KBDR Sikorsky Memorial Airport - FOSA Friends of Sikorsky Memorial Airport


Sikorsky Memorial Airport - KBDR FOSA
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INDEX: Home Aerial Pix Photos 1 Photos 2 Photos 3 Photos 4 News Links 1 Links 2 Video+ 1 Video+ 1 Humor History FOSA SSAMT CAP	The purposes of FOSA shall include, but not be limited to: A. Providing an organization where pilots, passengers, neighbors and the business community can meet and recommend a comprehensive and integrated plan for the preservation and future of the Airport. B. Providing support to Sikorsky Memorial Airport and the local and regional aviation community. Contact: FOSAemail Letter to the Editor - 1/11/2009 Let’s Talk About Airport Facts A recent letter to the editor by Marcia Stewart puts out information that is both incorrect and designed to benefit her anti Airport campaign. This time the attack is aimed at the Connecticut Post editorial; Changes coming at Sikorsky Airport. The Connecticut Post editorial supports the removal of the blast fence at the end of the runway and replacing it with an Engineered Materials Arresting System. Marcia, states that the Engineered Materials Arresting System that will replace the fence only works for airplanes 25,000 pounds and over. She further claims that the Federal Aviation Administration acknowledges that there have been no accidents at the Airport since the 1994 crash that took eight lives almost 15 years ago. To set the record straight, The Engineered Materials Arresting System (similar to a run away truck ramp) has seen recent advances in how it is designed and can be engineered to accommodate different weights of airplanes. Additionally, the three hundred feet of the Engineered Materials Arresting System will allow smaller airplanes an additional 300 feet for stopping in an overrun emergency. She is additionally wrong in saying that there have been no accidents since 1994. A Hawker 125 jet skidded through the blast fence on March 9, 2001. The airplane was destroyed by the fence but luckily, there were no injuries. If the Engineered Materials Arresting System had been in place at that time, the airplane would have been stopped by the Engineered Materials Arresting System with nothing more than damage to the tires. Marcia goes on to state that adding the Engineered Materials Arresting System to the runway will make the runway longer. My answer is that the Federal Aviation Administration in a document, known as the Airport Facilities Directory, list Runway 6/24 as 4,677 feet long. After the Engineered Materials Arresting System is added to the end of the runway, the Airport Facilities Directory will lists the same runway at the same 4,677 feet long because there will be no increase in runway length. Additionally, the runway will be narrowed from 150 feet wide to 100 feet wide. With no changes in runway length and the runways being narrowed by fifty feet, the design of the runways does not allow for larger and heavier or faster airplanes. The Federal Aviation Administration has written a letter to State Senator Dan Debicella stating the following: “The activity that exists at the airport is expected to continue, and the aircraft now operating at BDR use all of the runway length. However, larger aircraft requiring longer runways would not be able to operate at BDR because the runway lengths required do not exist and are not proposed for the future.” Runway 11/29 will remain at 4,760 feet and Runway 6/24 will remain at 4,677 feet. Marcia Stewart protests the Airport being made larger for bigger airplanes. This is just not the case. Requests for the Federal Aviation Administration to schedule a public hearing on the Airport safety improvement plan is another tactic of Marcia and Protect Your Environment to drag out the process and delay improvements that will make a safe Airport safer. The much publicized and well attended public meeting took place on December 16, 2008. Marcia Stewart was in attendance and adequately made her points. As the Connecticut Post editorial stated; “It’s the right move for Bridgeport, for Stratford and for the rest of southwestern Connecticut.” David Faile, President Friends of Sikorsky Airport Letter to the Editor - 2/2/2009 ... (CT Post) Airport upgrades carry plenty of benefits Lordship access comes from two roads -- Main Street (State Route 113) and Lordship Boulevard. During severe storms and adverse high tides, the Main Street access to Lordship is often flooded. This reduces access to Lordship to one road. Heaven forbid that there should be an accident on Lordship Boulevard while Main Street is flooded. This would completely isolate Lordship from even emergency services. There is a solution to this dire situation, however. The low point of Main Street where it passes near the airport is just over 5 feet above sea level. When the road is moved slightly to allow for the installation of the runway safety area, the road will be raised to 7 feet above sea level. All of this work will be paid for by the federal government and the state of Connecticut. This will be a major improvement for all citizens of Lordship. In reviewing the issues and arguments for and against the airport, there are three sides. First there is Marcia Stewart and PYE, who are clearly anti-airport, even though they try to claim they are protecting the environment. Second is Stratford's desire to have control of the airport. And, third, those who see the airport as an economic engine for the region with many hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars brought into the region. The Federal Aviation Administration has millions of dollars ready to rebuild runways that are crumbling. Volo Aviation has secured almost $10 million in bonding to build new facilities at the airport. These two projects alone are going to pour millions of dollars into the sagging Connecticut economy during the next two to five years. Hundreds of additional local jobs will be created during this time. The airport will get the upgrades that are needed along with safety improvements mandated by the