable fence and shiny new runway lights.
 
Last edited:
FWIW, RAS is not a Federally Obligated airport, and not part of the NPIAS. As such, the FAA Texas ADO or the SW Regional office has no involvement in this airport from a perspective of federal standards or federal obligations. Sounds like Tex DOT is who Jay needs to talk to (although honestly too late at this point).
 
Jay Honeck said:
That information is out of date. Money for pavement rehab was removed from this project, per the City Manager.

Had the taxiway and ramp rehab money been left in, NO ONE would be upset about closing the airport for a month. As it stands, however, in a month we will come back to exactly the same airport, except for a perimeter cable fence and shiny new runway lights.
Click to expand...

I'm telling you, go to the papers and the TV news with this story.
 
Dav8or said:
I'm telling you, go to the papers and the TV news with this story.
Click to expand...
I worked in newspapers for 21 years. They are mostly gone -- with no one left on the payroll to keep an eye on (especially) local politicians.

This, BTW, is a real and terrible casualty of the internet. When we all read the newspaper, politicians lived in fear of the newspaper reporter in the back row, taking notes. It kept them (mostly) honest.

Now? All those reporters are long gone, and we all get our "news" from a hundred different sources. There's no one left to keep an eye on what's happening, especially in local government -- and, boy, do the politicians ever know it.

The local weekly paper is cute, and a fun read (especially if you're into fishing), but is hardly investigative. The nearest daily paper, the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, is a mere shadow of what it once was, and can't even deliver to the island anymore.

I wouldn't know who to tell.
 
Brad Z said:
FWIW, RAS is not a Federally Obligated airport, and not part of the NPIAS. As such, the FAA Texas ADO or the SW Regional office has no involvement in this airport from a perspective of federal standards or federal obligations. Sounds like Tex DOT is who Jay needs to talk to (although honestly too late at this point).
Click to expand...

Read Post #34 to see what happened to TXDot's rep, last time he tried to impose rules here.

He hasn't been heard from since.
 
Jay Honeck said:
I worked in newspapers for 21 years. They are mostly gone -- with no one left on the payroll to keep an eye on (especially) local politicians.

This, BTW, is a real and terrible casualty of the internet. When we all read the newspaper, politicians lived in fear of the newspaper reporter in the back row, taking notes. It kept them (mostly) honest.

Now? All those reporters are long gone, and we all get our "news" from a hundred different sources. There's no one left to keep an eye on what's happening, especially in local government -- and, boy, do the politicians ever know it.

The local weekly paper is cute, and a fun read (especially if you're into fishing), but is hardly investigative. The nearest daily paper, the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, is a mere shadow of what it once was, and can't even deliver to the island anymore.

I wouldn't know who to tell.
Click to expand...
Is there no social media in Port Aransas? Or maybe there aren't many people who live there who care if the airport is closed for a month. Also, if you start complaining about taxpayer money spent on the airport runway lights which you think are unneeded you may open a can of worms you wish you hadn't opened.
 
Everskyward said:
Is there no social media in Port Aransas? Or maybe there aren't many people who live there who care if the airport is closed for a month. Also, if you start complaining about taxpayer money spent on the airport runway lights which you think are unneeded you may open a can of worms you wish you hadn't opened.
Click to expand...


Bingo.

There's probably Jay, and two other guys who are really upset the airport is closed.

This is an example of two systems that are failing. GA is dying, and government is, well we all know what government is. :rolleyes:
 
Jay Honeck said:
Read Post #34 to see what happened to TXDot's rep, last time he tried to impose rules here.

He hasn't been heard from since.
Click to expand...

My point was for the folks pointing you to the FAA. There's not much they can do.

What you can do is call and write your state representative. Persistance helps.
 
Everskyward said:
Is there no social media in Port Aransas? Or maybe there aren't many people who live there who care if the airport is closed for a month. Also, if you start complaining about taxpayer money spent on the airport runway lights which you think are unneeded you may open a can of worms you wish you hadn't opened.
Click to expand...
Exactly.

Our airport is seen as a playground for rich boys by most locals. (There are only 3500 fulltime residents).

Sadly, because of the hangar monopoly here, this airport really IS a playground for rich boys, despite our best efforts to turn it back into a municipal airport. As a result, complaining in social media to anyone other than other pilots (and the 21 guys waiting for hangars) would likely be counterproductive.

TXDot was really our last, best hope for change here.
 
Jay Honeck said:
Exactly.

Our airport is seen as a playground for rich boys by most locals. (There are only 3500 fulltime residents).

Sadly, because of the hangar monopoly here, this airport really IS a playground for rich boys, despite our best efforts to turn it back into a municipal airport. As a result, complaining in social media to anyone other than other pilots (and the 21 guys waiting for hangars) would likely be counterproductive.

TXDot was really our last, best hope for change here.
Click to expand...
Well, since you're convinced you're f*ked, there is no use in complaining. BOHICA and enjoy!
 
pilot_dude said:
Well, since you're convinced you're f*ked, there is no use in complaining. BOHICA and enjoy!
Click to expand...
Don't mistake complaining for commenting. It's only complaining if you think there's anyone here who could remedy the situation. We all know that's not the case.

