Biddeford Muni Faces November Vote

With the fate of Biddeford Municipal Airport (B19) in Biddeford, ME in the hands of city residents, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association kicked off an all-out campaign recently to educate the residents, and save the airport.

In an open letter from AOPA President Phil Boyer published in the weekly Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier on March 27, city residents learned just how important the airport is to their community.

"As you consider the discussion of a voter referendum on keeping or closing the airport, it’s important to have the facts about general aviation, Biddeford Airport, and why both are important to you," Boyer wrote.

Residents will vote on the future of the airport in November.

Boyer explained that the airport maintains "green space" in the community and helps prevent overdevelopment, directly contributes more than $3.5 million to the local economy each year, and provides the city access to the rest of the country.

In addition to Boyer’s letter to the community, which will run again next week, AOPA Airport Support Network volunteer Alan Lyscars submitted a letter to the editor regarding the airport.

"Our airport has the potential to become the general aviation Gateway to Maine," Lyscars wrote. "Let us all, as the debate begins, seek out the facts."

"Too much misinformation is being spread about the value and importance of the airport. This public campaign is just the first step in our effort to save Biddeford," said Bill Dunn, AOPA vice president of local airport advocacy. "We’re going to keep reaching out to the community with the facts to urge support for votes to keep the airport open."

FMI: www.aopa.org, B19 Main Page