Consultants And Attorneys Said Battling The FAA Would Be Fruitless

The Chatham, MA board of selectmen has decided not to fight city hall ... or at least engage in a legal battle with the FAA. The board on Monday voted to issue an RFP for skydiving operations at the local airport.

The website chatham.wickedlocal.com reports that the board came to the conclusion that the RFP should be approved after being told by attorneys and consultants that a legal fight with the FAA has "little chance of success" and would be like "swimming upstream." They said there was no reason that skydiving could not be safely accommodated at the airport.

The board has been struggling with the skydiving question for three years. The airport is leased by the city to Cape Cod Flying Circus, and Town Manager Jill Goldsmith had been asked by the selectmen not to renew a lease between the management company and Skydive Cape Cod. The skydiving company filed a formal complaint with the FAA, saying the local government could not prevent legitimate aeronautical activity at the airport, which receives federal funding.

Safety inspections conducted by state and federal officials showed that skydiving could be safely conducted at the airport, and experts hired by the town and a special aviation counsel also offered advice to the board when two RFPs that would have restricted hours of operation failed to satisfy the FAA.

When the board of selectmen learned that not only airport funding but other federal transportation money for the town could be at risk, and facing high litigation fees, the board agreed to go ahead with the RFP.

That document is expected to be published soon, and companies will have 60 days from publication to respond.

FMI: http://www.chatham-ma.gov/Public_Documents/ChathamMA_Selectmen/index