HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 12111990 - 2.3 -25
TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
FROM: J. MICHAEL WALFORD, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
DATE: DECEMBER 11, 1990
SUBJECT: REPORT ON HELICOPTER ACTIVITY AT BUCHANAN FIELD AIRPORT
SPECIFIC REQUR%jS)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AM JUSTIFICATION
1. Recommended Action:
ACCEPT, report from Public Works Director related to helicopter activity at Buchanan Field
Airport.
11. Financial Impact
None.
III. Reasons for Recommendations and Background
The purpose of this report is to bring the Board of Supervisors up to date on a number of issues
relating to helicopter activity and related complaints at Buchanan Field Airport. Over the past
several months, Helicopter Adventures Inc. (HAI), in cooperation with Airport management,
began conducting tests to determine if alternate methods or locations of operation could reduce
the number of complaints
s regarding their training.operations. We are very pleased to report that
their efforts have been successful.
According to HAI's General Manager, they flew more than four times the number of training
hours during the test period as they flew during the same period in 1989. Despite this, the
number of complainants has actually declined, as this report will show. Further, not only has
the total number of complaints decreased, but so has the number of one-time callers. There
have been virtually no new callers during this time. Even more significant is the reduction in
both total complaints and number of one-time callers between the first five months of 1990 and
the most recent five months when the alternate route tests were under way.
Continued on Attachment: X SIGNATURE:
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
APPROVE OTHER
SIGNATURE(S):
ACTION OF BOARD ON d-4� .enc J /!"fdAPPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER
ACCEPTED report from the Public Works Director as noted above and DIRECTED him to
require training flights to use alternate patterns exclusively for 60 days.
Public Works/Airport staff was requested to meet with persons in the affected
areas to assess level of impact, if any, and to determine requirements for
acquisition of alternate sites. The Public Works Director was REQUESTED to report
to the Board on March 26, 1991.
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
UNANIMOUS (ABSENT
AYES: NOES: correct COPY Of
ABSENT:— ABSTAIN:-- I hereby certify that this is a true and
an action taken and entered on the minutes Of the
Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
HEW:dg /I/ !P
c:\wp5l\doc\bo\helirpt ATTESTED;PHIL BATCHELOR,Clerk of the Board
of Supervisors and County Administrator
Orig Div:Airports
cc: County Administrator Deputy
Public Works Director By
Aviation Advisory Committee
Helicopter Activity
December 11, 1990
Page 2
Several months ago HAI voluntarily abandoned the use of the airport training pattern during week-ends
and holidays. In addition, they have been conducting unofficial testing at several unapproved off-airport
remote sites. The result of these efforts has been that complaints on weekends and holidays have ceased,
and the majority of the remaining complaints have been from only one individual. This apparent success
indicates clearly that if HAI had an approved, official, off-airport remote site to conduct training, including
landings, they would virtually eliminate complaints regarding their activities.
HAI will continue testing for another three months at four sites they have identified as potentially suitable
for off-airport training. None of these sites are located close to residential areas. The airport will also
continue to track complaints as they relate to helicopters training over these areas. In addition, HAI will
expand the use of the traffic pattern over the south end of the Airport, near Runways 19. A map of the
potential off-airport remote sites is included with this report as Exhibit 1. This map also shows proposed
routes to and from these areas. (NOTE: No landings have been conducted on these sites - only frequent
overflights.
Data is included in this report as supporting evidence, that HAI's efforts to reduce complaints from local
residents regarding their training activities have been successful. This data was derived from the airport
noise complaint database. It is a comparison of year-to-date (January-October) 1989 and 1990, and is
further compared and divided into five month periods. Exhibits 2 and 3 are maps which depict the number
of complaints between January and May and between June and October, for 1989 and 1990, respectively.
Again, it has been during the last three months of the June-October 1990 period that HAI's alternate
operations and testing began.
JAN - MAY 1989
There were eight complaints from three households. Seven of these were generated by two households.
The remaining complaint was from a one-time caller. Below is the address, community, and number of
complaints contributed by each household.
ADDRESS COMMUNITY # COMPLAINTS
1136 Temple Drive Pacheco 2
30 Alan Way Martinez 5
311 Flores Court Pacheco 1
NOTE: A single individual contributed most of the complaints during this time. He was generally home
during daytime hours when most helicopter training takes place.
JUN - OCT 1989
There were 25 complaints from nine households. 76% were generated by 3 households. The remaining
6 complaints were from one-time callers. Below is the address, community, and number of complaints
contributed by each household.
