With a continued decline in revenues from a slowdown in passengers and fewer landings at Santa Maria Public Airport, the agency that runs the facility has again dipped into reserves to cover its deficit for the coming fiscal year.
Taking into account operating revenues and expenses plus non-operating revenues and expenses, and all capital projects and improvements, the overall deficit is $280,004 for the 2010-11 budget year, which begins Thursday, Airport General Manager Chris Hastert said.
Overall, Hastert said he is pleased with the work done by airport staff to create the budget. “I feel like we did a good job in getting this together …,” Hastert said.
Total operating revenues are estimated at $3.3 million with total operating expenses, excluding depreciation, of $3.6 million, according to the budget.
Almost half of the operational spending, about $1.7 million, is salaries, contract staff, security and Aircraft Rescue Firefighting (ARFF) services mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration. The airport contracts with the Santa Maria police and fire departments for security and ARFF, respectively.
Approved by a 4-1 vote Thursday by the airport district’s board of directors, the budget includes increased spending on maintenance in a move to be proactive, rather than reactive, to upkeep of the facility, Hastert said.
Directors Carl Engel, Chuck Adams, Hugh Rafferty and Ted Eckert voted in favor with Charles Damiano dissenting because of items on the capital budget he believed shouldn’t have been there and were not safety related.
Also, more money is going toward local marketing of the airport through TV, print, and radio advertising and working with an aviation consulting services firm to attract a new airline to the airport. The ultimate hope is to draw more passengers and create more revenues, Hastert said.
With slower passenger traffic in the terminal because of the recession, rental car revenues to the airport also have dropped.
Terminal revenues — (TSA) lease, restaurant, airlines, car rental percentage rent — are expected to come in at an $884,136 loss.
The most significant source of operating income, $634,637 or 40%, is non-aviation revenue-generating land — the Airport Business Park, Radisson hotel, mobile-home park, Sunset Ridge Golf Course and 603 acres of leased farm land.
To generate more revenues, the board has raised hangar rents by an average of 11.8% to be spread out over two years in six-month increments.
Proposed capital projects are budgeted at $5.8 million of which the airport is on the hook for $1.6 million.
Most of the capital costs are for a long-awaited runway extension project. It will be built in two phases across two federal budget years as the majority of the project, 95%, will be covered by a FAA Airport Improvement Plan grant.
The first phase of the runway development includes infrastructure improvements such as electrical conduit and a taxiway extension. Hastert said the airport expects to put the initial runway project out for bid as soon as Thursday. Work could begin in September or October. Budgeted at $4.5 million, $4.2 million of phase one will be paid by the FAA grant, while the district cost for phase one is $222,700.
Phase two, runway paving and relocation of navigational aids for the Instrument Landing System, is expected to cost about $8 million. It will also be funded mostly by the FAA.
Airport officials have promoted the longer runway as a draw for larger commercial and private planes, and longer corporate jet flights, such as nonstops to Japan or Europe.
Other significant capital projects include:
- $270,000 for new roofs on three buildings.
- $126,123 for reconfiguration and replacement of the terminal building’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system.
- $100,000 for main hangar renovations.
- $100,000 for design of car-wash facility for rental cars.
- $100,000 for asphalt rehabilitation.
Posted in Local on Monday, June 28, 2010 12:00 am
A F-4 Phantom is one of the planes displayed on the tarmac at the Santa Maria Museum of Flight.//Bryan Walton/Staff
A century of aviation history is on display at the Santa Maria Museum of Flight overlooking the city’s public airport.
The museum, which boasts everything from a full-scale replica of the Wright Brothers 1902 glider to a fragment from the ill-fated Space Shuttle Challenger, is housed in two buildings at 3015 Airpark Drive, northwest of the airport terminal.
The main building, a modest-looking, tawny-colored wood structure, has a bit of history of its own. It was a hangar built for Disney’s “The Rocketeer” filmed at the airport in 1991.
A metal hangar nearby — once the original museum — remains part of the complex, said head docent John Killpack, a World War II and aerospace veteran and knowledgeable guide.
Hanging from the ceiling of the wood hangar, devoted to early aviation, is the Wright Brothers’ glider. “It’s flimsy-looking — it’s sturdy though,” said Killpack. “Those two bike mechanics figured all this out.”
