stateaviationjournal-may-june2010

STATE AVIATION JOURNAL www.stateaviationjournal.com

ON THE COVERThis issue’s cover photo was taken by Shahn

Sederberg and shows David Gordon, Colorado’s Director of Aeronautics on the ramp at Front Range Airport. (FTG).

Appointed director of the Colorado Division of Aeronautics in April, Gordon brings a wealth of aviation knowledge and background to the position. Gordon seems to have touched all the bases as he holds a pilot’s certifi cate, an airframe and power plant certifi cate and is an accredited member of the American Association of Airport Executives.

On his way to hitting a home run for the State of Colorado, Gordon has managed three airports in Colorado; Jeffco Airport in Broomfi eld, Colorado from 1974 to 1998, Aspen/Pitkin Country airport for two and a half years and then Fort Collins-Loveland Municipal Airport from 2002 until taking the reins at the State.

A graduate of Purdue University in Indiana, Gordon has built an impressive list of professional accomplishments over the years including being a founding director of the Colorado Airport Operators Association.

Gordon and his wife Connie of thirty fi ve years have three children. Connie is a graduate of Colorado State University.

Cover Photo by Shahn Sederberg

Fort Collins-Loveland airport photo by Shahn Sederberg.

FeaturesEd Scott - Former NASAO Chief, Leads USPA 5Airport Master Planning 6

New York AviationNYSDOT - Providing Leadership in Challenging Times 10New York Airport Managers Association 10NY Native Bill Shea - Passion for Aviation 11Flying Around NYC - Anyone Know a Good Psychiatist 12

May/June 2010 STATE AVIATION JOURNAL


I’m always fascinated by the way things ultimately turn out with each issue of the State Aviation Journal that we plan. The May/June issue was no exception. I’d like to say that everything is carefully thought out with no room for margin. However, that is not the case.

The special focus in this issue is on aviation in New York and airport master planning. It was just coincidental that a major part of the article on master planning involved a sustainable project at Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport in New York.

It was also coincidental that I attended a session at the FAA’s Western Pacifi c Region Airports Conference in Los Angeles led by two of the key people involved with that project in Ithaca - C&S Companies’ Courtney E. Armbruster and Charles R. McDermott. I want to thank them for several of the photographs we used of the airport.

Another pleasant surprise was the opportunity to feature William F. Shea. I was fi rst introduced to “Bill” while working in Nebraska. Mr. Shea was a key fi gure in the creation of the Aviation Institute at the University of Nebraska/Omaha. Mr. Shea grew up and worked in New York and certainly made his mark in that state as you will note when reading the articles in the New York section.

Lastly, my hat goes off to Seth Edelman, Director of the Aviation Bureau at the NYS Department of Transportation. I’ve know Seth for many years and his heart is in the right place. Self described as a pragmatist and painfully honest , Seth, with his natural straight-forwardness, shared with us the many of the challenges facing aviation in greater New York.

“I try to provide leadership where I can,” Seth said. That’s why he pushed the concept of a strategic business aviation airport network in their latest state aviation system plan, (SASP), as a distinct class of service. In my opinion the state of New York allocates very few resources to general aviation. Seth said that they need to prioritize and direct those resources primarily to supporting economic development and sustainability where it has a high likelihood of making a difference.

Seth’s favorite fortune cookie quote is: “Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm!” He enthusiastically supported our effort to develop this issue as we focused on aviation in the Empire state and for that we say, thanks Seth and best of luck!

June 2010

New York, New York

From the Publisher

May/June 2010 STATE AVIATION JOURNAL May/June 2010 STATE AVIATION JOURNAL Page 5

The United States Parachute Association, (USPA), estimates that each year some 400,000 people make their fi rst jump, yet only 5,000 take up skydiving as their sport. Now, according to Ed Scott, at 32,300 members, the USPA has actually been growing for the past three years, “but we want to grow more,” said Scott, the organization’s Executive Director. “Obviously if we could increase the number of fi rst-jump customers who come back for a second jump, instead of crossing skydiving off of their bucket list, we’d have a more diverse and vibrant organization.”

Organizational challenges are not new to Scott, who headed the National Association of State Aviation Offi cials, (NASAO), prior to making the move to the USPA in late 1996 as Director of Government Relations.

