Airport closes to extend runway

By tyler olsen Morning Star Staff Sep 10 2006 http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/
The Vernon Regional Airport will close Wednesday for an extension of the displaced threshold, which is essentially unofficial runway, according to airport manager Grahame Go. Construction will extend asphalt 80 metres to Vernon Creek, but will not entail the moving of the creek. The airport plans to reopen two weeks later on Sept. 28 at 6 a.m., although Go said it could open earlier if construction is completed sooner. The 80-metre extension is the first phase in a plan that the airport hopes will eventually extend the runway by a further 400 feet. However, that phase of construction is currently on hold after Vernon council expressed concern about the project's price tag. Go said the airport has budgeted $250,000 for the project, to come out of the airport's own capital reserve fund. "Virtually every airport in the country right now is extending runways due to the increase in (air travel)." Go said any increase in the runway length, whether official runway or just the asphalt that constitutes displaced threshold, is of value. "It will help out enormously," he said. "Any useless runway is the runway behind you, to a pilot." The whole airport must be closed in order to use the runway to transport material for the construction. There was no way around the shutdown, said Go. "There's too much liability for the airport if we were to leave the airport operating partially." Go said concerns over construction tying up possible Medivac flights are unfounded since one of the reasons the airport is pushing for the larger runway is because on hot days, some air ambulances are unable to land in Vernon and must be diverted to Kelowna. Go said he did not know if the 80 extra metres will have an immediate impact on what aircraft are able to use the airport. He said, that decision, is up to airplane operators.
Go also said there were no problems with dump trucks using the runway to transport material. "It's thicker than your average street." Some airplane operators have expressed concern that they were only given a week's notice. However, Go said that was plenty of time for operators to move their aircraft if necessary. He added that the most frequent users of the airport have no problem with the airport's closure.
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Don Quixote Note: The Airport has $500,000 of taxpayers money from 2004 and 2005 to pay for the runway extension. However they had only $414,933 in their bank account at end of 2005.
They are scheduled to have another $250,000 given to them by the City in 2006 if it hasn't already received it. A further $300,000 is scheduled in 2007, $350,000 in 2008 and $250,000 in both 2009 and 2010 I have asked the Council to consider whether this money should be given them until it is actually needed. I have heard brief discussions but no resolution at the Financial Committee meetings and no discussion at an open Council meeting. I would encourgage them to keep it an Airport Expansion Reserve on the City's books rather than in the bank account of the Airport until it is really needed and approved by the Council of the day.