Officials: Falcon Field growing

Thu, 06/29/2006 - 3:05pm
By: John Munford

No commuter, cargo jets in plans

Although there are plans to lengthen the runway at Falcon Field sometime in the future, doing so will not allow larger aircraft to land there, officials said.

Instead, the extra runway is necessary so corporate jets can take off more easily in the warmer months, said Jerry Cobb, chairman of the Peachtree City Airport Authority. Currently, some jets can’t take off with a full load of fuel, meaning they can’t make long flights without stopping elsewhere to gas up, which is an inconvenience.

Cobb recently told the City Council that the airport has no plans to host any larger aircraft that can currently land there now.

“None whatsoever,” Cobb said, noting that no passenger service or cargo operations are even contemplated for the airport, which is nestled south of the Planterra Ridge golf course and subdivision. The runway is currently 5,220 feet long and a expansion would bring it to 6,000 feet, Cobb said.

One of the authority’s main goals is to attract more corporate jets to the mix at Falcon Field, Cobb said. The airport is building a significant profile in the city’s economy with the addition of a nationally-known aircraft parts supplier, Aircraft Spruce, and a large repair facility, Gardner Aviation, that is already ready to expand.

The airport currently has no additional developed land to lease, but it has plans to develop two large areas it has purchased for future growth. Interested persons are continually inquiring about when that land will be ready to build hangars on, Cobb said.

The authority recently learned that it has been approved for a grant to purchase a precision landing system, which will also help attract corporate jets, Cobb said. The system will allow planes to land on days of inclement weather, when jets otherwise might have had to divert to another airport, Cobb said.

Currently, aircraft approaching Falcon Field must level off at fixed altitudes, but the precision landing system uses Global Positioning System technology so the plane can take a direct “straight line” path to the ground. The precision landing system will cost the airport about $200,000, Cobb noted.

“It’s one of the things that will help our airport the most,” Cobb said, noting that the Coweta County airport already has a precision landing system.

The airport is also awaiting direction from the federal government on what security measures it will need to take in the future, such as perimeter fencing, video cameras and the like, Cobb said.

Airport tenants generate approximately $270,000 in property tax revenues each year because of county taxes levied on aircraft. The airport had 165 aircraft based there, with projections for that number to rise.

Although the airport is classified as a “Hartsfield reliever” that only means that general aviation planes are encouraged to land here, not commuter or cargo planes, Cobb said.

Two-thirds of the lion’s share of airport revenues comes from fuel sales, and the airport is projected to have a net profit of $150,000 this year, Cobb reported. The airport also gets $120,000 from the city’s hotel motel tax, which is spent on capital improvements at the airport, Cobb said.

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Submitted by Sailon on Fri, 06/30/2006 - 11:32am.

I doubt that many of this current generation (under 50) know why the federal government grants large sums to airports, and of course to Interstate road projects. Most will say it is because locals won't ever come up with the money to improve (or build) any airport--or to even build one mile of Interstate highway, and they would be right!
However, that is NOT the reason the government grants the money. The real reason is that the government can at any time necessary take over all of the airports and Interstate highways needed by them. It is in the agreements. We civilians would be left with state and county highways on which to drive and apple orchards in which to land small planes. We pretend not to be a socialistic society but are rigged to become one instantly. Just for your information.

bad_ptc's picture
Submitted by bad_ptc on Fri, 06/30/2006 - 12:01pm.

Another thing you younger readers may not know is that part of the reason for building the interstate system, the way it was built, was not only to move troops from one part of the country to the other in convoys quickly. The initial Federal mandate for the interstate system said, on average, for every 10 miles of interstate at least 1 mile of that must be clear of obstructions and flat. Do you know why?

So that the interstate system can also serve as runways for military aircraft.

We learned that from the Germans.


PTC Guy's picture
Submitted by PTC Guy on Fri, 06/30/2006 - 12:03pm.

National defense and common interest.

That is not socialism. That is smart partnerships.

-----------------------------
Keeping it real and to the core of the issue, not the peripherals.


Git Real's picture
Submitted by Git Real on Fri, 06/30/2006 - 5:20pm.

The Interstate system turned 50 this year. I think we can all agree that airports, roads and a strong defense are legitimate functions of the Federal Government. Welfare, social programs and the multitudes of Guvment waste are inexcuseable. Let's keep our infrastructure strong and much of the rest will take care of itself.


Robert W. Morgan's picture
Submitted by Robert W. Morgan on Fri, 06/30/2006 - 7:35pm.

My father worked on interstate highway design from 1935-43 and again from 1947-53. Eisenhower signed the bill that created the interstates in 1956 and certainly got the funding approved - largely because of the country's prosperity in the 1950's.

Roosevelt envisioned something like the interstates and got people like my father working on it in the middle of the Depression. This was one of his many "make work" projects to pull the country out of the Depression. It was a good idea, but delayed until Ike's time. Oddly, no one considered multiple lanes until the 1950's and even then they were considered a luxury until Ike sold the idea to Congress that wide interstates could be used as runways for airplanes - cold war hysteria for sure, but at least we started with 4 lanes.

One of the most intersting drawings he left behind was the alternative designs for crossing or getting around the Rocky Mountains - same challenge the railroad builders had a century before.


PTC Guy's picture
Submitted by PTC Guy on Fri, 06/30/2006 - 7:55pm.

CCC, WPA and a lot of such programs impacted highways, dams and more. Roosevelt indeed was behind a lot of change.

Here is a bit of interesting history on roads and highways.

-----------------------------
Keeping it real and to the core of the issue, not the peripherals.


Joey Jamokes's picture
Submitted by Joey Jamokes on Fri, 06/30/2006 - 5:26pm.

Yes, indeed Eisenhower was the architect and it was a wise idea. I agree--- federal funding of these local projects is dangerous. It not only creates a large Washington but if we had to pay for all these crappy little airports with local money we would look long and hard at whether or not we "needed" or "wanted" them.

Back to Ike....I think he would be concerned about Global Warming. Forget about the cause. Maybe it is not man. Maybe it is just cyclical. But it is happening. And if the changes cause resource shortages the result will not be invasions by 500,000 troops but nuclear war.


Joey Jamokes's picture
Submitted by Joey Jamokes on Fri, 06/30/2006 - 5:27pm.

If you don't believe it, go on the DOD website and look at the study entitled "Imagining the Unthinkable."


Submitted by dopplerobserver on Fri, 06/30/2006 - 2:16pm.

Deny, deny, deny. The whole IRS is Socialistic and you know it. Social Security is Socialistic and you know it. The Oil Companies are Socialistic and you know it. The Federal Reserve is Socialistic and you know it. On and on. What we say out of our mouths about capitalism, stupid "vows" and so called "values" changes nothing. If individuals are left to fend for themself, in a true capitalistic democracy, about two generations will take them the way of the other failed civilizations, but for different reasons. The words are greed, and organized religion.

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