Tiny Airports Get Big Cut of Stimulus Cash

[Everskyward]

This is probably going to end up in the SZ but I thought I would try it out here first so others could see it.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/07/13/eveningnews/main5156598.shtml

If you want to know your federal stimulus package dollars are already having an impact, you might want to look up. The small planes you spot could be bound for one of the hundreds of tiny airports that have landed big money from the government, as CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports.

In upstate New York, there's a tiny airport owned by the Williamson Flying Club, a private social club for local pilots.

Club President Joe Ebert is pleased to show off their brand new $400,000 runway, paid for by your tax dollars.

 

[Trapper John]

Damned if you do, damned if you don't...


Trapper John

 

[CJones]

Yet some of the projects hardly seem urgent. And taxpayers may be surprised to find "that airports they never heard of in communities they will never visit are getting some of the maximum stimulus grants," says Michael Grabell of the non-profit journalism group ProPublica.

Well, there are tons of roads that go to tiny places that I know I will never go, so I guess we should tear those up too. Apparently it is only possible to spend money on areas that EVERY person uses.

On the bright side, all airports that get stimulus funds are open to the public. So if you ever feel like flying to a little airport, there's one in upstate New York that's happy to spread out the welcome mat on their brand new runway.

Too bad she was being sarcastic here. It still remains true.

 

[tonycondon]

is that Joe Ebert that posts on red and purple? has pilotjunk.com?

 

[ScottM]

This is probably going to end up in the SZ but I thought I would try it out here first so others could see it.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/07/13/eveningnews/main5156598.shtml

It shouldn't. We have talked about this in HT before.

I posted on earmarks in HT once before, my posts start here, http://www.pilotsofamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?p=418359&highlight=earmarks#post418359

Lots of money is going to airports, many of which are GA. I like that type of spending.

 

[mantakos]

In upstate New York, there's a tiny airport owned by the Williamson Flying Club, a private social club for local pilots.

So sounds like a runway was built for the private use of a small club, no?

That flying club has 5 planes, but according to Airnav, there are 74 aircraft based on the field. So this is a typical non-towered GA airport, with a 3800' runway, and not some kind of private country-club facility.

All that whined, though, I have no doubt that Congress-critters have, in the past, steered money towards GA airports in their districts.
-harry

 

[ReverendSlappy]

Well, there are tons of roads that go to tiny places that I know I will never go, so I guess we should tear those up too. Apparently it is only possible to spend money on areas that EVERY person uses.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[ScottM]

Well, there are tons of roads that go to tiny places that I know I will never go, so I guess we should tear those up too. Apparently it is only possible to spend money on areas that EVERY person uses.



Too bad she was being sarcastic here. It still remains true.

Good points Chris. At least these are not 'bridges to nowhere'. They are to airports that do serve the public. I am a user of a public access, private owned airport and we wish we could get some of the stimulus money. But alas that is not going to happen. We had to improve our runways and taxiways out of our own pockets.

 

[tonycondon]

So sounds like a runway was built for the private use of a small club, no?

That flying club has 5 planes, but according to Airnav, there are 74 aircraft based on the field. So this is a typical non-towered GA airport, with a 3800' runway, and not some kind of private country-club facility.

All that whined, though, I have no doubt that Congress-critters have, in the past, steered money towards GA airports in their districts.
-harry

check out the sister thread on the red board. the airport is privately owned but public use and maintained to FAA standards as a reliever for Rochester, NY (I think, KROC).

 

[AdamZ]

So sounds like a runway was built for the private use of a small club, no?

That flying club has 5 planes, but according to Airnav, there are 74 aircraft based on the field. So this is a typical non-towered GA airport, with a 3800' runway, and not some kind of private country-club facility.

All that whined, though, I have no doubt that Congress-critters have, in the past, steered money towards GA airports in their districts.
-harry

Exactly Harry!! This was crap journalism. Privately owned public use. Reporter probabaly has no clue what that means. She spun that segment IMHO to make it look like the feds gave a private exclusive club for us wealthy pilots hundreds of thousands for their private runway. What a friggin hatchet job by the media.

 

[CJones]

Where's Paul Harvey when you need him. He would jump on this like stink on .... uhh.. fecal matter.

 

[mikea]

Exactly Harry!! This was crap journalism. Privately owned public use. Reporter probabaly has no clue what that means. She spun that segment IMHO to make it look like the feds gave a private exclusive club for us wealthy pilots hundreds of thousands for their private runway. What a friggin hatchet job by the media.

I saw the promos for this, "Your tax dollars are going to an airport you'll never use!" Being that only 4%(?) of airports have commercial service the odds for that are very likely for most of the US population - but not for us - and those pesky rich time wasters like UPS and Fed Ex and business CEOs and life flights.

There was another one promo'd with Lester Holt on MSNBC. I saw the preview,

"Landing on water is rarely safe.
WHY do pilots do it?

- Usually it's because they have no choice."

We need a Doh! icon.

Basically it was an excuse to use all two copies of airliner water ditching footage they have. Ethiopia and the Hudson miracle.