U.S. Congress. Lordship will now have a second access road that will seldom, if ever, flood. And the economy will benefit from the major inflow of millions of dollars. It is time to separate the political issues surrounding Sikorsky Memorial Airport and address the safety concerns while pumping up the economy. With the addition of safety improvements, the runways will remain the exact length they are today and a safe airport will be made safer. David Faile, President Friends Of Sikorsky Airport Letter to the Editor - 2/3/2009 ... (CT Post) Street relocation would cut flooding I just read the letter from Marcia Stewart, the protector of all things Lordship. She is protesting the relocation of Main Street running by Sikorsky Memorial Airport, claiming that move would put Lordship people at risk in case of the need to evacuate the shore area. As the road stands now it often becomes flooded and is closed to traffic during severe weather conditions, leaving only one road out of Lordship. The proposal for the new road would eliminate that problem by raising the level of the road and always maintaining two exit roads. The slight change in location would not bring all the disastrous conditions that she describes. Closing the airport because it's unsafe is likened to closing Interstate 95 because of potholes. Potholes affect safe driving and should be repaired. The runway safety area affects safe landings and should be installed. It's just a matter of common sense, which is lacking in Stratford. Bob E. Peel Stratford Letter to the Editor - 2/7/2009 ... (CT Post) Sikorsky Airport upgrade will make road safer In response to Marcia Stewart's letter of Jan. 13, in which she states the dangers of moving an evacuation route closer to a body of water: Understandably, she is concerned about the road flooding out during a storm event. What she fails to realize is the plan for moving Main Street near Sikorsky Memorial Airport includes raising its elevation two feet to eliminate the majority of flooding, thereby enhancing the road's safety and preserving it as an evacuation route. In addition, the sharp turn in the road by the airport's Runway 29 (site of numerous accidents over the years) would be eliminated by moving the road to make room for the airport's new safety area. The net effect of the proposal will enhance safety not just for aircraft, but also for Main Street traffic. It's a win-win proposition for the airport and the town of Stratford. In her closing, Stewart suggests the airport should be closed if it is not safe. The fact is, it is the Federal Aviation Administration that is pushing the airport to install the safety area, as there is none for that runway. If the agency felt the facility was unsafe it would suspend the airport's operating certificate. This is not the case. Will Alibrandi Fairfield	Connecticut Post ... by Ken Dixon - 3/4/2009 FAA: Sikorsky Airport safety threatened HARTFORD -- While Stratford and Bridgeport bickered for years over the future of Sikorsky Memorial Airport, the runway has deteriorated into a safety hazard, a Federal Aviation Administration official warned Wednesday. Speaking on a bill that would extend a ban on improvements to the controversial airfield, which is owned by Bridgeport but located in Stratford's Lordship neighborhood, Gail Lattrell, an FAA planner, said airport safety is being threatened. Lattrell said the FAA is prepared to pay 95 percent of the estimated $15 million cost of creating a safety zone for planes, removing a blast fence and raising and straightening Main Street -- state Route 113 -- 300 feet away from the site of an April 1994 crash that killed eight people. "It is such a high priority for the FAA," Lattrell said, stressing that the 4,800 foot runway, which has to be cleaned several times a day to prevent debris from getting into jet engines, has "out-aged its usefulness." And because there is no safety zone, the airport has missed out on tens of millions of dollars in FAA support, some of which could have already repaved the airstrip. Lattrell, Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch, City Council President Tom McCarthy and Airport Manager John Ricci were joined by private pilots in testifying against a bill that would extend a moratorium barring work on the runway. "These are minimum requirements that we need for this airport and unfortunately, the town of Stratford has thwarted our efforts at every turn to do what we think is the right thing for the airport," Finch said. The moratorium, won by Stratford legislators over the last two years, has effectively shut out the state Department of Transportation from participation. Sen. Dan Debicella, R-Shelton, who submitted this year's legislation, said that the town and city have been working toward an agreement on the proposal and the additional year, until April 15, 2010, would give them more time to coordinate the future of the airport. "This proposal has sparked fierce passion by both proponents and opponents, both of whom have a host of facts and arguments around the specifics of the safety zone," Debicella told the legislative Transportation Committee. "The reason for my bill is the problem is much larger than a 300-foot safety zone. At issue here is we need to come up with a comprehensive solution for this airport." After six decades of arguing, he said, Finch and Mayor James R. Miron of Stratford should be given more time to finally hammer out a deal. Debicella said his three recommended alternatives include Stratford buying the airport; creating a regional ownership deal among a half dozen neighboring towns and cities; and allowing the construction of the safety zone, but to have Bridgeport give up possible rights to expansion of the runways. Rep. John Harkins, R-Stratford, a member of the committee whose district would include the rerouted Main Street, said that the road straightening would impact the former Army Engine Plant, which the town has been trying to market. Harkins said better lighting, 24-hour tower staffing and even a shorter runway are potential improvements. "What seems like