The Ad Hoc Airport Advisory Committee formed in March 1995 in response to strong concerns from both pilots and neighbors of Little River Airport regarding a wide range of airport-related issues. Our plan was to do research on the various issues, meet as a committee and its subcommittees until we could agree (or agree to disagree) on a draft report for each issue, then hold one or more community meetings until we have heard and incorporated added community input from those meetings and finally present a package of reports to the Planning, Transportation, Health and Welfare Committee.
COMMITTEE COMPOSITION
The table below summarizes how the composition of the committee developed over time.
| date | number of non-pilots | number of pilots | notes |
| March 1995 | varied | varied | Ad Hoc committee |
| 8/20/95 | two | five | 7 voting members elected |
| 10/1/95 | one | four | Ron Sieg resigned |
| 10/29/95 | two | four | Susan Winding elected |
| 8/18/96 | three | three | Ray Yates elected, Michael Moore becomes alternate |
| 9/8/96 | four | three | Fran Tucker elected |
| 3/9/97 | three | three | Susan Winding becomes alternate |
| 2/15/98 | official AAC first met, Ad Hoc Committee retired | ||
INITIAL ISSUES
Here's a summary of the issues which initially led to the Ad Hoc Committee's formation:
- Grading and weed control on the airport - eventually recommended test planting Kovar sheep fescue as ground cover, and recommended stopping the practice of grading the airport.
- Mechanic availability - this problem had not been resolved.
- Airport Manager - history of difficulties, low pay, outside jobs
- The fate of existing private hangars
- The availability of new rental hangars
- Should more private hangars be permitted and if so, where?
- Noise abatement and traffic
- community meetings
- policy recommended, later revised and simplified
- Fuel pricing and availability
- card lock fuel
- 1998 underground fuel tank deadline (an above-ground card-lock system is almost in service)
- AWOS
- GPS Instrument approach
- altimeter setting
- tree trimming, zoning changes, road movement, costs
- historical weather data
- survey of pilots
- surveys of other airports
- community meetings
- Movie Company airport use
- history of large aircraft flying in
- Airline service
- Airport costs and benefits
- budget
- soft benefits
- day use fee
- timber harvest
- State and Federal grants
- Formation of an official AAC
- surveys of other committees
- much debate over composition of AAC
- Airport Growth
ISSUES SINCE OFFICIAL AAC FORMED
- GPS Instrument approach approved with restrictions
- pilot survey
- airport surveys
- research on safety
- Dragonfly aviation - permit
- Should touch and go landings be limited?
- Fireman's Park - recommended lease renewal terms
- Motorcycles on the airport - liability concerns
- Non-Aviation uses of the airport
- Fuel pricing and availability (an above-ground card-lock system is almost in service)
- Airport Manager - we are happy with the current airport Supervisor
- Exceptional permit for Leonard Swithenbank's hangar
- Simplified noise abatement policy
- Fog Seal and Striping of runway
- FAA questions regarding obstructions and threshold siting. - surveys of trees, topping vs cutting, forester?
AAC REPORTS
See the reports generated by the AAC.