ADDRESS COMMUNITY COMPLAINTS
1136 Temple Drive Pacheco 15
183 Medina Drive Pacheco 1
222 Faran Drive Pacheco 1
255 Tambor Way Pacheco 1
261 Sudan Loop Pacheco 1
272 Carob Way Pacheco 1
283 Sudan Loop Pacheco 2
30 Alan Way Martinez 2
328 Lavina Pacheco 1
NOTE: One individual became more concerned about helicopter activity over his area. He is also home
during daytime hours. HAI began flying more hours during this time.
Helicopter Activity
December 11, 1990
Page 3
JAN - MAY 1990
There were 81 complaints from twenty-four households. 68% were generated by two households.
Nineteen complaints were from one-time callers. Below is the address, community, and number of
complaints by each household.
ADDRESS COMMUNITY COMPLAINTS
1136 Temple Drive Pacheco 45
167 Selma Way Pacheco 1
187 Freda Drive Pacheco 1
2118 Ann Street Concord 2
2149 Frederick St Concord 1
223 Magda Way Pacheco 3
2243 Dalis Drive Pacheco 1
2685 Richard Avenue Concord 1
2706 Richard Avenue Concord 2
2731 Circle Court Concord 1
2748 Mayfair Concord 1
2755 Courtland Concord 1
279 Sudan Loop Pacheco 1
280 Magda Way Pacheco 1
2806 Eastgate Avenue Concord 1
2810 Hilltop Road Concord 1
2812 Eastgate Avenue Concord 1
2821 Ponderosa Drive Concord 1
286 Sinai Drive Pacheco 1
30 Alan Way Martinez 10
327 Pantano Circle Martinez 1
3563 Vancouver Way Concord 1
3682 Hillsborough Drive Concord 1
Gill Drive Concord 1
NOTE: Two individuals have continued to contribute most of the total number of complaints. At this
point, we became very concerned about the developing trend. Over the past 18 months, total complaints,
number of households, and the number of one-time callers were steadily increasing. HAI continued to
increase the total number of hours flown.
JUN - OCT 1990
There were fifty-one complaints from six households. 88% of the complaints were from two households.
Five complaints where from one-time callers. Below is the address, community, and number of complaints
contributed by each household.
ADDRESS COMMUNITY COMPLAINTS
1136 Temple Drive Pacheco 39
183 Medina Drive Pacheco 1
187 Freda Drive Pacheco 1
261 Tambor Way Pacheco 1
301 Flores Court Pacheco 2
3682 Hillsborough Dr Concord 7
NOTE: This time frame incorporates the testing period where HAI tried different operational procedures
and flight patterns to attempt to reduce complaints about their operations. Total complaints, number of
households,and number of one-time callers all show a significantly sharp decrease. This decrease is largely
due to the fact that HAI voluntarily abandoned weekend training. Only six of the 51 complaints were on
weekends. Four of the six were on July 4th holiday weekend. It is important to note here that HAI flew
more hours in October 1990 than in any other month in the entire history of the company, yet there was
only one complainant during October.
Helicopter Activity
December 11, 1990
Page 4
The following off-airport training sites are suitable from an aeronautical point of view. None of these sites
are located near residential areas. The map which identifies these sites and pattern routes is on the next
page of this report shown as Exhibit 1. The map depicts proposed routes to and from the airport. The
circle near the north end of the airport indicates the consolidated helicopter operations area proposed in
the 1990 Airport Master Plan. All helicopter operators will be encouraged to utilize this consolidated
helicopter area.
POTENTIAL OFF-AIRPORT REMOTE TRAINING SITES
SITE #1 - PRAXIS DEVELOPMENT (EAST OF THE BRIDGES)
This large unobstructed area has been graded and is zoned for commercial development. The
owners have indicated that they are willing to lease this property to HAI. It would be ideal for
this purpose.
SITE #2 - MARTINEZ AUTO DISMANTLERS (WATERFRONT ROAD)
If a section of the dismantlers' yard could be cleared, it would make a very suitable site.
SITE #3 - ACME LANDFILL'(WATERFRONT ROAD)
Since the landfill site cannot be put to any practical use for number of years, it would seem an ideal
choice.
SITE #4 TOSCO (SOUTH OF WATERFRONT ROAD, EAST OF SOLANO WAY)
This site consists of a number of unused evaporation ponds.
Each of these proposed training flight areas and patterns have been flown extensively during the last three
months. The continued testing'during the next three months will focus on them also. At the current time,
training flights must return to Buchanan Field to practice landings, which is a significant activity in
helicopter training. Once a remote training site has been selected and approved, practice landing pads
can be constructed at the remote site and the training helicopters can stay away from Buchanan Field until
the training lesson is completed.
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