Airport: Reasons to be skeptical

Having been made privy to the disturbing events at Pappy Boyington Field, it has become necessary to interject a few inputs for consideration of all concerned. Our country is a constitution-based nation, thus it's incumbent upon the citizenry to ensure due diligence is exercised when required.

In other words, the political apparatus was designed to serve the public, not the other way around. This also applies to reckless capitalistic practices, which, like government, must be kept in check with high ethical and moral standards. Raw capitalism (no consideration of morality/ethics) is no different than Socialism/Marxism.

I would like to thank Greg Delavan (the departing airport director, a directive for which I hope changes), a man of intense devotion to duty, exceptional vision and the intestinal fortitude to stand by principle. In addition to sound policy, Greg is a man who methodically ushered in an airport legacy that provides over $130 million annual income to the local economy. I am appalled to witness what appears to be a sudden political maneuver, the flavor of which would make total sense if one lived in Chicago, not Idaho. Whoever is attempting to extricate Greg, should feel ashamed of themselves.

The first question one should ask, after hearing the specifics of what has transpired, is, who will suffer the most? The answer of course is the citizenry of Coeur d'Alene, Hayden, and the surrounding areas.

After reading the facts surrounding this event, I was first astonished, then confounded with what was presented as a future plan for the airport. If..."IF" what has been presented is indeed the truth, it would "appear" the only rational reason for what has emerged is a potential financial payoff scenario (something "smelly") for a few fortunate developers, or, complete cluelessness ("amateur night") as to what constitutes a sound policy/vision for continued growth and development of an airport with great potential. I have a strong inkling the truth will surface at some point, and it could likely be a public embarrassment for those attempting to pull off what appears to be a very slick, and extremely troubling ploy for quick profits.

Central to the hullabaloo is the projected routing of Ramsey Road adjacent to the airport boundary. From what has been presented, nine of the 10 routes recommended would create the following dilemmas (all of which are self-defeating):

a. The obliteration of the Instrument Landing System - This action would destroy any chance of significant future participation by air traffic, restricting them to Visual Flight Rules and extremely limited use during winter operations. This would impact a wide array of aircraft platforms; including corporate and any hope of regional flying by major air carriers. If anything, the airport should be certified for Category III operations (much lower weather minimums with exponentially more capability), especially in a location such as Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

b. The shortening of the only truly useful runway by approximately 1600 feet - This too would utterly destroy any significant footprint for future air traffic; specifically platforms larger than small general aviation aircraft.

What should be promulgated is an extension of this runway by at least another 2,000 feet. If you want a bustling airport (and potentially much more tax revenue), this is what should be accomplished, folks.

c. Building encroachment (cheaper homes) adjacent to or near the airport - Anyone with half a clue, realizes the only one to benefit from cheaper housing adjacent to an airport (gee...I wonder why?) would be the developer creating the cheaper homes and lawyers ... due to noise/safety concerns (almost guaranteed) inherent with such a plan.

Over time, noise complaints would rise, and the airport itself would become a thorn in the side, both politically and financially. As it stands now, the lack of build-up around the airport is the "precise" policy, which should be maintained if Coeur d'Alene truly desires business growth with this airport entity.

Lastly, and most important, safety is enhanced exponentially when homes are not built adjacent to a highly utilized airport.

In summary, if the facts presented are indeed the case, we as a citizenry are definitely in big trouble, since the data paints a picture that is not conducive to a productive political environment, nor the success of Pappy Boyington Field. For those of us with extensive aviation experience and backgrounds, the current events are obnoxious and deeply troubling. Voices need to be heard from the local populace ... stay engaged folks.

Scott Keller is the President and founder of Strategic Synergies Inc. (SSI) of Hayden. The company has a vision to further business objectives pertaining to the Aviation Quick Response Force (AQRF) concept and Real-time Actionable Intelligence (RTAI); a worldwide requirement for actionable intelligence, aviation surveillance, homeland-defense and security. Additionally, Scott received his first patent for The PresentationMate dry-erase caddy. He is currently a Boeing 787/777 pilot flying internationally (Japan, South America, and Europe) for a major airline.