“I’ve always worked in the aviation industry,” said Scott, who packed parachutes for a living his fi rst six months after graduating from Middle Tennessee State University with a degree in Aerospace Administration. “The fl ight requirement for the degree was to solo, so I did,” said Scott, who went on to earn his private pilot rating while working as a lineman at the Frederick (MD) Airport.

In 1981 Scott went to work for AOPA, fi rst, in their international fl ight planning department and then in the Government & Technical Affairs Division where he began working with the FAA on airspace and airport issues. Scott continued his fl ight training during his six and a half years at AOPA, earning his commercial certifi cate and instrument rating.

At NASAO, Scott provided government relations support to then Executive Vice President Bob Warner, whom he had worked for at AOPA. “At AOPA I enjoyed working with him [Warner] and learned a lot from him about how to deal with the FAA and how to advocate on behalf of general aviation,” said Scott. “When he needed government relations help at NASAO, he didn’t need to ask twice.”

Scott stepped into Warner’s shoes in 1992 when Warner left to work for the Experimental Aircraft Association. (EAA) “I grew to appreciate the hundreds of state aviation directors and staff that performed lots of tasks behind the scenes to advance and promote general aviation,” said Scott. “Many are staunch defenders of GA [general aviation] and believe unquestioningly that GA benefi ts the U.S. economy more than can be calculated.”

Scott continues to stay in touch with a few state aviation offi cials and keeps tabs on several others. “It would be easier if all the ones I worked for hadn’t retired,” said Scott.

One of the challenges facing Scott is the age-old perception of skydiving as not being “real” aviation, or worse, as hindering or interfering with other aviation segments. “Skydiving centers bring lots of out-of-town fi rst-jump and skydiving customers to their airport and community every weekend,” said Scott. “Every nearby hotel, restaurant, grocery, and gas station knows there exists a skydiving business nearby.” Skydiving centers also buy lots of aviation fuel and pay for aircraft maintenance and according to Scott skydiving turns many sleepy, inactive airports into vibrant weekend destinations. “Increasingly,” said Scott, “airport sponsors are seeking and embracing new skydiving centers.”

Ed Scott

Former NASAO Chief Packs Diversified Aviation Background into Role as USPA Executive

By Kim StevensAn Army brat, Scott’s parents retired from the military in

Tennessee the year he started college. During his fi rst semester in the fall of 1974 at Tennessee Tech, he watched some skydivers descend onto campus. According to Scott it didn’t take him long to strike up a conversation with them and was soon signed up for the fi rst-jump course.

Scott’s fi rst jump was on a static-line from a Cessna 182 using a military surplus round parachute. “In 1975, the year of my fi rst jump,” said Scott, “just about all student skydiver jumps were static-line jumps from a Cessna using military-surplus gear.” The parachute itself was an olive-drab T-10 former military round parachute, but according to Scott was modifi ed with steering slots that gave it steer ability and about a 5 mph forward speed. “I landed ten feet from the target and knew I would fi nd a career in aviation,” said Scott.

The ram-air “square” parachutes were also becoming widely accepted at that time, but according to Scott, a skydiver had to have 500 jumps before anyone would let you jump one. Those, of course, were shaped like a wing and provided lift (approaching 3:1) and had forward speeds in the 20-25 mph range.

Equipment has changed a lot over the years. “Today’s ram air parachutes are as different from those early squares as those squares were different from the military rounds,” said Scott. “Today’s ram-airs have extremely effi cient airfoils with normal speeds exceeding 30 mph (and exceeding 60 mph if put into a dive or turn and then planed out) and lift exceeding 3:1.” “Oh,” continued Scott, “the

entire sport rig in 1975 weighed 30 pounds, but is now half the size and weighs only 20 pounds.”

Over the years Scott has never lost his passion for the sport. “It truly never gets old,” said Scott. “Even after thousands of jumps you still get that adrenaline surge.” Scott is quick to add that it’s also the people. “Skydivers are as close-knit as any group you’ll fi nd,” said Scott. “The camaraderie is deep and long-lasting.”

