Public Works Direct Ray Jarvis told the Town Council this week that the Town consultant has addressed all of the Federal Aviation Administration concerns over the Airport Layout Plan, and a letter will go to the FAA Monday, March 25th. Jarvis said, “The FAA believes we have a good product.”
Jarvis and other officials will travel to San Francisco April 11th to meet with the FAA staff. He said it is hoped all will be complete in June or July. Said Jarvis, “I think we’re in a good place.” When questioned about the possibility of requesting deviations from FAA rules, Jarvis said, “There are no perfect airports. It’s very difficult to meet all the requirements.” He said the FAA does allow “deviations and operational constraints” to comply.
Jarvis said that the FAA did require service commitment letters from United and Alaska Airlines that service Mammoth Airport. He said the letter from United is in the mail and Alaska is drafting theirs. Councilman John Eastman was assured that the airlines would not pull out if Mammoth failed to get what’s called a C3 designation. Jarvis said C3 has to do with wing span and speed. Mammoth Airport now has a B3 designation, but Jarvis repeated that this issue will make no difference in air service.
Town Manager Marianna Maryheva-Martinez said that Town Staff would report to the Council on April 17th what transpires during the April 11th meeting with the FAA. Martinez said that at the May 1st meeting or after, discussions can take place on capital improvements that might be needed to get the C3 designation.
I suppose no one In Mammoth will ever understanding that a crosswind runway and an instrument approach facility are required to make the airport a viable all season destination.
With over a hundred million invested in this white elephant, main street plan should be a hoot! Just how big do they make these bubble buildings?
If we are going to have air service — can we have air service that We the People can use? Like regular, year round flights to Reno? There doesn’t have to be a daily flight. Every other day is fine. A lot of people go to Reno for medical treatments.… Read more »
Is there enough business traveling between Mammoth Lakes and Reno that is willing to pay the price of a round trip plane ticket? Inyokern to LAX round trip is on the order of $600. That is a 2 1/2 hour drive if you do it early enough in the morning.… Read more »
What most do not seem to realize is that “wealthy clientele” DO NOT fly commercial. The air service is there so that people like mayor lehman (no caps on purpose) can fly to San Diego for personal recreation and have the town citizens pick up the tab! As far as… Read more »
…or they fly their own private planes. There’s always a handful of them at the airport every time I go buy it.
Your arguments are all imaginary. Maybe you are right. Maybe that’s why there is no Reno -M.L. service now. There used to be — I think. I think the main reason there isn’t service to Reno now is that MMSA is afraid people would use it for day trips to… Read more »
How many could afford the price of a round trip airline ticket to Reno regardless of airplane size? The poor who use the bus instead of driving their own car certainly cannot. They cannot even afford a car.
I rode the bus twice in the last two weeks. The people who boarded in Mammoth went all the way to Reno. And the people who boarded at the Reno airport were not poor. Neither was the snowboarder that boarded in Gardnerville. We picked up one guy in Carson City.… Read more »
Well said Ken. Thanks!
TOML may believes its own hype, but that is no reason for the community at large to follow suit.