Right track, but late

EDITOR:

The Record-Courier is on the right track with your editorial encouraging a policy to keep Minden-Tahoe the modest, rural airport that it has been historically, and rejecting further federal funding if that comes with an obligation to open the airport to larger, faster, noisier aircraft. But I'm afraid you're a bit late to the game.

Back when the county was preparing and adopting its airport master plan, many residents urged rejection of that plan as nothing more than a blueprint for making the airport exactly what we don't want here. It would create a "new" second airport for gliders and light aircraft to the east of the existing "old" airport, freeing the latter for further development to serve the larger, more commercial aircraft that we don't want here. But those pleas fell on deaf county commissioner ears and the plan was approved under pressure from county staff and aviation boosters.

The master plan was actually a prerequisite for the federal funding that you now clearly see as a problem here, given the strings attached to it - that the airport must be open to all aircraft that can safely operate here even if that brings negative impacts to the larger community.

It is naive to rely on any sort of weight ordinance to restrict operations at the airport. The FAA can be counted upon to oppose any ordinance that imposes a limit lower than what the runway can physically handle, and what this old military runway can handle is too large for this Valley. And the county is no match for the FAA when it comes to this sort of thing. That's why it's backing down now and laying the groundwork for a gutting of the existing weight ordinance adopted by voters.

The solution lies not in a weight limit but in control of the airport's configuration, something the county has considerable authority over. As currently configured the airport works fine for light aircraft and gliders but is unattractive to larger, faster, more commercial operations. Reconfigured as proposed in the airport master plan that situation would be reversed. We can and should improve the airport as it is, not make it into something entirely different.

Any proposal to do the FAA's bidding by repealing or modifying the weight limit adopted by voters should be accompanied by repeal of the airport master plan and its replacement with a plan based on maintaining the current airport configuration as a true light aircraft and glider base, not a base for commercial operations by larger, faster, noisier aircraft.

There is a parallel here to the past unquestioning accommodation of residential development here, the foolishness of which is now apparent to all. We've likewise acquiesced to the airport boosters' dreams of a big city operation somehow flourishing here in our rural valley. Equally foolish in my opinion.

We need to get back to basics and care for the airport we have through modest, sensible improvements that harm no one rather than plotting some crazy scheme to make our airport into something that doesn't fit here. And that most citizens don't want.

Terry Burnes

Gardnerville