Scott describes his proudest accomplishment at NASAO, which occurred just as he was leaving, as getting Congress, in the 1996 FAA reauthorization bill, to change the Airport Improvement Program funding allocations by increasing the nationwide general aviation apportionment (state apportionment) from 11% to 19%. Prior to the formula change, Scott said, “GA airports were getting a pittance of AIP.” NASAO, according to Scott, took on the big airport associations who were opposed. “We had tepid support from AOPA and NBAA,” said Scott, “I think probably because they thought it wouldn’t actually happen.

Scott says his career in aviation has taught him many lessons about life. “Be prepared and have a plan,” said Scott. “I’ve had three forced landings that ended with smooth rollouts and no dings.” “Life can produce major unexpected events,” said Scott. “When they happen, don’t panic but focus on making a smooth landing fi rst, then you’ll have time to sort things out.”

Scott wants to increase skydiving’s popularity to the extent that it is common to meet people who skydive for recreation. He also has a personal goal - to own an airplane again. “I had a [19]57 [Cessna] 182 for fi ve years, but I had a growing family.” So for Scott, ownership may yet take awhile. “I’ll have kids in college for the next eight years!”


and in the future without undermining the natural resource base and environmental quality on which life depends.

From a business perspective, the goal of sustainability is to increase long-term shareholder and social value, while decreasing an industry’s use of materials and reducing negative impacts on the environment.” Trying to “be green” in an airport setting has its challenges, but people are facing these challenges head on with many diverse methods.

According to Jviation Planning Manager Bill Poole, LEED, AP, “If we set reasonable and realistic fi nancial goals, developing sustainable master plans create many ‘wins’. It is just better for the environment because it creates more responsible construction as far as operation and procedures are concerned and more recycling of materials is done.”

When you think of an airport master plan, you usually don’t think of “being green”. But, sustainability has infl uenced every industry – even aviation. Although aviation poses many unique challenges, offi cials are determined to overcome these obstacles.

Master plans document long-term development goals of an airport, whereby the end result is to provide guidelines for future airport expansion that will meet aviation demand in a fi nancially-responsible manner, while settling aviation, environment and socioeconomic issues existing in a community. The master plan offers a graphic representation of the airport’s future development as well as anticipated land uses in the vicinity of the airport. Additionally, other components of an airport master plan include 1. a schedule for development, 2. an achievable fi nancial plan, 3. justifi cation of the plan both technically and procedurally, and 4. address the issues which satisfy local, state and federal regulations.

So, what exactly is sustainability? Sustainability means something to everyone – there are many defi nitions. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, “Over the past 30 years, … sustainability has evolved to refl ect perspectives of both the public and private sectors. A public policy perspective would defi ne sustainability as the satisfaction of basic economic, social and security needs now

Jviation Planning Manager Bill Poole, LEED, AP

By Lara Jackson

Mead & Hunt’s Aviation Planning Services, from left; Stephanie Ward, Regan Massey, Zach Puchacz, Adam Feldpausch and Bill Ballard.


Terminal at Ithaca-Tompkins Regional Airport,

C&S Companies’ Charles McDermott, Manager, Planning Department and Courtney Armbruster, Marketing Communication Specialist, were in Los Angeles for the FAA’s Western Pacifi c Region 6th Annual Airports Conference. They presented a case study on their sustainable master plan project at Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport in New York. Ms. Armbruster was responsible for coordinating involvement with Cornell University and Ithaca College, engaging students and staff on sustainability aspects of the project.

“More airports are integrating sustainability into their master plans and you are also seeing more airports trying to implement LEED certifi cation measures into their design,” states Steve Benson, CEO of Coffman and Associates Airport Consultants.

The United States Green Building Coun-cil’s LEED certifi cation, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental De-sign, is “an internation-ally recognized green building certifi cation system…which pro-vides …a concise frame-work for identifying and implementing prac-tical and measurable green building design, construction, opera-tions and maintenance solutions.”

Just the complexity of an airport makes it diffi cult to fulfi ll LEED standards, but many airports have tried to at least implement some of LEED ideas.

Some examples of environmental friendly airports include the Grand Canyon National Park Airport in Arizona; Denver International Airport, Denver, Colo. and O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Ill., which houses a 33,000 square ft. green rooftop garden that “… improve[s] air quality, conserve[s] energy, reduce[s] storm water runoff and help[s] reduce the urban heat island effect.”

