Bill Dunn echoed to me that through the fence residents don't pay their share to support the airport. Here at the Clermont County/Sporty's Airport, that just is not true. The residents buy gas, avionics, mechanic's services, pilot supplies and interior renovations from the various operators on the airport. Their homes are taxed at a rate twice what they would be if no taxiway access and when we get a few more residents, we plan to give up an $80,000 per year guard service.

But what I really expect in the future, is a group of airport supporters who can help with noise problems from folks 3 and 11 miles from the airport; AND these same residents will see that the airport is maintained in the proper way as we have done it for the last 22 years. Just thought of another: The county can have free airport management when and if Sporty's can no longer do it.

Hal Shevers
Founder/Chairman
Sporty's

Hal:



When I moved off the airport last year (from a hangar I owned on leased land) to my TTF hangar, my access cost tripled. Plus, our airport board at KDIJ freely admits that 50% of their operating budget comes from TTF access payments which are based on the square footage of the hangars.

BTW, I just learned yesterday that the City (owner of our airport) has proposed landing fees to make up for the lost income from TTF agreements being terminated.

I suggest the AOPA gather documentation would be beneficial such as collecting data on what off and on airport fees are around the country instead of buying off on the FAA's perceptions. I am willing to bet that when we get our Freedom of Information Act materials back from the FAA, they will have no documentation of this alleged economic inequality. (If the AOPA was doing their job, they would have submitted the FOIA request long before I did.)

What's more, if there is an airport where the TTFs are not paying their fare share, it would be quite easy to start charging more than just denying access. That is simply more logical than the FAA's approach of stopping access.

Brent