Quote of the Week: “Do I believe it’s going to impact your lives? Yes,” FAA con man's comment at recent meeting with Westchester, New York communities about the impact on the communities from new Airspace Redesign Plan

Aviation Conspiracy Newsletter #426.........................................................................April 29,  2007 Past newsletters can be accessed at: http://pages.prodigy.net/rockaway/ACNewsmenu.htm  The PASSUR airport flight tracking system at many major U.S. airports  http://www.passur.com/sites.htm (you must have Java installed to view it). If you want to get the newsletter sent to you every week, sign up to AviationWatch. Bill Mulcahy rockaway@prodigy.net

N.Y. Port Authority Refuses To Respond To Environmentalist's Letter!!!

As Bill Sees It: (Editorial): Aviation's Victims Once Again Sold Out By Their Own Politicians And Local Newspapers!!! The Hudson Valley of New York likes to call itself the birthplace of the environmental movement. However, you wouldn't know it today with a giant air cargo hub planned to be built at Stewart Airport, with no outcry from local politicians and newspapers. If  anything, these politicians and newspapers have gone out of their way to help with the creation of this environmental disaster!!! The fact that there is a coalition (see list below) of Hudson Valley environmental groups fighting the "takeover" (buying of the lease) by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has had little impact on the politicians and news media that are "supposed" to protect the health and welfare of this area. The environmental coalition has sent a letter to Port Authority Executive Director, Anthony Shorris (read it below) detailing what they want. Shorris didn't bother to answer them, but had a underling call the head of the coalition, Maureen Radl. The subordinate, Paul Tragali, told Radl that the Port Authority had "a legal obligation not to make any public statements regarding policy during the negotiations." What utter rot!!! What does the current owner of the airport, ( National Express) care about what the Port Authority plans to do after the takeover. All they want is their money. This is just the latest lie by this corrupt, no-accountability, bi-state agency. They lied about the "takeover"  being in October when the lease signing is days away. Now we are told that there is a difference between the "takeover" and the lease signing!!! This is the kind of duplicity the people of the Hudson Valley can expect from the Port Authority as they try to sneak in a giant, heavily night operating air cargo hub into this once quiet, natural area. I wonder where Shorris lives and how many planes go over HIS house? Small Jets Coming To YOUR Airport!! As if the small noisy prop planes flying constantly over our heads was not enough; stories this week told about the FAA's approval for the new "Eclipse" small jet!!! The only pictures I found of them had them flying over desolate areas. Of course that is just Aviation Cabal hype. I'm sure it won't be long until one of them flown by a novice, yahoo pilot crashes into a dense residential area, or maybe a large passenger jet.  

Connecticut: FAA Rats Assure Communities Increased Noise Is Not "Significant!!!" After a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) public hearing in Stamford Tuesday night, questions remain as to how a proposed airspace redesign could affect life in Fairfield County. The major uncertainties center around possible reroutings for New York’s LaGuardia Airport and Westchester County Airport in White Plains, N.Y. As part of the “Integrated Airspace Alternative Variation with Integrated Control Complex,” the redesign option the FAA endorsed in March, planes arriving at LaGuardia would shift about 30 miles to the east, moving traffic from Putnam County, N.Y., to Fairfield County. Meanwhile, planes departing Westchester County Airport would make a sharp turn after takeoff and make much of their initial climb over the facility, which borders Greenwich. Opponents of the redesign say both changes would create major noise and environmental disturbances, diminishing both quality of life and property values. Steve Kelley, program manager for the redesign, said the proposal doesn’t create “significant” increase in noise by the federal government standard. Editor's Note: The federal government "standard" which is designed to facilitate the expansion of airports, not protect the public. http://www.acorn-online.com/news/publish/newcanaan/17059.shtml 