The Ithaca-Tompkins Regional Airport, located in Ithaca, N.Y. has gone one step further by creating the fi rst sustainable master plan funded by the Federal Aviation Administration’s

(FAA) Airport Improvement Program. Comprised of four phases, the fi rst phase has been completed, which included much airfi eld and air service inventory and analysis with sustainability in mind.

“Sustainability is a major, new initiative. Its concerns go beyond being ‘environmentally friendly’. Sustainability includes the reduction of emissions, noise and energy commission and cooperating with the local community and supporting the

economy,” stated Ralph Thompson, Manager of Airport Planning and Environment with the FAA.

An example of involving the local community is the partnership between the airport and Cornell University and Ithaca College, both located nearby. Both schools have signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, which pledges to mitigate their negative impact on climate change. Cornell and Ithaca students have been involved in a project where they visit the airport and research various sustainability initiatives and options for the airport and develop reports and presentations.

According to Ithaca Airport Manager Bob Nicholas, “This master plan looks ahead 20 years at the environmental, fi nancial and other factors and anticipates what we need to do and the growth of the airport. Sustainability is given equal consideration in this master plan.”

Three airlines fl y out of Ithaca – US Airways, Delta Airlines and Continental Airlines. Nicholas is in negotiation with the airlines to reduce their carbon footprint. Since Continental is under US Airways’ leadership at Ithaca, both airlines are in communication with Nicholas to convert many of their ground vehicles to electric vehicles. And, Delta has a successful program at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia International Airports, where they have converted ground support equipment using alternative fuels. Delta is looking into adapting that program at the Ithaca Airport.

Bob Mallard, PE, President, Airport Solutions Group, LLC, explains “Effi ciency is crucial – just by remodeling a runway or an apron to reduce aircrafts’ hold time to reduce emissions is sustainable.”

Effi ciency has become a factor in the construction of a new terminal at the Springfi eld-Branson National Airport in Springfi eld, Mo. Low emission or electric vehicles is a possibility and would improve air quality. Also, a waste management plan has been developed and implemented. The airport is recycling materials; reducing the waste of passengers, tenants and construction projects; and reusing construction materials. Even though the new terminal may

Photograph by Kim Stevens


wind farms, although sustainable, can be quite a hazard for aircraft.

“These wind turbines are of great concern because the pilots and those in the control tower have to adjust the aircraft’s landings to account for the obstructions the turbines create. There has also been some discussion into possible affects of the turbines on radar systems. And, unfortunately, the turbines are an attractant for wildlife.”

Wildlife and other environmental issues is another concern when creating a sustainable master plan. Many airports were built near environmental sensitive and protected areas, such as wetlands, which attract various species of birds, plants and mammals.

“Ever since the ‘Miracle on the Hudson’ we have become more aware of wildlife,” explains Ward, “from a planning standpoint we now look at the landscaping and determine if certain plants and trees will attract wildlife, especially birds.”

In cases where the airport is encroaching upon protected land such as wetlands, mitigation is done to alleviate the impact on areas such as developing new wetlands.

Sustainability and the creation of master plans is not the easiest fi t but efforts are being made on several levels to meet challenges and minimize the airport’s carbon footprint and effect on wildlife and the nearby community.

not meet LEED certifi cation energy standards, according to Poole, it has enough daylight to cut energy costs.

Molly Waller, MCRPL, Airport Planner at Coffman and Associates explains, “There is a big push to ‘go green’ in aviation with solar panels, water capturing and the reuse of water, LEED certifi ed buildings and recycling, but there are challenges also. Overcoming noise pollution is always an issue as well as meeting the new and stricter air quality standards.”

Many US airports are investigating solar and wind energy as alternative sources of power. Recently, the Yuma International Airport in Yuma, AZ signed a contract for shaded parking where the sunshades will actually be solar panels. Denver International Airport installed 9,200 solar panels, which will generate more than 3 million kilowatt hours of solar electricity per year. And, airports throughout the country such as Logan International Airport in Boston, Mass. and Wichita Mid-Continent Airport in Wichita, Kan. have plans to possibly install wind turbines to generate a portion of the airport’s electricity.