a simple problem with easy solutions don't always work out that way," Harkins said. Rep. Terry Backer, D-Stratford, who succeeded in inserting the moratorium in a massive transportation bill, said in an interview Wednesday that there's a potential solution. "The airport has economic benefits," Backer said. "It's not an economic engine." The co-chairmen of the Transportation Committee, Rep. Antonio Guerrera, D-Rocky Hill, and Sen. Donald J. DeFronzo, D-New Britain, said they're getting tired of playing referee to a local land-use issue. "I think we're a bit hesitant to continue to extend this moratorium, while it appears in the meantime here the condition of the airport may be deteriorating in some ways and may fall victim to degradation," DeFronzo said. The "engineered-materials arresting system" includes a bed of crushed stone designed to stop runaway jets and propeller craft. Runway 6-24 ends at the blast fence where, in April of 1994, eight people died when their charter aircraft from Atlantic City failed to stop. "I was there," Ricci said. "I saw the bodies taken out of the plane. It's something I never want to see again." NOTE: FAA's Gail Lattrell's name is corrected here ... newsprint and online articles mispelled her name as being Gail Cottrell. In addition, Runway 624 has been corrected to read Runway 6-24. Webmaster Connecticut Post ... by Staff - 3/8/2009 Airport overdue for improvements Enough dithering. Fix the airport. The Federal Aviation Administration announced in no uncertain terms last week that Sikorsky Memorial Airport needs work. It becomes less safe each year, and the potential for disaster is growing. It's time to take action. The situation remains at a standstill in large part because some of the interested parties see no room for compromise. An effort to extend a safety zone -- an area that would not be usable by aircraft -- is characterized by opponents as a step toward massive airport expansion, as though we're likely to see 767s flying low over Long Beach if this plan goes through. No matter how many times it is explained, that attitude, and intransigence, lingers. The same objections greeted a plan, now going forward, to build better infrastructure and facilities at the airport. Once again, this is not about expanding the airport. It's about improving safety for everyone -- people who fly and people on the ground. The plan calls for removing a blast fence from the end of the main runway and installing an industry-standard bed of crushed stone that would slow runaway planes. An FAA planner last week said the agency would pay for 95 percent of the estimated $15 million cost. Stratford residents have succeeded in delaying any improvements by way of a moratorium inserted into a massive transportation bill in Hartford. Lawmakers debated last week whether the moratorium should continue, or if it should be removed and work allowed to proceed. They must do what's right for safety and end the moratorium. It doesn't help matters that opponents of airport improvements have been known to call for the facility's closure. Not only is that not going to happen, but it sends the message that those opponents are unwilling to compromise, and simply want the airport to disappear. If a workable solution is going to be met, those kind of statements must cease. Other proponents of the moratorium have argued it should remain to allow discussion of a workable long-term solution for the facility, owned by Bridgeport but situated wholly in Stratford. But that is a discussion for another day. Once the safety zone is installed, and the runway's deterioration halted, then all the interested parties can talk as long as they want about where to go from here. But no one should hold up safety in the interest of a political solution. The arguments against making the desired changes fall flat. The airport needs strong leadership from local officials, including Stratford Mayor James R. Miron. Some of his Lordship constituents won't like it, but it's time to put this matter to rest. Fix the airport. Letter to the Editor - 3/11/2009 ... (CT Post) Competing visions of airport future In light of the ongoing efforts of Marcia Stewart and Protect Your Environment's anti-airport position, I must comment strongly. Stewart has conducted a campaign against safety improvements at Sikorsky Memorial Airport that has impeded progress for several years. Single-handedly, as Sen. Joseph McCarthy of old, she has used fear (environmental impact) to hold the aviation community hostage. Much like a famous Boston attorney addressed the late Sen. McCarthy during the Army-McCarthy hearings, ending them in one day forever, I say, Marcia Stewart, "Until this moment I never really gauged your recklessness or cruelty." You have denied the region economic development, safer transportation and employment. "Have you no sense of decency?" Edward R. Murrow said: "Having a microphone does not make you wiser than when talking to the end of the bar." Marcia Stewart " again, "Have you no sense of decency?" It is time to be rational, wiser and stop being pressurized to be politically correct. Stewart's arguments are absolutely without foundation. I have created a Web site and invite all to see what a valuable resource we have in Sikorsky Memorial Airport. Just from a community service and educational point of view: A state of Connecticut aviation school for aviation maintenance technicians, Eagle One police rescue helicopter and the Civil Air Patrol. Did anyone notice that it was a Stratford Eagles Squadron CAP cadet accepted to the U.S. Naval Academy this fall? Just Google: "KBDR Sikorsky" or URL address: "SikorskyMemorialAirport.com." After seeing what is really there, contact your state senators and representatives and praise the benefit to Bridgeport and Stratford by allowing Federal Aviation Administration-funded safety improvements to proceed. Please, turn your back on all ranting past and present. Let's get down to what Americans do best: The "can do" attitude to succeed and move forward. Tim Gordon English Bridgeport © 2009 InterCorp USA, LLC