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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFlying Cloud Airport Advisory Commission - 04/11/2024APPROVED MINUTES FLYING CLOUD AIRPORT ADVISORY COMMISSION THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2024 7:00 P.M. CITY CENTER 8080 MITCHELL RD COMMISSION MEMBERS: Chair: Dan Dorson Vice Chair: Marc Morhack Commissioners: Vinod Pillai Nick Rogers Warren Loken Laura Herrmann (Business Representative) Robert Dockry (Airport Manager) COMMISSION STAFF: Rik Berkbigler, EP Assistant Fire Chief Kristin Harley, Recording Secretary MAC STAFF: Jennifer Lewis Carey Metcalfe Dana Nelson STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES: Harshan Chandrasekar Jack Morrissette Leo Johnson Seth Johnson Bergen Papa Daniel Jian I. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL AND INTRODUCTION OF NEW COMMISSION MEMBERS Chair Dorson called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Student representatives (Seth) Johnson and Papa were present. Dorson had the new commission members introduce themselves. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Morhack moved, seconded by Rogers to approve the agenda. Motion carried 7-0. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MOTION: Rogers moved, seconded by Morhack to approve the minutes of the January 11, 2024 minutes. Motion carried 7-0. FLYING CLOUD AIRPORT ADVISORY COMMISSION April 11, 2024 Page 2 IV. PUBLIC COMMENT V. FOCUS TOPICS FOR THE MEETING a) Airport Appearance Improvements Dorson explained the top ten list derived two years ago from commission findings and the suggestions from student representatives. He listed the completed items: The public viewing area: Dockry stated the proposed radio addition should be investigated also additional benches could be added. The area was frequently used so more landscaping could be explored. It would add more maintenance but also make the area more attractive. Dorson suggested a sign with a QR code to direct visitors to the radio frequency to hear communications. Herrmann suggested utilizing solar power. Dorson replied this had been discussed, and cost was an issue. Airport signage: Dockry stated there was a budget for monumental signage this year and he had worked with Eden Prairie Police and Fire and the Property Department on this. In previous years all hangars only had lot numbers and lane names so any call for Fire/Police/CenterPoint Energy made it difficult to locate the issue. He was finishing up this project with the City to give hangars physical addresses along with the lot numbers. Dispatchers would use the GIS system to locate calls. Letters had been sent out Monday but he had received no feedback yet. He had hired a company to install the signs with options to for hangar owners to self-install to prevent damage to hangars. All the signs had been ordered and guidance for signage style and installation would be provided. He predicted this to be done within the next six weeks. Ordinance 112: Dockry stated he would work with the tenant to improve maintenance. Most hangar leases run for ten years, and a big batch were renewed two years ago. He had sent out letters, and if necessary the tenant would be placed on a holdover status (month-to-month) lease until the hangar was improved. There were high success rates with this, with all but three hangars at all six reliever airports still needing improvement. It was rare to terminate a lease but this could also be done if necessary. FlyWise improvement: Dorson stated its appearance had much improved in two years. Premier improvement: Dorson stated the pavement had been improved. InFlight improvement: Dorson stated the hangar had been improved. Dockry stated the inside had been completely gutted and redone. They would also increase their FBO operations. More aircraft would be going to InFlight, though not necessarily more traffic at airport. Herrmann stated that when she toured the area InFlight staff FLYING CLOUD AIRPORT ADVISORY COMMISSION April 11, 2024 Page 3 stated the plan on the west side of the building had a grassy area which could be used for a patio/picnic/barbeque area for elite members. Dockry agreed to look into this. Discussion followed on paint color. Dorson noted there was some Xcel Energy construction equipment left by the running path and a damaged electrical box along Pioneer Trail. Dockry replied this was not the only one. MAC has instituted a new system to log small maintenance items needing correction on the airport and this should speed up their ability to fix items. Seth Johnson noted the sign by Modern Avionics was bent and empty. Dockry explained that the sign had been hit twice by delivery trucks. He worked with Xcel as this sign was close to power lines. The sign would be cut down and reinstalled. Dorson noted that Hangar Five had been cleared out. He wished this to be a display hangar with lights at night and an exhibit. Discussion followed on miscellaneous grounds and hangar improvements. The commission noted that more trees would look better. Dockry reminded the commission that trees needed to be carefully located. Dorson asked if it was possible to move the power lines. Dockry replied everything from Mike Lane west to FlyWise would be converted to underground electrical. Fences had been improved and bushes could be planted; however these tended to attract wildlife so appropriate plants had to be chosen. VI. STANDING DISCUSSION ITEMS a. NOISE REPORT – MAC Lewis presented the noise report. She distributed the first quarter report and announced the flight tracking system reports at MetroAirports.org. Lewis stated there were more complaints than in the than in the previous first quarter of 2023 but fewer than in the previous quarter (fourth quarter 2023). There were generally fewer complaints in the winter. February and March of 2024 were when the complaints truly rose, and the weather had been relatively