But, wind turbines can also be a hazard for airports, especially from a pilots point of view. Recently, Stephanie A.D. Ward, AICP, Manager, Aviation Planning Services at Mead & Hunt, Inc., whose main focus is landings, completed a study in Iowa where wind farms are prevalent, noted that

Ithaca Airport Manager Bob Nicholas

Ralph Thompson, FAA’s Manager of Airport Planning and Environment

An aerial view of the ramp at Ithaca-Tompkins Regional Airport


Ithaca-Tompkins Regional Airport

Special FocusSpecial Focus

Aviation in New York


rural areas in the state and to Washington D.C. No low-cost carriers serve the Upstate region, so Gee has to drive to meet with leaders in Rochester, and he uses an indirect route when he fl ies to Capitol Hill.

Despite the fi nancial challenges, Gee touts the importance and diversity of the aviation community in New York. In addition to major metropolitan airports such as Kennedy and LaGuardia, airports also serve rural areas such as Adirondack. “All the parts need to be connected,” including the business community using airports and other transit options that provide service to the airport. The NYSDOT provides planning assistance and advocacy for funding. For example, Gee said, his offi ce supports issuing bonds to fund airport improvements. He added that some smaller GA airports that are part of the Essential Air Service receive Federal subsidies.

While NYSDOT works to attract business and funding for aviation, many airports focus on maintaining aviation facilities that can handle new technology. JFK is reconstructing a runway in order to safely land the new Airbus 380 passenger jet. The nearly $377 million construction will close down Runway 13-31 for up to four months. NYSDOT is an active participant in NextGen as a way to relieve congestion. “We need to move quickly to make the transition,” said Gee, and phase out World War II-era radar. “Even cars are using GPS.” Smaller GA airports will adopt NextGen when it becomes available thanks to the state’s small capital program. New York needs to renew infrastructure and invest in NextGen, said Gee. “It is vital to the future of this country.”

NYSDOT also invests in the intellectual future of aviation. Transportation employees are encouraged to mentor high school students interested in transportation, including developing a curriculum for math and science. The state also has programs at the University Transportation Center for students interested in transportation.

Gee has a positive outlook for aviation, despite the challenges, because of the important role aviation plays in the state’s economy. His offi ce has 25 business plans for GA airports to generate economic engines. “We need to attract business aviation,” he explained. He said he will continue to talk to elected offi cials about investing in New York, both at the State Legislature and the Federal Congress, because aviation supports the state economy and business needs.

New York State aviation has a leadership role that is watched in the U.S. and around the world. Laguardia and Kennedy airports, plus the 16 other commercial and 58 general aviation airports in the state, offer travelers access to iconic rural and urban communities such as New York City. “New York is a large state,” said New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Stanley Gee, “and does have a high profi le.” New York City, for example, “is the fi nancial center of the world,” and is a major hub for air travel. Kennedy is the largest passenger airport in the U.S. Within New York itself, aviation provides over four percent of the state’s gross domestic product.

With such high scrutiny, aviation in New York must prevail over myriad challenges of heightened security, economic stresses, aging infrastructure, and technology advancement. New York is leading the effort to attract funding and attract investment in its system.

Aviation is part of an “effective, effi cient, and safe multi-modal transportation system,” said Gee. Although New York has a robust ground and rail transportation, “we need airports to thrive” for recreation and commercial travel. One of the main goals of the NYSDOT is to keep aviation facilities in good repair so they can meet future transportation needs. A 20-year study found that $175 Billion is needed for aviation; $4 Billion alone is needed for airports (not including LaGuardia and Kennedy.)

Meeting these needs during a recession has been particularly challenging for NYSDOT. “We must address infrastructure needs and try to implement new technology,” said Gee, without raising taxes and in the face of a budget defi cit. Budget airlines aren’t growing and large airlines are reducing their costs, so it is becoming diffi cult to travel to

New York Aviation: High-Profile Leadership in Challenging Times

By Andrea Brennan

The business and aviation communities in New York State are for-tunate to have a symbiotic relationship that affects approximately four percent of the state GDP. The New York Aviation Management Associa-tion, NYAMA (www.nyama.com), ensures that the state government is continually aware of the positive impact of the 18 commercial service and 58 general aviation airports operating in New York.