John Travola Upsets Local Maine Residents With Aircraft Noise!!! Washington, April 26 : Hollywood hunk John Travolta has upset the residents of tiny Owl's Head, Maine, by his high flying passion. The residents are pissed because of the actor's roaring Gulfstream jet, which leaves them jarred when it flies overhead. The 'Pulp Fiction' star frequently uses the close by Knox County Regional Airport and locals have complained that he doesn't put up with the rules to reduce noise pollution. According to US tabloid the National Enquirer, the airport has a voluntary curfew under which the pilots are ordered not to take off or land between the hours of 10pm and 6am. "Pilots have abided by that with one exception - Travolta. He has the loudest aircraft that we see here. The area has a lot of little old ladies and retired people... Travolta should have some heart," Contactmusic quoted Airport manager Jeff Northgraves, as saying. http://story.malaysiasun.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/f825b92e19df636a/id/244473/cs/1/ 

FAA OKs Small Jet For "Thousands" Of Wealthy Noise Polluters!!! Eclipse Aviation Corp. received its production certificate today from the Federal Aviation Administration. The company had already received "type certification" for its Eclipse 500 jet last September, but until receiving the production certification, the FAA had to examine each individual aircraft before it could be delivered to customers. That greatly impeded the delivery of its jets since last year, with only seven planes handed over to customers since December. The company already has more than 2,500 orders for its jets. The plane -- a "very light jet" that sells for just $1.5 million -- is expected to revolutionize the flight industry by allowing thousands more individuals and corporations to own their own craft. It also will open up thousands of municipal level airports nationwide to air service because many tiny airstrips were too small to support landings and departures by large jets, but they can support very light jets. Editor's Note: I'm sure this will be the latest craze for the "jet set." As if the prop jobs weren't loud enough.  http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/stories/2007/04/23/daily33.html 

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                                    Important Aviation News Stories This Week

                                                   April 9, 2007

Mr. Anthony Shorris

Executive Director

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

225 Park Avenue South

New York, New York 10003

Dear Sir:

As representatives of a group of environmental organizations who are deeply concerned about the development of Stewart International Airport, we welcome the opportunity to respond to the invitation you extended at the Hudson Valley Regional Economic Summit when you encouraged concerned citizens to express their ideas on this issue.

For decades, residents of the Mid Hudson and Catskill Region have looked to Stewart International Airport to meet the travel needs of those who live within a one hour radius. This purpose was defined in the Stewart Airport Master Plan of 1993.  The intent of this designation was clearly to prevent Stewart from developing into an airport that would have severe negative impacts on the residents of this area, and it was endorsed by airport management, legislators, and citizens, alike.

Even though you indicated in your remarks to the Economic Summit that Stewart would remain a regional airport, it is inevitable, if you are successful, that it will, in fact, become a reliever facility.  You projected a target of three million passengers annually, without even considering the expected increase in cargo transports.  Such a development could have a profoundly negative impact on this area.

On the other hand, we are pleased that the Port Authority will reclaim Stewart from the private sector and return it to the public domain.  Because it is a public agency, we expect that the PA will fully accept its responsibility to the residents of this region to design an airport that is compatible with its rural setting by creating abatement measures that will protect residents from inappropriate development that could drastically change this region forever.

the United States.  Airports have the same responsibilities as other large governmental and/or commercial entities to reduce, not increase, environmental degradation.

It is essential that this type of planning be in place from the earliest stages of the airport’s development, rather than as an afterthought when problems which are predictable now reach crisis proportions in the future. To help create an airport that is environmentally compatible with the area it serves, we offer the following recommendations:

• Establish a public body, such as an advisory board or ad hoc committee of citizens, to work on the redesign of Stewart. The precedent for such a committee was set during the NYS  Department of Transportation ownership of the airport in the mid 1990's with a citizens' working group representing area organizations.  It provided input to the Master Plan Update Studies, and it included a subcommittee that worked on the FAA required noise mitigation study. The more input from the surrounding communities, the greater chance Stewart has of protecting the interests of all players, not just a few global corporations who operate at the expense of the majority.

• Create a situation that will make Stewart commercially viable for passengers in the Mid Hudson and Catskill region, which should continue to be its service area. Expanded service should meet the test of serving local passenger needs. When this is accomplished, it will significantly reduce demands on the metropolitan airports, making it unnecessary to expand infrastructure to facilitate the use of Stewart by NYC residents.  Public funds should be spent on improving access in the primary service area and promoting use by residents of this region.  The notion of a direct rail link from NYC should be abandoned. Instead, an infrastructure should be created that would maximize Stewart's use by as many local travelers as possible before expending any effort to direct NYC travelers to Stewart.

