Help Save Essex Skypark (W48)

I and the Essex Skypark pilots could really use your help in saving our beloved Skypark from closure.

The local pilot association and the Essex community association are fighting Baltimore County's efforts to close the Skypark. They want to use the Skypark's 40 acres -- located in a sea of trees -- to plant more trees to offset development in the rest of the county. All of you who fly the East Coast know there is no shortage of trees!

We are trying to gin up as much MD voter support as we can. You can help by:
1) reading the AOPA article
2) Signing the petition
3) Ask your fellow aviators and RV friends to sign the petition too.
4) Become a friend of "Friends of Essex Skypark" on Facebook

To read the article click Here. Click the red button to sign the petition.

The last six months of my five year RV-7 project was at the Skypark and I have enjoyed flying the RV from this friendly little airport the last three years. Help us prevent yet another GA airport being lost. Thanks, Bill

Done

We have plenty of trees,,, not enough airports! I will never probably see this airport but we need to stick together.

Got it DONE!!!

This is Very Important, please help these folks.

nice lookn airport. glad to help.

W48

Anything to help save another.

I signed the petition and emailed everyone in my EAA chapter asking them to sign the petition as well. I hope that it helps.
Tom Finch

W48

We have to save these airparks. They are history!!!

Local Politicians

If you live on an Airpark someone should make a practice of regularly attending county/city/town meetings.

I started about a year ago during an annexation drive by the local fire district - we were trashed at a town council meeting with no-one present to refute negative comments. All airparks can easily be seen as playgrounds for rich folks with expensive (and noisy) toys.

I have found a few things out over this last year -

* Attend 3 or 4 council meetings in a row and they will soon know who you are. Regular attendance is usual quite low, and any packed houses are for specific items only - stay to the end of the meetings.

* Local politicians are easy to talk to, they can't hide in DC or the State Capitol like the higher level ones... You will see them in the local supermarket/bank/cafe, etc.

* The fire district guys didn't really mean to trash us.

* You might find something you can volunteer for - I'm now a member of our town Conceptual Design Review board.

* You will find out who the local department heads are - they attend our council meetings - so you can approach them directly with questions/problems.

* Offer them rides and take aerial pictures. My quick snap of a newly constructed 3 million gallon reservoir next to our airpark is now in the water utility literature.

Airports closure efforts are almost always led by your local jurisdiction, so know who the players are BEFORE any problems or suggestions of closure happen. Counter any closure attempts as early as possible.


The water pic. Reservoir in middle, airpark is to the left of the road.

az_gila said:

Airports closure efforts are almost always led by your local jurisdiction, so know who the players are BEFORE any problems or suggestions of closure happen. Counter any closure attempts as early as possible.

Click to expand...

The threats come from various sources, but as Gil says, the answer is staying aware and being ahead of the curve. Be proactive, be aware. A couple of years ago, a developer attempted to close L52, Oceano Airport. Here is some of the press from the time.

http://www.aopa.org/advocacy/articles/2010/100407ca.html?WT.mc_id=ebrief

http://www.friendsofoceanoairport.com/news.html

John Clark ATP, CFI
FAAST Team Representative
EAA Flight Advisor
RV8 N18U "Sunshine"
KSBA