Accused Of Violating Airport Rules During Recent Social Event

The Warsaw Flying Club in Warsaw, IN is being threatened with eviction from Warsaw Municipal Airport (KASW) following a social event held in September.

The Ink Free News reports that the activities were observed during the clubs regular barbecue on September 19th. Aircraft were dropping flour bombs, which is a normal activity for such an event, but airport manager Nick King said at a meeting on October 18 that he saw aircraft flying lower than 500 feet, tha people were too close to where the flour bombs were being dropped. He also said that the aircraft wre using a non-standard traffic pattern, which is only allowed for training purposes.

Club member Jayson Slabach represented the club at the meeting. He said he had called the FSDO office in Grand Rapids, MI, which has jurisdiction over northern Indiana, to explain the situation, and was told they had broken no FAA rules. He also outlined the safety steps the club had taken during the event. He said all pilots had attended a briefing, and all aircraft were in a specific pattern and reporting their positions.

Slabach and King disagreed about the capabilities of the radios in the aircraft participating in the event, and that there was a risk that an arriving aircraft might not be aware of the activity.

But Slabach also said that he did not know that the flour bomb event was happening until he arrived at the event. That caused concern for airport board president Jay Rigdon, who had said that the airport had not been notified of plans for the event.

King said that he had filed a report and the FSDO is investigating. He said that if FAA rules and grant assurance conditions were followed to the letter, the only option the airport has is eviction of the club.

Warsaw Flying Club president Kayte Fussle said King had never wanted the club to be based at the airport, and chastised King for going to the FAA before talking to the club's leadership.

A final decision on the matter was postponed until the next airport board meeting on November 14.

FMI: Original Report