• Restrict flights over and within two miles of State parkland especially the Shawangunk Mountains, the Catskill Preserve, and the Basha Kill Wetlands Area, as well as historic communities at high elevations, such as Cragsmoor and Woodstock.

• Direct air routes over areas which already have extensive ambient noise, such as major land transportation arteries.  Single noise events create much greater impacts in rural areas of low ambient noise.  Peace and tranquility need to be maintained to protect these delicate and sensitive areas which are especially susceptible to the destructive forces of overflight noise and pollution.

• Keep cargo traffic at an absolute minimum, limited to those supporting the needs of Mid Hudson/Catskill region shoppers and businesses. Cargo at Stewart should not be promoted as a desirable economic activity apart from its service function for the immediate region.

• Permit only the newest and quietest aircraft, such as those meeting Stage 3 and Stage 4 standards, to use the airport. Since cargo is often transported in older noisier aircraft, cargo transport should be required to maintain the same standards.  Older aircraft, retrofitted with hush kits are much noisier than the newer Stage 3 aircraft.

• Establish a curfew restricting flights between 10 pm and 7 am., and use noise budgets, surcharges, and noise level limits to reduce intrusive overflight noise. The 1991 Noise Control and Capacity Act, which pre-empts this area of regulation, is clearly outdated in this era of serious environmental concerns.   Stewart should lead the rest of the country and follow examples established at European airports which successfully implement such regulations.

• Design approach/departure routings and profiles to avoid noise-sensitive areas and maintain the highest altitudes practicable.  Rotate routings to spread the impacts among communities near the airport.  Take maximum advantage of new technologies to design environmentally sensitive procedures. 

• Explore methods to reduce air pollution from planes and trucks in and around the airport.  Northern Orange County is already designated as a non-attainment area for ozone pollution, and the airport should be working to reduce these levels rather than increase them.

We share the goal of a healthy and sustainable economy in the region. Promoting airport growth primarily to generate economic activity, however, is environmentally costly and shortsighted.  Stewart should not be developed at the expense of the robust tourism industry or of flourishing residential development. Tourism, in particular, is one of the greatest economic assets of this region and should not be sacrificed for the sake of airport development.

Airports are not benign service facilities; they take a costly toll on the quality of life of those who are unfortunate to reside near them. In the rush to expand facilities at Stewart, planners and airline executives need to include in their decision-making process both the sensitivity of the rare and fragile environment surrounding Stewart on all sides as well as the rights of those who have chosen to live in the relative peace and quiet of a cherished countryside.  These are not considerations to be lightly sacrificed, but rather to be respected as the planning moves forward.

We look forward to working with you from the earliest stages of Stewart’s development. We are calling upon our federal, state, and local legislators to support us in this effort and are forwarding to them a copy of this letter. We would like to arrange to meet with you at your earliest convenience and look forward to your favorable response to our request.

Sincerely yours,

Ulsterites Fight Overflight Noise

       Maureen Radl, Co Chair

            maureenrad@aol.com     

       Susan Staples, Co Chair

       Pat Peters 

       Karl Drake  

       Hank Bartosik

Stewart Park and Reserve Coalition (SPARC)

            Sandra Kissam, President 

Mohonk Preserve

            Glenn Hoagland, Executive Director 

Cragsmoor Association

            Jim McKenney, President

            Joy Weber, Vice President

Ramapo Catskill Group of the Sierra Club

            Gene Vidal, Chair

Basha Kill Area Association

            Paula Medley, President 

Woodstock Overflight Focus Group

            Euphrosyne Bloom

            Martin Keith

Friends of the Shawangunks

            H. Neil Zimmerman, President

Orange Environment

            Michael Edelstein, President

The Nature Conservancy, Eastern New York Chapter

            Cara Lee, Director, Shawangunk Ridge Program