In Albany, NYAMA President Joel Russell described how aviation benefi ts the state: according to a 2002 survey, he said, aviation gener-ated $35 Billion in revenue, about 4.3 percent of the state GNP; aviation employed 350,000 workers, about four percent of the New York work force; and the aviation industry paid $13.4 Billion in payroll, about two percent of the state total. To make the most of this impact, NYAMA was formed in 1977 to foster relationships with legislators and be an advo-cate for the aviation industry.

“Our strength is dealing with New York legislators,” said Russell, on issues such as tax policies. For example, he said, fi ve years ago NYA-MA explained how taxes related to aircraft maintenance drove busi-ness out of New York; after eliminating the tax, NYAMA suggested that work might return to the state. The state passed a fi ve-year exemption for the tax and then determined that doing so did improve economic activity. Last year the state renewed the exemption and then made it permanent. In contrast, Russell observed, Pennsylvania did not provide an exemption to the tax, and work has left that state. NYAMA also ad-vocated for the elimination of a luxury tax that was driving business into neighboring states. In March 2010, NYAMA leadership met with 70 legislators in Albany to discuss issues affecting the GA industry.

New York Aviation Management Association

Stanley Gee

In addition to addressing tax policies, NYAMA helps aviation maintain representation along with other modes of transportation. “[Aviation is] competing with roads and trains,” Russell said. “We try to get a fair share of the local budget.” To that end NYAMA recently formed the New York State Aviation Caucus with legislators from every district that has an airport “and some legislators who are interested in aviation.”

NYAMA has formed a political action committee and a training committee. The training committee helps peer groups share best prac-tices for emergency drills, terminal operations, and safety, said Russell. NYAMA also fosters aviation education by providing free membership to students. Interns may participate and observe peer group meetings. The organization also has a relationship with aviation colleges, and on “a very modest basis” discusses aviation as a career path with high schools.

Nearly every year NYAMA recognizes an individual whose career or accomplishment impacted the aviation industry in New York State with the Bill Shea Award. Shea (See related article on next page) was the original founder and fi rst president of NYAMA and has held numerous other distinguished positions in aviation industry and education.

Russell said future NYAMA plans include efforts to maintain grants and funding, keep the aircraft purchase tax exemption, and con-tinue to advocate for the industry. “We’re getting people to think about things they hadn’t considered in a while,” he said, “so we need to be persistent.”


With a zest for life only matched by his passion for aviation William “Bill” Shea has had an impact on the aviation industry from New York to California. Shea, who seems equally as comfortable with his hands on a lectern as he is with his hands on the yoke of a Tri-pacer or Cessna 120, has served aviation

interests both on the federal and state level. Mix in the personality to kick tires with weekend warriors on a small strip in rural Nebraska to discussing policy in the halls of Washington D.C. and you have quite a commodity.

“I have always felt that serving the public is a noble cause and a wonderful way to spend a life-time in aviation, education and government,” said Shea, who was born in White Plains, NY. He grew up loving every facet of aviation. “New York was one of the great states I had the

pleasure to serve in various aviation positions,” said Shea, who also served as the Federal Aviation Administration’s Associate Administrator for Airports as a presidential appointee from 1981 - 85, and Chief of Caltrans, Division of Aeronautics.

“The people working in aviation across New York are very dedicated and devoted to make aviation better,” said Shea. “Equally important is that they have a love and passion for aviation.” Shea worked in Broome County New York three different times - twice as Commissioner of Aviation (Binghamton Regional Airport) and once as Commissioner of Transportation (aviation/transit). “I supported aviation education programs, Civil Air Patrol, and taught Transportation System Planning as a faculty adjunct at SUNY Binghamton, now BinghamtonUniversity,” said Shea. “This gave me an opportunity to meet with many regional representatives of Regional Planning Organizations, always promoting aviation throughout the Southern Tier of New York and Northern Pennsylvannia.”

Whenever possible Shea would try to be available to assist some of his colleagues at other airports

in the Southern Tier of New York on various issues that might come up. “I would hop in my Tri-pacer and fl y to this or that airport for a meeting,” said Shea. It wasn’t long after, that several of the regional airport mangers were helping each other and forming a communication net.