mild, contributing to residents being outside and an increased number of flight training. The day that showed the highest level of complaints was January 30 (at 74) with February 20 the second highest (at 71). These also ranked within the top five days for flight activity. However, there had been 672 operations on February 21, the highest number of operations for the first quarter. March 7 (600) was the second highest. FLYING CLOUD AIRPORT ADVISORY COMMISSION April 11, 2024 Page 4 Lewis explained an operation was a takeoff or a landing. Dates and times of complaints were self-reported by residents and could be reported after the fact, up to five days within the next month. In the first quarter of 2024 there were 1,318 complaints from 33 locations, with 72 nighttime complaints (19 households). In the fourth quarter of 2023 there had been 726 complaints from 22 locations, with 59 nighttime complaints (14 households). The report did correlate complaints with aircraft, with 92 percent of complaints generated by piston aircraft in the first quarter. (It was 84 percent in the first quarter of 2023.) Jets (2.7 percent) ranked third in the fourth quarter of 2024, and turbo prop came in at number two (4.6 percent). Loken asked if it was possible to know what percentage of piston engine aircraft were private versus from a flight school, and Dorson replied it was possible to match the registration number if someone wanted to do that analysis. Lewis stated the data did not go that deep, making it a difficult analysis as N numbers could change for aircraft. MAC took the FAA’s database to match the flight with the N number but this did not really describe what the aircraft was used for, especially if it was rented. The number only correlated to the owner. Only by sending the letter to the owner did MAC staff learn most about the operation that generated the complaint, which Lewis and her staff tried to document as much as possible. Dorson noted the training flights did the pattern work that generated the most complaints. Lewis stated there was a four percent increase in operations at Flying Cloud Airport in the first quarter of 2024 (26,746), 651 of which were nighttime operations, compared to 25,841 operations in the fourth quarter of 2023, 806 of which were nighttime operations. There was an overall 19 percent decrease in operations compared to the first quarter of 2023. February saw the highest number of operations, the highest in three years. b. ORDINANCE 97 MONITORING – MAC Dockry stated he was still validating the numbers for the first quarter but so far there were five violations of the 60,000-pound weight restriction by the same operator in January. Letters were sent to the registration address but he had received no response yet. Dorson explained the Ordinance 97. Dockry briefly explained how pilots were informed of the weight restrictions in the chart supplement. c. AIRPORT INCIDENTS AND OPERATIONAL UPDATES – MAC Dockry stated there had been no incidents until today (April 11) when a pedestrian incursion occurred. A passenger tailgated in behind a pilot and then crossed runway 36 toward the tower and was caught. This person tried to cross the runway again and was ultimately escorted from the airport. No aircraft were on the runway at this time. FLYING CLOUD AIRPORT ADVISORY COMMISSION April 11, 2024 Page 5 Dockry added there would be MAC runway inspections on the weekends. All the gates were being updated with a touch-plate interface and cameras. There were many construction projects planned. There would be weight restrictions. The FAA had mandated the demolition of several hangars, and a new fuel system was being installed for the MAC above ground system. Pavement would be installed around the Executive Aviation building, and a crack seal on the primary runway would be completed overnight. There would be redevelopment in the northwest area of the airport off of Romeo Lane which would be converted into larger hangars. This would close down Romeo Lane and an access taxi lane would be put to access the hangars to the north. Powerlines would be converted to underground in that area. d. LONG TERM COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE – MAC Dockry stated he was vetting the preliminary preferred alternative with the FAA. Then a stakeholder advisory meeting would be held, and then a public open house. He hopes to wrap this up by the end of the year. VII. OLD BUSINESS Dorson described the presentation to the City Council on January 16. He announced he and Lewis held a Pilot Safety and Noise Abatement Webinar on April 6 hosted by Herrmann and the FAA Safety Team, and it was attended worldwide by over 1,300 people. There was no way to separate them by country or by whether or not they were Flying Cloud pilots, but it focused on how pilots use technology in noise abatement and was specific to Minnesota and Flying Cloud. VIII. NEW BUSINESS Dorson announced the Powerline Repair by Helicopter to be conducted during April, just east of Flying Cloud Airport. A technician would be hanging out of a helicopter to conduct the repairs. Morhack stated Eden Prairie News had sent an email announcing it to be April 15. Lewis displayed a PowerPoint and described the MAC’s new Flying Neighborly Guide. Pilots were no longer using flight binders so this was delivered electronically. She stated she was visiting all flight schools at Flying Cloud and all MAC system to share this with them. IX. UPCOMING EVENTS AND TOPICS FOR FUTURE FCAAC MEETINGS The airport tour would be held Thursday, May 23, from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. FLYING CLOUD AIRPORT ADVISORY COMMISSION April 11, 2024 Page 6 X. ADJOURNMENT The next FCAAC meeting will be held on Thursday, July 11, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. in Heritage Room I. MOTION: Morhack moved, seconded by Rogers to adjourn. Motion carried 7-0. The meeting was adjourned at 8:28 p.m.