Elsewhere in the spacious room are “all kinds of models,” said Killpack, voicing an understatement. He pointed out full-size vintage aircraft such as a 1929 Fleet Model 2. There also are large radio-controlled airplanes down to planes the size of a child’s toy. A set of prized Topping dioramas depict aviation history. Walls hold photos and maps. Aviation “firsts” abound.
The museum highlights Capt. G. Allan Hancock, who pioneered much of Santa Maria’s airplane history. There is a model of the Southern Cross, the first plane to fly across the Pacific, financed by Hancock, and photos of his College of Aeronautics where Hancock College now stands.
Outside between the buildings are an F-4 Phantom, an A-4 Skyhawk, an F-86 Sabre, and Titan and Delta rocket engines. The second hangar includes a half scale P-38, a mockup of a cockpit for “The Aviator” film, a Stinson Reliant, a once-secret Norden Bombsight and the Challenger fragment.
The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Admission is $5 for adults, less for seniors and children. Military personnel and dependents are free.
The museum also sponsors the “Thunder Over the Valley” air show to be held Aug. 27 through 29.
For more information, call 922-8758 or go to www.smmof.org.
Posted: Tuesday, June 22, 2010 12:00 am
A B-17 Flying Fortress, a P-51 Mustang, and a B-24 Liberator – part of The Collings Foundation’s Wings of Freedom tour – were scheduled to arrive Monday, but rain delayed their flights.
Visitors are welcome to tour the inside of the vintage aircraft and 30-minute flights also are available, organizers said.
Viewing the exterior of planes is free. Interior tours of the B-17 or B-24 will cost $12 for adults and $6 for children under 12 years old.
Flights aboard the B-17 or B-24 cost $425 per person per flight while P-51 flights are $2,200 for a half hour and $3,200 for a full hour. Reservations can be made through the Collings Foundation at (800) 568-8924. Donations are tax-deductible.
The planes will be parked on the ramp behind the Radisson Hotel, 3455 Skyway Drive, from 9 a.m. to noon today for ground tours and viewing. They’ll depart at noon.
Posted in Local on Wednesday, May 19, 2010
The Collings Foundation’s Wings of Freedom tour will bring a B-17 Flying Fortress, a P-51 Mustang, and a B-24 Liberator to the Santa Maria Public Airport from Monday through Wednesday.
American warbirds, crucial to winning World War II, are coming to the Central Coast next week. The Collings Foundation’s Wings of Freedom tour will bring a B-17 Flying Fortress, a P-51 Mustang, and a B-24 Liberator to the Santa Maria Public Airport from Monday until Wednesday.
Visitors are welcome to tour the inside of the vintage aircraft and 30-minute flights also are available, organizers said. Viewing the exterior of planes is free. Interior tours of the B-17 or B-24 will cost $12 for adults and $6 for children under 12 years old. Flights aboard the B-17 or B-24 cost $425 per person per flight while P-51 flights are $2,200 for a half hour and $3,200 for a full hour. Reservations can be made through the Collings Foundation at (800) 568-8924. Donations are tax-deductible.
The planes are scheduled to arrive Monday afternoon at the airport and will be parked on the ramp behind the Radisson Hotel, 3455 Skyway Drive, until Wednesday.
Hours for ground tours and display are from 2 to 5:30 p.m. Monday; 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday and 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday. Flights are typically scheduled before and after ground tour times.
The B-17 is restored and painted as the 8th Air Force, 91st Bomb Group’s “Nine-O-Nine” which flew a record 140 missions over enemy territory during World War II without an abort of lost crewman. It’s one of only nine of its type flying today in the America, organizers said.
The B-24J has been restored and repainted as the 8th Air Force, 467th Bomb Group’s “Witchcraft” that flew 130 missions with no crewman injured or lost.
The dual control P-51C Mustang, named “Betty Jane,” honors Col. Charles M. McCorkle, commander of the 31st fighter group based in North Africa and Italy. He recorded 11 confirmed enemy kills in the air — 6 in a Mustang named “Betty Jane.”
The versions of the B-24 and P-51 are the only flying examples of their types in the world, according to organizers.
Santa Maria is part of a 110-city nationwide “living history” tour to promote education and awareness of World War II air power, The Collings Foundation said.
The local visit is hosted by the Santa Maria Museum of Flight. Wings of Freedom has come to the airport five of the past seven years and typically has a good turnout, said Mike Geddry Sr., Museum of Flight president.