Shea also spent time narrating or fl ying in air shows all around the state. “These air shows were a great way to promote the importance of airports with the general public,” said Shea. “It was clear that airports needed to work together to promote favorable statewide and regional aviation legislation, and to support needed funding both from the state and FAA.” According to Shea, airport managers from places like Ithaca, Jamestown, Binghamton, Syracuse, Utica, Rochester, Elmira,

Albany and Buffalo began keeping each other posted on state-wide aviation issues.

“We began to maintain contact with airport managers throughout the state of New York including the Port Authority, Republic, MacArthur, White Plains, Poughkeepsie and many other airports so as to be effective in ensuring that all airports would be very visible in state-wide multimodal strategic planning,” said Shea. And soon thereafter the fi rst New York Airport Managers Association (NYAMA) meeting was held at Broome County Airport (Binghamton).

FAA and state aviation offi cials began attending the meetings and according to Shea as the years went by other diversifi ed aviation groups became interested such as FBOs’, the airlines and representatives of general aviation and the aviation fuel industry, which necessitated the re-naming of the organization to the New York Aviation Management Association.

“These dedicated folks have been very important to the success of aviation in the Empire state,” said Shea. “The NYAMA staff in Albany, NY and President Joel Russell are doing a great job!”

In 1996 The NYAMA established and announced the William F. Shea annual award. According to Shea it was one of the most emotional moments in his life. “I salute the outstanding recipients of that award,” said Shea. “It is due to all the great aviation folks in New York and I am humbled and ever grateful to the NYAMA.”

William F. Shea

Passion for Aviation a Catalyst in NYAMA’s FormationBy Kim Stevens

William “Bill” Shea

STATE AVIATION JOURNAL www.stateaviationjournal.com Page 12 STATE AVIATION JOURNAL www.stateaviationjournal.com

Well I guess the title above is a little intimidating. Actually, the New York City area isn’t all that bad. The area has a bad reputation with planes landing in the Hudson River and buildings being blown up all around you.

Being a native New Yorker and an Air Traffi c guy that’s worked in that area and a pilot that frequently and casually fl ies through that area, I think I have something to offer. If I was limited to one sentence to provide the best advice, I’d say - “Call the controller, fl y through the scary airspace, and pay attention to what he’s saying.” That eliminates all the ‘airspace scud-running.’ Most of us pilots know what scud running is. It’s a method of getting from here to there and avoiding the weather and at times, fl ying a bit lower than you want. Airspace scud running is the same thing, but instead of the weather being your adversary, it’s the airspace.

One specifi c method of avoiding talking to ATC in New York is to scoot / scud run around JFK airport to the south. It’s easy. Just stay south of the shore line from Long Beach (slightly east of JFK) to the western tip of Rockaway Beach just a beam of JFK. Believe it or not, you’ll be fl ying as little as three miles south of the JFK Airport boundary. Literally, just off shore. The kicker is to stay below 500 feet. That’s about as appetizing as dunking an onion bagel in bourbon. If you have a reliable engine, it’s no problem aside from the occasional low fl ying helicopter (and they DO fl y low on a regular basis). Can you imagine having an engine problem at 500 feet and trying to land on a crowded Long Island beach without mowing down a few zillion bathers? I might add that it is about as scenic as it gets, short of overfl ying a nudist colony.

The other routes that will get you through the airspace is the Hudson River fl y-way. When you’re a beam of Manhattan, you have to remain below 1,100 feet. I’ve written about this before and I have used it many times. I can remember once, rocking my wings and getting a return wave from a few people on the observation deck on the Statue of Liberty. Go ahead, don’t believe me!