The sad state of our airport is further highlighted by the flaunting of the "rules" that say "airplane hangars must be used for airplanes".

In municipally owned hangars (ala Wisconsin and Iowa airports), the mechanism to enforce that rule is straightforward. No airplane? Get out!

At an airport with privately-owned hangars, (ala Texas and other states) however, the situation is much more convoluted.

In fact, as far as I've been able to tell, there is currently no viable enforcement procedure with regard to privately owned hangars, short of the state threatening to withhold airport improvement funds -- the atomic bomb of airport threats.

Since no one is willing (or able) to drop that bomb - we saw what happened to the last guy who tried -- the hangar owners are able to tell the city to pizz off, and they just keep whatever junk they want in them, free from harassment.

Which leads directly to our current situation: 18 hangars, 9+ of them full of junk, 4 of them empty, and 21 guys on a waiting list for hangars to be built in the future...maybe.

I used to think that privately owned hangars were the answer, and was furious when Iowa City Muni repeatedly turned down what I perceived to be "free" hangars, built by local entrepreneurs. I now see the wisdom of those decisions. The bottom line is that privately owned hangars on a publicly owned airport create an unworkable situation.
 
Jay, every airport I flew into here in TX had that problem.... But, on the flip side, a nice bottle of rum got me some sweet hangars in many places. Double edge sword with removing government from all systems... even if the people only see the bad in gov't.
 
Jay Honeck said:
I worked in newspapers for 21 years.
Click to expand...
Then you ought to know about verifying your facts with two independent reliable sources before printing it.

So, what did the FAA Southwest Region Airport Office say when you called them today?
 
Then you ought to know about verifying your facts with two independent reliable sources before printing it.
Click to expand...

What fact did I list incorrectly? Everything I have stated is true, to the best of my knowledge.

So, what did the FAA Southwest Region Airport Office say when you called them today?
Click to expand...

About what? Did you read the post outlining how Port Aransas has not received FAA funding? This is a TXDot and local Port Aransas problem.
 
jmp470 said:
Jay, every airport I flew into here in TX had that problem.... But, on the flip side, a nice bottle of rum got me some sweet hangars in many places. Double edge sword with removing government from all systems... even if the people only see the bad in gov't.
Click to expand...

I have nothing against privately owned hangars -- on private airports.

Combining private hangars with municipal airports creates an untenable relationship that is unfair to taxpayers, airport users, and hangar owners alike. There is simply no mechanism with which to enforce the rules when you combine the two, and the airport suffers.

Right now, we have half of our hangars being used as boat barns, and an enormous list of local pilots waiting for hangars. With no effective way to force the owners to use their private property for aviation purposes, the airport languishes.

And I don't see any way to fix it.
 
Jay Honeck said:
And I don't see any way to fix it.
Click to expand...

Have you tried talking to the rich guys that seem to run everything? It seems it would be in their interest to pave the taxiways and the ramp as well.

As to the hangars, I doubt the airport has run out of acreage, so what about talking to the city about building some new hangars with private funds? Is it financially viable? Is there a reasonable ROI, or failing that, is there a number of people on the wait list willing to pony up?

The lack of hangars sucks nearly everywhere. The damn things just cost much to build. Nobody wants to pay.
 
Jay Honeck said:
I used to think that privately owned hangars were the answer, and was furious when Iowa City Muni repeatedly turned down what I perceived to be "free" hangars, built by local entrepreneurs. I now see the wisdom of those decisions. The bottom line is that privately owned hangars on a publicly owned airport create an unworkable situation.
Click to expand...

You're starting to sound like a Communist Jay!:yikes::rofl:
 
Dav8or said:
Have you tried talking to the rich guys that seem to run everything? It seems it would be in their interest to pave the taxiways and the ramp as well.

As to the hangars, I doubt the airport has run out of acreage, so what about talking to the city about building some new hangars with private funds? Is it financially viable? Is there a reasonable ROI, or failing that, is there a number of people on the wait list willing to pony up?

The lack of hangars sucks nearly everywhere. The damn things just cost much to build. Nobody wants to pay.
Click to expand...
Suffice it to say that the out of town billionaires have a monopoly on hangars, like it that way, and can charge whatever they want for rent. Since those boys control the city council, its unlikely that we will see new municipal hangars soon.

The last guy that tried to build a hangar to house regular folk (last spring) had beautiful plans drawn up, a budget, site approval from TXDot, and the unanimous support from our (powerless) airport advisory board. It would have taken four guys off the waiting list.

The city council voted against him.

The following week the city auctioned off the "right to build" a new hangar (on a different site) to the preordained winner -- an owner of the LA Dodgers -- for $135K. The fact that his G4 won't fit inside this structure didn't matter, and construction is slated to begin this month. So we will have another empty hangar, used by a guy who visits 15 times a year.

And 21 guys still waiting.

Worse, now that the city has discovered this new golden-egg-laying cash cow -- auctioning off the right to build on public land to the highest bidder -- how much are you willing to bet that the planned municipal hangars are never built?

Frankly, they'd be stupid to build municipal hangars now. They can auction that land off to ten more oil billionaires for beaucoup bucks, and make KRAS the highest-dollar publicly financed private airport in America.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top