Skydive Laconia?

[fatlazyless]

Here's hoping you best success with your FAA decison appeal, and hopefully a design-that-fits can be found. Laconia only knows too well what it's like to be out-of-work, what with its' second highest jobless rate in the state, after the northern most county which is a serious basket case.

Getting skydivers into the area during April-May-June, and Sept-Oct-Nov would be a helpfull boost to the local economy. Last November was the warmest November ever, followed by a much colder December starting on Dec 1. Sixty year old ladies was playing tennis outdoors, wearing summertime shorts & tees, on last November 11 in low-70 degee temps.

Go for it......and don't quit, no matter how long a federal decision appeal can take...!

[TheNoonans]

Greetings to all,

Just an update for those still interested. Our patience was rewarded yesterday, and an FAA agent from Flight Standards out of Washington DC came to the Laconia Municipal Airport and conducted a legitimate safety audit. In attendance were the Portland FSDO, the NHDOT Aeronautical Department, the local FAA Airport Division, the Laconia airport manager, a member of the LAA airport authority, the Laconia airport's legal council, owners of both FBOs, the Director of Government Relations for USPA and of course Mary and I.

Throughout the 3 hour meeting, it was made crystal clear to all in attendance by the FAA rep from Washington, that skydiving has a rightful place on municipal airports such as LCI and that the role of the airport sponsor is to promote all aeronautical activities, including skydiving. This point was emphasized throughout the entire proceedings.

I don't think we will ever win over a handful of certain local residents......but for those of whom that play any role in the airport's compliance requirements, atleast it was made clear yesterday that the FAA in Washington has an expectation that we will all work together to promote the airport and all aeronautical activities available to it.

Stay tuned........

Blue skies to all and to all a good flight,
Tom

[SIKSUKR]

So does being made "crystal clear" have any teeth at all Tom? Does LCI have to comply now or does more arm twisting have to be done as in withholding federal funds?

[TheNoonans]

I don't want to speak for anyone on their side of the table, but I would have to guess (given the presence of the LAA's legal counsel), that they are all now fully aware that they will not be able to defend their recent denial using the previous report that was issued by the local FAA office.

As far as the message having any teeth, I cannot imagine that there was any person in that meeting that didn't leave it realizing that if skydiving is not allowed at LCI and Mary and I are forced to keep pushing this upstream at the FAA.......the end result will be a letter to the LAA from the FAA stating they have been found in non-compliance of their federal funding grant assurances and that they have 30 days to get into compliance (allow skydiving), or forfeit current federal funding and refund the last ten years of funding they received.

Personally I can't imagine why they would continue to try to cause us problems, but only time will tell.

Blue skies to all and to all a good flight,

Tom

P.S. - I was reading in another thread that unemployment is up to 10% in Belknap County. If we were open, our season would have started April 1st, and there would be at a minimum 6 new jobs at our hangar, all filled by local residents. We'd have had customers coming up from Boston every week, buying gas, eating at the restaurants, staying at hotels, etc. If we were allowed to open in 2009 like we had originally planned, we'd have 12-15 jobs filled by local residents by now with over a 1000 customers having travelled to the area spending money at your businesses. Our season doesn't end until November 1st, so even after the Labor Day tourist evacuation of the Lakes Region, we would continue to be bringing customers to your businesses through Nov 1.

The reason I say this is that if I were you, I would all watch very closely the actions and votes of each member of the airport authority from here on out. Their actions affect you directly. The airport itself does not belong to 8 board members and two FBOs, the airport belongs to all of you.

I believe the seats on the board are appointed positions? Who makes the appointments? It's your economy that hangs in the balance of their actions and decisions, only you can hold them accountable.