Back in the 60’s there were a few nasty accidents at the larger airports. There were complaints from within the FAA stating that everybody and their uncle would be fl ying in and around large cities. At some locations it was like a roller derby with wings. So the FAA decided to create some positive control airspace. The push for this and all the planning (if my memory serves me) started in the late 60’s and by 1970 we had a few TCA’s (presently called Class B Airspace) implanted. At the time, I was a Plans and Procedures Specialist at Philadelphia International Airport. Technically, I was still a controller and I worked traffi c from time to time because it was supposed to make me more effective in developing procedures. So my boss comes to me and tells me that we are going to have a TCA. New York had its TCA implemented about a year prior to Philly and all the horror stories were fi ltering down. Some were true and some were not. Some of the objections from the outside world / GA pilots were:

I’m losing my rights to fl y. There will be massive delays. Preferential treatment will be given to the Airlines. Re-routes will create a problem where pilots will run out of gas. Being compressed so close to the ground creates a problem in the event of an engine failure.

Looking back, there was a fair amount of good common sense in those complaints. The next step was to create a TCA that benefi tted the aviation community, but most of all, keeping the planes apart at all costs. I was the only one in the facility that had any sort of engineering background so out came the drafting tools and with my knowledge of the current airspace system, I drew up a model to show, which would start the legal gears rolling. I was surprised

Well I guess the title above is a little intimidating Actually the

How do I fl y around the New York City Area?How do I fl y around the New York City Area?- OR - - OR -

Do you know of a good psychiatrist?Do you know of a good psychiatrist?By Dick Weinberg

that after all the dust settled, there were very few changes to the original model. There were a few glitches where we had a 3/4 mile strip of airspace that belonged to no one. I bent a few lines and gave the strip to the tower.

Next was the dog and pony show. I ran around to numerous auditoriums in the Philly area and gave presentations to anyone that showed up. I had other folks with me, but I had no experience in front of small audiences. I say small because there were some that exceeded 400 pilots. Believe me, these pilots were not happy having this program jammed down their throats. There’s no way I could convince them that this was for their own safety. It was like a harpoon and pig hunt. I was the pig! After the meetings we tried to incorporate all the ideas and complaints into the model TCA. We fi nalized the model and shipped it off to Washington so that the rule making and legalization of the new airspace came about.

I remember the fi rst day it was implemented. It was a disaster. The controllers were all previously briefed on the operation and they resisted more than the pilots. The fi rst day we had more than a few controllers call in sick. That turned me into a controller to bolster the staffi ng. The concept of separating everyone from everyone else was a challenge to everyone concerned. Yes, there were delays. Yes there were close calls. Yes, there was a lot of yelling and screaming in the tower and radar room. After a week, things became more settled.

I was sent to New York Center for the better part of a year on an airspace project to make the fl ow of traffi c smoother. I then realized that there was only one thing that made traffi c fl ow smoother - the controllers. From this meeting we formalized a system of handing off low level IFR fl ights from facility to facility without getting the Air Route Traffi c Control Centers involved. This had been around for a while, but sort of informally. The formal name for this concept became ‘Tower Enroute Control.’ You could go from Washington to Baltimore to Delaware to Philadelphia to McGuire Air Force Base’s airspace to New York radar and out to Long Island or towards upstate (White Plains). The typical altitudes were between three to six thousand feet. Oh boy, this meant by-passing the Center airspace and the delays associated with that.

If you wanted to continue north to Albany there was a gap of terminal airspace and you had to hook up with New York Center. Once you were handed off to Albany, you had a clear shot in the terminal airspace west bound to Utica, Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo.

While all of the above was going on, PATCO (Professional Air Traffi c Controllers Organization), more commonly called ‘Da Union’ was having its sick-outs and threats of striking. I somehow lived through all that. I’ll save all those memories for another time. I could probably fi ll a book.

I still have a lot of friends in the system as controllers. They report that things are better and the salaries have been astronomical. I hear that controllers at large facilities routinely make $160 to $175K per year. To put the whip cream on the cake, every new controller (just a few years back) was hired with the express understanding that they would not make as much money as the old time controllers. This was a dual pay schedule. It made a lot of new employees less than motivational. I believe the FAA has realized the errors of their ways and is working on this problem as we speak.

I can’t give the Air Traffi c Controllers at the large hubs enough credit when the chips are down. Yeah, sometimes they act like prima donnas and for sure, they have been accused of making too much money. It’s a real tough job and they’re a sharp bunch of people.

Instruments on the wing of the University of North Dakota’s

Cessna Citation II research jet

North Dakota AviationNorth Dakota AviationComing in August

stateaviationjournal-may-june2010

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