SBspook
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Senior Board Member
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Re:Budget Hearing -Operating Budgets - 2008/05/16 21:31
Dino & Dirty - Are either of you advocating that the town actually purchase the airport? If so, for what? The land, or to run it as an airport? The land does have some commercial value and I think a few years back one of the companies near there expanded.
As for using it as an airport. Does anyone think the town is sophisticated enough to run an airport? I think many of our elected officials are having a hard enough time figuring out how not to run the town into the ground.
Guys like Mr. Ryan think their instant authorities on municipal airports because they've read a few articles about these new 5 passenger micro-jet's that are being marketed as a sort of airplane taxi. There are a few major flaws in their logic:
1) This air taxi, small jet concept is an unproven business plan. While lower in cost to existing jet aircraft, these jets are not cheap @ $1.5m+. And jet fuel is no bargain.
2) Yes the government has programs which assist towns to purchase their airports. Some programs provide up to 90% of the purchase price, and there are additional programs to upgrade the electronics capabilities of these airports (RADAR, communications, etc). However the federal government has been very slow to pay out, and once that's over... guess what... the town is now in the business of running an airport... And at who's expense... The taxpayers!
3) From what I've read these air taxi services are targeting small airports positioned near larger markets with highway access. There is just not enough business to justify one of these air taxi charter companies wanting to use Simsbury. Simsbury airport is nowhere near 84 or 91... that is unless you go through Granby... which brings you to Bradley airport... which brings me to my 2 last points
4) Simsbury airport is in the traffic pattern of Bradley airport. I highly doubt that Bradley or the FAA will allow more traffic from Simsbury airport, and definitely not jet traffic.
5) Simsbury airport has the ability to grow, and will continue to, and would better serve an air taxi type of business.
I had seen the presentation of the results of the initial study on purchasing the airport. For each of the 3 years they presented, the airport would run at a significant loss! Somewhere around $80k / year is what I remember hearing.
So could someone please explain to me why this would be a good deal for Simsbury?
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