A barbecue from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday is being planned to welcome the flight crews, he said. For reservations, call the museum at 922-8758. Prices have yet to be set.
For more information on the Massachusetts-based organization and its planes go to www.cfdn.org
Staff Report posted in Local on Saturday, May 15, 2010
By Julian J. Ramos/Staff Writer jramos@santamariatimes.com
Although no grades will be handed out after a drill simulating a plane crash Wednesday at Santa Maria Public Airport, officials from the city and the airport said the exercise served as a valuable test run for a real-life incident.
Coordinated chiefly by the Santa Maria Public Airport District and the Santa Maria Fire Department, which is contracted by the airport to handle fire services, the drill is a test of coordinated emergency services between several area agencies, officials said.
A full-scale drill, held every three years, is an important test of the effectiveness of the airport’s emergency plan, said Chris Hastert, airport general manager. Overall, Hastert said Wednesday’s results were satisfactory. “I couldn’t be more pleased,” Hastert said.
The mass-casualty scenario was meant to simulate a 30-passenger airliner crash on the runway with a post-collision fire and leaking fuel. A yellow school bus served as the downed aircraft and a plume of simulated white smoke from a canister represented the fire in the aircraft.
Hancock College Emergency Medical Services (EMS) students acted as victims for the drill, while others portrayed families and friends.
About 100 members from various agencies — American Medical Response, county fire and Sheriff’s departments, and the county’s Emergency Medical Services Agency, for example — participated.
There is no pass or fail for the exercise, rather it is a valuable tool to gauge what works and what does not, Hastert said.
Going over notes detailing observations from evaluators is the next step for airport and city officials. The process is anticipated to begin next week.
It was the first such drill at the Santa Maria Airport, also known as SMX, for Hastert since becoming general manager in October 2008.
The two-hour exercise took between two and three months to plan, and was the first in which the city fire force was one of the lead agencies organizing the scenario, said Jeff Jones, Santa Maria’s fire chief. There were many critical, moderate, and minor injuries along with 17 fatalities among the 29 souls on board, he said, describing the drill during a press conference.
Shortly after the mock plane crash, the city’s “crash” unit vehicle assigned at the airport sprayed water from a cannon to simulate a foam blanket around the aircraft that would allow the victims and firefighters to exit the fuselage safely. Victims were taken off the aircraft and into a hangar where they were divided up by the severity of their injuries.
American Red Cross staff members were on hand to support first responders to the incident and to aid crash victims and their families.
The airport remained open for normal operations during the exercise, which was held in an area away from the runway and close to the airport fire station and the former Space Coast Flight Center facility.
In August 2008, the city assumed the airport contract from the Santa Barbara County Fire Department to provide Aircraft Rescue Firefighting (ARFF) services as mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration. Under FAA regulations, the airport must supply aircraft rescue staffing during every takeoff and landing of commercial flights and large charters. The specialized staff must be on hand to respond 15 minutes before and after each flight.
Posted in Local on Thursday, May 6, 2010
A simulated plane crash is scheduled for today at Santa Maria Public Airport.
The airport will remain open for normal operations during this exercise, and people in the terminal, Pepper Garcia’s restaurant and general aviation areas will be notified of the drill, city of Santa Maria officials said.
The drill – involving the city police and fire departments, Santa Maria Public Airport District, and many other agencies – is scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon.
Posted in Local on Wednesday, May 5, 2010
A simulated plane crash is scheduled for Wednesday at Santa Maria Public Airport, city of Santa Maria officials announced.
The airport will remain open for normal operations during this exercise, and people in the terminal, Pepper Garcia’s restaurant and general aviation areas will be notified of the drill, the city said.
The mass-casualty scenario is meant to simulate a 30-passenger airliner crash with a post-crash fire and leaking fuel. A school bus will represent the downed aircraft, a canister of simulated smoke will be used to represent the fire, and Allan Hancock College students will act as victims for the drill, while others will portray families and friends.
The drill – involving the police and fire departments in Santa Maria, Santa Maria Public Airport District, and many other agencies – is scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon.
For more information, call the City Manager’s Office at 925-0951, Ext. 372 or Airport General Manager Chris Hastert at 922-1726, Ext. 15.
