FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
TOWN SEEKING CONDITIONAL APPROVAL FROM FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION ON AIRPORT LAYOUT PLAN
Mammoth Lakes, CA – Representatives from the Town of Mammoth Lakes, Mammoth Mountain Ski Area and Mammoth Lakes Tourism recently met with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials at the FAA Offices in Brisbane, California to collectively discuss the Town’s recent submittal of its Airport Layout Plan (ALP).
The Town has reached an important milestone in the process of updating its ALP and believed that a meeting with the FAA in person would be beneficial to the overall process. The “meet and greet” was also important because there are new faces from both the FAA and Town that are now involved in the ALP update and approval process.
The Town is seeking approval from the FAA on its plan for the airport, which includes a new terminal building to replace the building in use today; a former maintenance building that was converted to a commercial aviation terminal in 2008.
“Approval of our ALP is key to the success of our airport, which is broadly seen as a cornerstone to economic development in Mammoth and the Eastern Sierra,” said Public Works and Transportation Director Ray Jarvis. “We are operating at capacity with the terminal building we have today and need to be able to address this constraint in order to be successful in the future.”
An important component of the ALP is the Aviation Forecast, which estimates future demand for commercial air service and is significant when considering the design of a new terminal building. “The FAA is very interested in our aviation forecast and sees it as a critical piece of the airport plan,” said Jarvis. “We now have five years of historical data that we can use in our forecast to help us better understand our future terminal and capacity demands.”
As a result of the meeting, the Town expects to make some adjustments to its forecast along with minor plan revisions to facilitate the process going forward. The FAA should take about a month to complete its planning level review then forward the ALP to other FAA service lines, including Flight Standards.
It is expected that the Town will have a conditionally approved ALP this summer. Both the Town and FAA agreed that the airport’s future success lives in resolving the airport’s key constraints and in measured steps. “We now have a road map that will help us advance our airport and achieve the positive results we have been looking for,” stated Public Works and Transportation Director Ray Jarvis.
For additional information regarding the Town of Mammoth Lakes Airport Layout Plan (ALP), please see the Town’s website at http://www.ci.mammoth- lakes.ca.us/index.aspx?nid=442
–END–
The government was to suppose to protect our boarders. They failed and I think a lot of people hate them for it.
Everyone has to dislike the debt but those loaning the money
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh….isnt that the cart before the horse?
what does a new terminal have to do with estimating future air sevice needs,i guarantee,theres big money fat cats behind the green curtain
Depending on future air service – how many passengers, how many planes – the terminal will have two, three or more gates, etc.
BK
On a recent flight from Mammoth to San Francisco, I was surprised how many passengers were flying (both ways) in a period that was not exactly what you might call prime skiing season (a week ago). A waiter in an SF restaurant told us he’s been visiting Mammoth in the… Read more »
San Francisco is one of the world’s greatest cities in the world (and oh, so diverse and compact). I’d take a million flights to the City by the Bay before I’d fly to anyplace south of Mammoth. And it looks like San Franciscans feel the same way about Mammoth. Year-round… Read more »
Beautiful comments and great observed actions from everyone! Whow! I had no idea my thoughts would ignite such a response. On being a pilot: I flew the A-6 Intruder and have runway & catapult take-offs in woxof wx and blind instrument landings. It takes a fully functional team to do… Read more »
Since we flew in the Navy airports no longer need to have a navaid on the airfield to have a non-precision instrument approach. With GPS you can have GPS waypoints defining intersections, holding patterns and decision points along the approach. KMMH has such an approach to RWY 27 so the… Read more »
Russ & Tortoise, appreciate your service, more than most would know. I think I saw both you guys flying and you looked great. Through the crosshairs of a periscope.
The press release is smoke and mirrors. Mammoth needs a longer runway for year-round air service, and a larger airport layout for commercial aircraft (move the Hot Creek hangars out of the way). They have no intention of ever proposing a cross-wind runway, and because of Doe Ridge they can… Read more »
First, KMMH has a published instrument approach. There is a GPS RWY 27 approach that brings you in over Lake Crowley with two turns over GPS waypoints to angle you in to RWY 27. Second, where exactly do you propose to locate this “crosswind runway” and maintain satisfactory terrain avoidance?… Read more »
The over optimistic tone of the town’s press release is so typical. They present the submission of the ALP and a meeting with the FAA about it as if that was full approval of the ALP. How long have they been working on the ALP? 8-10 years? They’ve already had… Read more »
It’s understandable that there are those who want to lobby for the Bishop airport to be the regional hub for the area. Doubtful, however, that Inyo County has the money required (TOT or tax increase) to make that a reality to keep “them” (Bishop residents?) off the streets trying to… Read more »
Mammoth doesn’t have the money for MMH. They rely on grants from the FAA. I heard once that Bishop had applied to the FAA for a grant. I don’t know if that’s true or current. Benett?
Yes, Inyo County has applied for and received grants, now that they have a long-term lease from DWP.
BK
And that’s another reason not to expand the Bishop airport! DWP might come in and shut them down if they’re upset about something. LOL..
Contrary to the usual opinion, the town of Mammoth Lakes has more money than you might care to speculate on.
We are talking mega-wealth surpassing amounts beyond your wildest dreams.
