A new organization, ThoughTheFence.org (TTF), made its debut last week at the AOPA Aviation Summit. The organization has been formed by pilots to fight the FAA’s prohibition of hangar homes at publicly-funded airports.
“The FAA’s Airport Compliance Manual (ACM), dated Sept. 30, 2009, clearly labels all hangar homes as incompatible adjacent airport land use,” said Brent Blue, one of the organizers of TTF. “The FAA’s reasoning is based on noise,” he said, adding the noise complaints are based on anecdotal information. Blue said he is submitting a Freedom of Information Act request to secure any data the FAA has on noise.
“This stealth directive was released two months after (FAA Administrator Randy) Babbitt stated at EAA AirVenture that these situations would be evaluated on an individual basis and now they come out with a wholesale directive,” Blue said. “It is really frustrating that the FAA did not take any public comment or input on the topic.”
“Hangar residences improved airport security by having people around the airport 24/7, plus increases the economic vitality of the airport,” he continued. “Why the FAA thinks hangar homes near airports should be considered the same as non-aviation related homes near airports is beyond rational thought.”
The Airport Compliance Manual states what airports must do to receive and keep Airport Improvement grant funds.
For more information: ThroughTheFence.org