April 29, 2010
A restored B-17 bomber will visit Santa Barbara from April 23 to 25 during a 60-city “Salute to Veterans” national tour. It’s one of two Flying Fortresses scheduled to land on the Central Coast this spring. The other will arrive in Santa Maria in May.
During its Santa Barbara visit, “Aluminum Overcast,” the Experimental Aircraft Association’s restored B-17 bomber, will offer flights and interior tours for a price. The plane will be at the Santa Barbara Airport south of Hangar 1, junction of Arnold Place and Cook Place.
Self-guided tours cost $5 per person or $15 per family (meaning adults and children up to 17 years old and including immediate family members only). Children under 8 years old can tour for free when accompanied by paying adult. All active-duty military members and veterans also will be admitted for free.
A minimum of six people is required per flight. Pre-booked flights cost $359 for EAA members and $399 (includes a free one-year EAA membership) for non-members. To schedule a flight, go to www.b17.org or call toll-free 800-359-6217. Rides booked after the aircraft arrives in Santa Barbara will cost $385 for members and $425 for non-members.
Aluminum Overcast has made multiple trips to the Central Coast, including stops in Santa Maria in 2002.
“The national tour EAA undertakes each year has become the nation’s most popular way to learn about this unique aircraft in an up-close way,” said Tom Poberezny, EAA president. “EAA is dedicated to preserving the spirit of aviation through these B-17 tours. This year, we also take great pride in saluting all our nation’s veterans as the airplane makes its way throughout our country.”
Aluminum Overcast was built in 1945, but was delivered to the Army Air Corps too late to see active service in World War II. It was purchased as war surplus for $750 by a private individual, and served in mapping and spraying operations in many countries until a preservation group purchased it in 1978.
The B-17 was donated to the EAA Aviation Foundation in 1981 with the provision of the aircraft being maintained in airworthy condition. After being displayed at the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh, Wis., for a decade, the airplane made its national tour debut in the spring of 1994.
For more information on EAA and its programs, call 800-564-6322 or go to www.eaa.org.
This won’t be the only old warbird to visit the county this spring. The Santa Maria Museum of Flight will host aircraft owned by The Collings Foundation, based in Massachusetts. The organization will bring a B-17 along with a B-24 Liberator and a P-51 Mustang to the Santa Maria Public Airport from May 17 to 19. For more information about that visit, visit www.collingsfoundation.org or call the Santa Maria Museum of Flight at 922-8758.
April 19, 2010
By Julian J. Ramos/Staff Writer jramos@santamariatimes.com | Wednesday, April 14, 2010
A Russian-made firefighting tanker drops water Tuesday during a test over the Santa Maria Public Airport. A Russian air tanker made its first water drop on American soil Tuesday in a demonstration flight at the Santa Maria Public Airport.
Carrying 3,000 gallons of water, the aircraft dropped its load on a field at the airport near the Central Coast Jet Center and performed a series of maneuvers over the airfield.
The exhibition for invited guests was meant to familiarize aviation and fire officials with the aircraft’s capabilities, said David Baskett, president of Santa Maria-based TTE International Inc., the firm behind the Be-200 visit.
Also known as Altair, the Be-200, arrived April 7 in Santa Maria for its inaugural display in America as part of a tour that has included stops in Brazil, Chile and Venezuela.
The theme of the visit, which ended Tuesday, was “save lives and land,” according to organizers promoting the aircraft as the future of aerial firefighting in America and a replacement for the nation’s aging air-tanker fleet.
Although Baskett pictures a fleet of 10 Be-200s — based in Santa Maria, owned by his firm and rented or leased to operators — the aircraft faces a long certification process to be used an air tanker for U.S. fires.
Joe Walsh, a Washington, D.C.-based spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service, said all air tankers used to douse wildland fires on federal land must have Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness certification and must meet several interagency standards. At the moment, the Be-200 does not meet any of the requirements, Walsh said. Also, there is no bilateral agreement between the United States and Russia to recognize each others aviation certification standards, he said. The Forest Service is always appreciative of those who develop, manufacture and operate aerial firefighting platforms, he added.
For the past few fire seasons, SMX has served as a base for tankers involved in fighting fires between Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties. Tankers have used the airport to refuel and to fill up with red-colored fire-retardant material at the Central Coast Jet Center.