You must not be a big on flying, Russ. The importance of air service is an important factor to any resort town. You may be surprised how many international visitors desire Mammoth/Yosemite as their destination of choice. Not to mention those of us who tire of trekking to L.A. or… Read more »
That’s a strawman argument. International flyers can’t chose MMH as a destination. Flights to MMH orignate mostly from L.A. and there are no flights to Reno which is an awesome 3 1/2 hour drive though some of the prettiest country in California. And who’s “us”. Very few locals use MMH.… Read more »
What is happening throughout the entire United States is a disappearing middle class. And its been the middleclass that has historically kept Mammoth Lakes alive and kicking. There will always be that group (but its shrinking rapidly) that will continue to “load up the car and drive to Mammoth.” Times… Read more »
Glad you brought that up, I have this to add to that; ITS THE CORRUPTIVE INFLUENCE OF MONEY! When you have individuals or organizations allowed to spend unlimited amounts of money on campaigns and elections of course it is gonna move legislation in their best interest, Its been happening (legally)… Read more »
@ J-Frog –
And don’t forget we have a nation divided with one political side adamantly believing that the wealthiest should pay no taxes whatsoever.
Just who is going to pick up the bill(s)?
With all due respect J-Frog, When I went to the website above the section called “The Plan” depicted a picture of a soldier reading something (“The Plan” I suppose.) I am dreadfully sorry, but I for one have grown tired and weary of warring ideas and notions to accomplish objectives.… Read more »
Get over yourself Blood From a Turnip?! The answer is to one of the biggest problems we face is on the website. @”The Plan” so all you did was look at the picture and you didn’t even read the captions below? well i guess its a start just to click… Read more »
J-Frog sounds remotely like one of the extremist groups that the GOP is desperately trying to distance itself from (if it ever wants to win another election). Their uber-nationalistic, pseudo-patriotic stance, complete with a photo of a military man as part of their “Plan” in their website, is telling and… Read more »
Forgive the stereotyping, but I sense like most anti-government groups today (and these haters have reached an all-time high in numbers) the wolf pack consists of old, grizzly, and grossly paranoid baby-boomers still angry at the hippies of the Vietnam era, who totally support the bankrupting of our country via… Read more »
Hate groups in America are on the rise, fueled by the election of President Obama, the poor economy and more recently, the gun control debate in the wake of the Connecticut school massacre, according to the annual report of the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks American hate. The rise… Read more »
Actually, hate groups and individuals who hate have failed to examine themselves, failed to consider why they are alive and what they are doing here.
And, then, having made the discovery, acted on it.
BK
Why do the taxpayers have to pay for these so called wise ” business decisions? ” Only two weeks ago were we going to have pass the hat to change a few street signs and now we have a new Main street and Air Layout Plan with no monies to… Read more »
I laugh at anyone who builds pricy condos or locates a business in that area when it is a giant volcanic caldera. It is ridiculous for anyone to live there. But when the vocano next erupts, as it surely will, there will be a hue and cry for help from… Read more »
Desert Tortoise –
Some people also laugh at those who live where water is rare and disappearing.
It’s a caldera not a volcano. And by the next time it erupts, nobody will be speaking English — or Spanish — or living in condos. But we will have some nice earthquakes. That will be fun. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Valley_Caldera By the way, the Mammoth Scenic Loop was constructed as an excape… Read more »
With a resurgent dome in that caldera I would not get too comfortable. That puppy could blow in our lifetime. Likewise Mammoth Mountain itself is an active volcano. The way it is off gassing, don’t think it won’t erupt again too. It will. I have a good friend who lives… Read more »
Desert Tortoise…There is a really good chance,if the caldera blows,not too many people will be left around to be asking for any kind of help…The experts say when it blows,it’s good-bye Mammoth Lakes….
Responding to “rise of neo-nazism”….The good thing about the so-called “hate groups ” of today,in most cases,just harmless, angry ,old bitter men…. mad,angry, and upset,like you say, because of Barack Obama being elected….and then RE-ELECTED the past year….not really too much we all should worry about….lotta talk,but that’s about it.
With the intensity of these government-hating groups on the rise, I think it wise that we should all worry about the possibility of another Oklahoma bombing in the works. There are some amongst us today who become so enraged that who knows what they might do next. I do know… Read more »
What good will it do to worry about it?
BK
Bennet asks “What good does it to do to worry about it (domestic terrorism)? As difficult as it is to swallow this reality, perhaps she will breathe easier when her bags are thoroughly examined the next time she takes a flight somewhere. But better than be concerned (worried) about where… Read more »
Mind boggling! The town is proceeding ahead as though the airport is an all season, all weather destination. To be one requires a crosswind runway and an instrument approach facility. Doesn’t anyone recall that the skiing is good and people come here when the weather is horrendous?
Well said Russ. As a local pilot, I believe that if at all possible, mammoth lakes should consider building a crosswind runway (a north-south runway). I have seen many charter flights diverted to the Bishop airport due to the fact that the southerly crosswind is too strong for even a… Read more »
In a good winter it’s tough to fly into mammoth and keep a schedule due to those nasty crosswinds. We were just talking about a North-South runway the other day. Then we considered the cost and who would pay for it and concluded it’s not happening any time soon. clear… Read more »
A crosswind runway is most certainly the next logical step.
And don’t think for a secong that Mammoth can’t afford it.
Hmmm, LAX has no crosswind runways and it is considered an all weather airport. Same for Oceanside Airport. When you say “all weather” you tell me you do not fly. Weather minimums depend on the accuracy of the instrument approaches available and surrounding terrain/buildings. Some ILSs will let an airplane… Read more »
You are much more knowledgeable about flight rules than I am so I have to yield to your arguments. I’d just like to point out a couple of things. LAX and Oside and San Diego are pretty much at sea level. MMH is at 7000 feet. The prevailng wind at… Read more »
My comment was aimed at the claim that you must have a crosswind runway to have an “all weather airport”. You do not, and the fact that the weather you can operate in is dictated by the kinds of instrument approaches available on the runway you are using. If a… Read more »