FAA Control Tower Policy Could Force End Of The Event

The 2014 edition of the Cable Air Show at Cable Airport (KCCB) in Upland, CA may be the last, if the FAA does not reverse its policy of charging hefty fees for air traffic control tower services during such events.

Airport president Bob Cable said the airport has been billed $15,000 for air traffic control services for the 39th annual edition of the show. The event usually brings in about $30,000 to $40,000, which is all donated to aviation scholarships in the local community, according to a report in the Daily Bulletin.

So, Cable and other organizers say they are faced with the prospect of cancelling the show. "We could still do the air show, even if we couldn't raise money for the scholarships ... for the community," Cable told the paper. "On an event that brings in $30,000, that's a little hard to stomach."

Air show organizers said that they were not notified of the fees until just before the show dates, and there is a proviso that off-duty air traffic controllers may not cover the show.

Cable Airport bills its self as the "world’s largest family-owned public-use airport." According to the airport's website, it was opened in 1945 by Dewey and Maude Cable, and is presently owned and operated by their children and grandchildren.   

FMI: www.cableairport.com/airfair/