Tue, Jan 05, 2021
GA Airport Is Located Outside Of Honolulu’s Congested Airspace
We've heard the story before... great airport is under attack by the powers that be... hoping to close the thing down. The latest variant of the story comes from Hawaii, where a popular airport, known for extensive GA and skydiving activity is under the gun.
Kawaihapai Airport, more commonly known as Dillingham Airfield, is Hawaii’s most versatile airport and home to a variety of sky-related activities. It is located on the North Shore of Oahu and the only public use airport on the northern part of the island. The airport is located outside of Honolulu’s congested airspace and has a 9000 ft runway, making it an ideal spot for pilot training, skydiving and powered hang gliding. Additionally, due to the geography of the island, it is the Oahu’s only possible gliderport.
The Department of Transportation (DOT) Airports Division currently manages the Airport and leases the land from the military. In February 2020, the DOT gave notice that it would be terminating it’s lease with the military effective June 30, 2020. In April of 2020, they announced they will be extending the lease termination to June 30th 2021. This action would evict all private and commercial tenants within a matter of months, an unreasonable time frame for tenants who have operated on the field for decades. If the airport were to close, there would no longer be a place for skydiving or glider operations on the entire island of Oahu.
Points To Consider:
- A valuable community resource; offering access to general aviation education and aviation career opportunities.
- A draw for tourism; bringing tens of thousands of visitors from around the world to the North Shore for air tours and skydiving.
- A major source of employment; employing more than 130 people at the various on site operators.
- A valuable public space offering access to hiking trails, biking, and walking area off the highway.
A 20-minute documentary film has been created, which shares the stories of all those who call Dillingham Airfield home and conveys what will be lost if the Hawaii legislature chooses to close the airfield.
Special responses forms have been created and placed on the program's website -- It takes just ONE MINUTE to send an email to Hawaii legislators asking them to save Dillingham Airfield. The folks attempting to save Dillingham have made taking action easy by setting up a specific form (each) for skydivers, aviators and Hawaii residents.
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