A proverb states that “success has many fathers,” and that was certainly true in the successful effort to preserve Stovepipe Wells Airport (L09) in Death Valley National Park in California, according to Tim Riley, a director of the Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF).
The National Park Service planned to close the airstrip in favor of stargazing, he noted.
After meetings with aviation advocates and a public comment period that collected many comments in support of keeping the airport open, closure was averted, he said.
“The aviation community, including the RAF, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), and California Pilots Association have a good relationship with the Park Service leadership, beginning years ago with RAF California Liaison Rich Lach,” Riley said.
The parties agreed on short- and long-term plans to preserve the airport. Most likely, the asphalt surface will eventually be converted to gravel, “which largely eliminates problems with heaving asphalt in Death Valley’s heat,” Riley said.
First developed in 1948 at the site of the current campground, the airport was moved in the 1970s to its present location and the Park Service paved it.
Part of the concern among National Park Service officials was low visitation to the airstrip, but public comments made a strong case that only a fraction of users sign in.
RAF officials remind pilots to always sign in when flying into L09 to show that the airstrip is being used. They also warn pilots to be aware of the effects of noise near settlements at Stovepipe Wells and Furnace Creek, near the Native Timbisha Village.