7-11-11 - My personal view (N. Echelberry) of items discussed at the City of O.Bch. Aviation Advisory Board Meeting

Here are a couple of items from the meeting, my minutes...

Flight operations have increased. The airport manager contributes most of this to a major project at the Daytona Beach airport that is dispersing flight training to other local airports.

The O.Bch. airport director will be helping with a effort to establish a FAA control tower at the DeLand airport to take traffic from other airports.

A presentation was made to make improvements to the airport for more run up areas (if I am correct in layman's terms, more taxiing paths).  The improvements will take pressure off the main runway, but to me, it appears it just makes it easier for more planes to use the airport by moving off the runway. 

One resident discussed that he thought there were no touch and go's anymore at the airport. The airport director said two flight schools have a policy now they must come to a complete stop before taking off again.  I questioned how some of these flight school planes can make a complete loop of the airport in 6 to 8 minutes and still make a complete stop. 

I asked if there is a possibility of the City of Ormond Beach helping (and I would be willing to assist) in drawing up a plan to submit to the FAA for making the flight paths mandatory for safety issues.  The response was basically, the FAA will not accept it and it is not a good idea and that obviously that safety is not a issue because the planes are still flying. 

I also stood up and showed the paths planes are flying and not on the suggested path.  I said some of my photos are showing one person in the airplane, which means it is probably the student with no supervision while flying. I said once that plane leaves the airport the tower (I have been in the tower) and the supervisor if on the ground have no idea if that plane is on the path. My opinion is that if it is a student, they only have in their mind to get back to the airport as soon as they can and ignore the paths.  I didn't get any response to that.  I don't believe this is as much true for Embry Riddle planes but do for others, mostly private companies.
(Once during a noise abatement meeting a aviation person mentioned that a lot goes through a pilots mind when taking off and landing. I believe that.  But, when we drive on I-95 we stay on the road despite a lot of other issues and we are not allowed to drive off the grass or go wherever we want because of SAFETY). 

The airport manager said that if he shows a photo to a flight school representative, the person can easily just say, yes - it's my plane.  I explained that I am getting the N numbers as they leave the airport eastbound on 26 before the turn and come directly over my house. I said it is impossible to get a N number when they are directly over me.  I also take videos of the plane leaving the airport, take the stills during the video with the numbers, and continue the video till it is past my house. 
This shows the airplanes DO NOT follow the requested path and proof they don't.  Here is a link of a google earth image where I put a red arrow showing from my house the direction I take the still shots and the orange is a sample of a flight path over my home...NOT on the suggested path
LINK BUTTON TO IMAGE

A couple of residents voiced their complaints about low and loud planes.  One possibly will have the airport manager go to his house and make observations. 

When the minutes are published by the City, I will put the link here..