Built by aircraft maker Irkut, the Be-200 is a twin-jet engine “flying boat” designed specifically in the 1990s for air tanker operations. The Be-200 first flew in 2003, and is in service with Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations and Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Emergencies.
Piloted by a two-person flight crew, the Be-200 has eight tanks, located under the cabin floor, capable of dropping 12 tons of water or retardant in about a second at a minimum speed of 135 mph. Its turbofan engines are located above the wing and to the rear to avoid spray into the engines.
The plane can drop 270 tons — one ton is 2,000 pounds — of water into a fire area without refueling, according to the Beriev Aircraft Company Web site. Its four water scoops can pick up 12 tons of water in 14 seconds while gliding on the water surface.
Santa Maria City firefighter Shane Gidlund takes a photo of the Be-200. The Russian air tanker, known as the Altair, landed Wednesday at the Santa Maria Public Airport for a week-long visit. Below, Russian crew members unload their luggage.
An amphibious aircraft being touted as possibly the future of aerial firefighting in America landed Wednesday at Santa Maria Public Airport. The week-long visit from the Russian-made Be-200 air tanker, also known as Altair, marks the first display on U.S. soil of the aircraft’s capabilities.
Arranged by a Santa Maria businessman with an aviation background, the visit is meant to familiarize prospective air tanker contractors with the plane. “It’s no longer a story, it’s here,” said David Baskett, president of Santa Maria-based TTE International Inc.
Initially, the Be-200 was scheduled to arrive in September 2009 for a month-long visit. Baskett cited months battling bureaucracy as one of the delays as the aircraft needed U.S. government clearance — Federal Aviation Administration and Transportation Security Administration — before its arrival.
The Be-200 and a delegation of about 20 people will be based at Santa Maria Public Airport — also known as SMX — until next Wednesday.
A demonstration flight is in the works for Monday or Tuesday at Lake Cachuma, Baskett said. Static display of the plane, open to the public, is scheduled from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Radisson Hotel.
Chris Hastert, airport general manager, said SMX is fortunate to host the Be-200, and the aircraft is being treated like any other that flies into Santa Maria. “It’s exciting to be a part of it,” Hastert said.
Over the past two weeks, the Be-200 appeared at an international air show in Santiago, Chile, and made stops is Brazil and Venezuela. The Venezuelan government reportedly has agreed to buy one of the aircraft.
Built by aircraft maker Irkut, the Be-200 is a twin-jet engine “flying boat” designed specifically in the 1990s for air tanker operations. The Be-200 first flew in 2003, and is in service with Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations and Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Emergencies.
Piloted by a two-person flight crew, the Be-200 has eight tanks, located under the cabin floor, capable of dropping 12 tons of water or retardant in about a second at a minimum speed of 135 mph. Its turbofan engines are located above the wing and to the rear to avoid water spray into the engines.
The plane can drop 270 tons — one ton is 2,000 pounds — of water into a fire area without refueling, according to the Beriev Aircraft Company Web site. Its four water scoops can pick up 12 tons of water in 14 seconds while gliding on the water surface.
Baskett sees the Be-200 as a replacement for America’s aging air-tanker fleet. Most U.S. air tankers are converted military aircraft designed in the 1940s and 1950s, he said.
Baskett envisions a fleet of 10 Be-200s based at the airport and the creation of high-end aviation jobs in Santa Maria. The planes would be owned by his firm and rented or leased to operators, he said.
The Santa Maria airport is an ideal location for the plane because the weather is optimal most of the year, it is low cost, and it is already home to an air-tanker base, Baskett said.
SMX has been the aerial reload headquarters for fighting fires from Ventura County to San Luis Obispo County for the past few fire seasons. Tankers have used the base to refuel and to fill up with red-colored fire-retardant material.
The Central Coast Jet Center at SMX developed an air tanker base in 2007, and leases the facility to the U.S. Forest Service, which also contracts for air tankers and fire retardant.
Baskett is also the president of Santa Maria-based American Ethanol, Inc. He also founded the now-defunct Pacific Skyway, a Santa Maria-based airline. Baskett’s interest in aviation dates back to the late 1950s as the son of missionary parents in the Philippines, where he was a student pilot. He spent 20 years in the Army flying helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.
TTE International, Inc. specializes in civil and military aviation from the former Soviet Union, according to the company Web site.
Posted: Thursday, April 8, 2010
