Public Works Direct Ray Jarvis told the Town Council this week that the Town consultant has addressed all of the Federal 
Aviation Administration concerns over the Airport Layout Plan, and a letter will go to the FAA Monday, March 25th. Jarvis said, “The FAA believes we have a good product.”
Jarvis and other officials will travel to San Francisco April 11th to meet with the FAA staff. He said it is hoped all will be complete in June or July. Said Jarvis, “I think we’re in a good place.” When questioned about the possibility of requesting deviations from FAA rules, Jarvis said, “There are no perfect airports. It’s very difficult to meet all the requirements.” He said the FAA does allow “deviations and operational constraints” to comply.
Jarvis said that the FAA did require service commitment letters from United and Alaska Airlines that service Mammoth Airport. He said the letter from United is in the mail and Alaska is drafting theirs. Councilman John Eastman was assured that the airlines would not pull out if Mammoth failed to get what’s called a C3 designation. Jarvis said C3 has to do with wing span and speed. Mammoth Airport now has a B3 designation, but Jarvis repeated that this issue will make no difference in air service.
Town Manager Marianna Maryheva-Martinez said that Town Staff would report to the Council on April 17th what transpires during the April 11th meeting with the FAA. Martinez said that at the May 1st meeting or after, discussions can take place on capital improvements that might be needed to get the C3 designation.
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I suppose no one In Mammoth will ever understanding that a crosswind runway and an instrument approach facility are required to make the airport a viable all season destination.
With over a hundred million invested in this white elephant, main street plan should be a hoot! Just how big do they make these bubble buildings?
If we are going to have air service — can we have air service that We the People can use? Like regular, year round flights to Reno?
There doesn’t have to be a daily flight. Every other day is fine. A lot of people go to Reno for medical treatments. The only two ways to get there now is to drive or take the Crest bus. Either one takes 3 1/2 hours.. And the bus — while useful — is brutal.
A flight would take an hour or less and would be much more comfortable especially if you are sick or injured. You could see your doctor and come back the same day easily if the schedule is thought about.
If the T.C. wants to pay for Rusty’s point of sale for real estate — fine. I’m too tired to argue. “Illegitimi ita vera carborundum”
Is there enough business traveling between Mammoth Lakes and Reno that is willing to pay the price of a round trip plane ticket? Inyokern to LAX round trip is on the order of $600. That is a 2 1/2 hour drive if you do it early enough in the morning. Round trip from M-L to Reno will be equally expensive. How many potential passengers do you think there are in the Mammoth Lakes area to justify flight to Reno? Not many, especially not many who can afford the price of the ticket. Those airlines are not there as a public utility. And if you are in Reno, why would you bother taking an airplane to Mammoth Lakes when equal to better winter recreation and lodgings are available a short drive away in the Tahoe Basin?
The airline service exists because there is a wealthy clientele from outside the region who wishes to ski and play there. Without them air service is uneconomical.
What most do not seem to realize is that “wealthy clientele” DO NOT
fly commercial. The air service is there so that people like mayor lehman (no caps on purpose) can fly to San Diego for personal recreation and have the town citizens pick up the tab!
As far as flights to Reno, did anyone read the letter to the editor in the Mammoth Times dated 11-17 Jan 2013, from Jeff and Denise Boucher? Their experience of cancellations and absolute disregard of any courtesy is what you can expect from Mammoth air service. The air service is a boon-doggle from the Man in Black and is in a way a co-dependency of the town council.
Those who do not learn from their mistakes are forced to repeat them.
…or they fly their own private planes. There’s always a handful of them at the airport every time I go buy it.
Your arguments are all imaginary. Maybe you are right. Maybe that’s why there is no Reno -M.L. service now. There used to be — I think.
I think the main reason there isn’t service to Reno now is that MMSA is afraid people would use it for day trips to Tahoe.
But it would be nice to have. And more people go to Reno from Mammoth than you might think. Maybe not a 737 load. But a shuttle through the Owens Valley that lands at Independence, Bishop and M.L. should be of some use. Not a large plane. Maybe a 10-12 passenger shuttle.
It’s easy to say no. It’s really hard to find better ways to do things…
How many could afford the price of a round trip airline ticket to Reno regardless of airplane size? The poor who use the bus instead of driving their own car certainly cannot. They cannot even afford a car.
I rode the bus twice in the last two weeks. The people who boarded in Mammoth went all the way to Reno.
And the people who boarded at the Reno airport were
not poor. Neither was the snowboarder that boarded in Gardnerville. We picked up one guy in Carson City. He was going some where down valley. He didn’t look poor
Where do people get their imaginary Worlds that they use to make their arguments from????
And why do you instantly assume air service would cancel bus service? We need both. We even need more, better bus service. With better buses.
Well said Ken. Thanks!
TOML may believes its own hype, but that is no reason for the community at large to follow suit.