Thoryn enjoying a L-19 Cessna Bird Dog at the Spring Fling Event
The morning started out beautifully, not a cloud in the sky. We had a T-28 and PT-19 on display by 9:30-10:00 am for our guests to enjoy. Shortly after they were parked, the wind kicked up. We got gusts of wind 15-18 mph out of the east. Because of the winds, we didn’t get as many aircraft flying in which put a damper on those wishing to display their aircraft for the Historical Aircraft Display Day portion of the event.
We plastered the event all over social media and had a lot of hits and shares. Thankfully, we had a lot of families and guests with children from the community excited to visit the airport, see aircraft and enjoy a lunch. The lunches consisted of your choice of a burger, hot dog or hot link. This came with potato salad, chips, cookies, and a drink for $8. A steal in today’s world. The event was planned from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. We started serving about 10:45 and by 12:15 we were just about out of food. We high tailed it to Stater Brothers for more food but by 1:00 we were out of all the food and started shutting everything down.
The goal of the RAA is not to make money, but to get the community out to enjoy our airport, and we accomplished that. Even Redlands Mayor Mario Saucedo and Councilmember Marc Shaw ventured out to visit and buy a lunch!
Thanks to Learn to Fly LLC and Mission Flight Academy who joined us by setting up a table in the lobby to pitch their business. We also had some members of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary not only have a table to share what they do, but a couple of them helped cook up the burgers and dogs!
By Stephanie Hastings Miranda – Community Forward Redlands
December 6, 2024
REDLANDS, Calif. — The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing modifications to the airspace designation around San Bernardino International Airport (SBD) to enhance safety and accommodate new flight procedures. The changes involve adjustments to the airport’s Class D and Class E airspace.
Why it matters: While the FAA states the changes will improve safety, critics, including local pilots and aviation groups, have voiced significant concerns. Comments submitted to the FAA’s Federal Register highlight the lack of radar systems at SBD and the potential for increased air traffic conflicts over Redlands.
The FAA has extended the public comment period to Dec. 10, 2024, to give stakeholders more time to respond.
Details: The proposed changes include raising SBD’s existing Class D airspace by 500 feet and extending it 5.5 miles to the east, partially overlapping the airspace above Redlands Municipal Airport (REI).
The Class D airspace would also expand nearly 0.75 miles to the north and slightly to the west. This classification requires pilots to communicate with the SBD control tower before entering.
The FAA contends these modifications are necessary to better control aircraft departing SBD using instrument flight procedures and to manage a second instrument approach developed for SBD’s Runway 24.
The second approach routes arriving aircraft over Redlands and Mentone, then along Green Spot Road toward SBD, potentially increasing large jet traffic at the airport. To improve air traffic control for these arrivals, the FAA is proposing to establish Class E airspace from the surface. This new Class E airspace, covering an area of approximately seven by five miles, would impose stricter visibility requirements on aircraft operating under visual flight rules (VFR), including most flights at REI.
The FAA asserts these changes are needed to accommodate growing air traffic driven by increased air freight activity at SBD.
Concerns about safety and policy
Aviation experts have raised alarm about potential safety risks.
“This does nothing to address ongoing safety issues with jetliners crossing through the pattern,” said Ted Gablin, president of the Redlands Airport Association (RAA).
Gablin criticized the proposal as premature due to the lack of radar and other surveillance equipment at SBD. “San Bernardino Airport still doesn’t have radar or any surveillance equipment beyond binoculars and human observation,” he said, noting that tower personnel have reported challenges managing visibility within the current airspace.
Gablin, who participated in the FAA’s safety risk management panel, wrote a letter on behalf of the RAA opposing the changes unless additional safety measures, such as radar installation and pilot education, are implemented.
A radar display system is expected to be installed at the SBD control tower by 2026.
Many commenters brought up the lack of radar in their letters to the FAA.
“Until KSBD becomes radar-equipped, the Class D shelf over KREI should be postponed,” wrote Daniel Turner in a public comment. “Several comments have already called out the danger this poses to both the heavy aircraft on the approach to Runway 24 and the smaller aircraft in the pattern at KREI.”
Eric Heigis, a certified flight instructor, submitted a six-page letter calling the proposal a “first-of-its-kind Class D airspace design” that could confuse pilots.
“I haven’t seen one comment supporting what the FAA is doing,” Heigis wrote, urging the agency to explore alternatives and issue a revised proposal.
Critics also expressed concerns about noise and pollution.
“The new airspace scheme will invite larger aircraft to make east-to-west approaches, increasing noise and pollution for the Redlands and Highland communities,” Marc Weniger wrote.
Impacts on Redlands Municipal Airport
The proposed changes would shift REI’s airspace from uncontrolled Class G to controlled Class E4. This classification imposes stricter visibility and cloud clearance requirements, potentially complicating operations for helicopter pilots and ultralight vehicle operators.
Gablin and others have highlighted the minimal separation between the new Class D airspace floor and REI’s traffic pattern altitude, warning of potential wake turbulence and mid-air collisions with aircraft approaching SBD’s Runway 24.
Pilots at REI may also face operational challenges due to reliance on SBD weather reports, which can differ significantly because of geographical and elevation differences.
“This airspace modification will harm general aviation at Redlands Municipal Airport and create real-time safety concerns for pilots operating out of both airports,” wrote Ben Amen.
Moving forward
The city of Redlands has not yet issued an official response to the FAA’s proposal.
The comment period was extended after a request from the Crestline Soaring Society, which represents hang glider and paraglider pilots who could be affected.
A $616,499 project to resurface the REI runway and west apron and replace striping was completed on Tuesday, November 19th. Construction started on November 12th and was originally estimated to continue until November 26th. The project was funded primarily with an FAA grant.
The resurfacing with approved coatings will enhance safety and extend the life of the pavement. The runway and west ramp look great!
THANK YOU to the contractor for getting the project done ahead of schedule, to the City of Redlands and the FAA for their commitment to improving REI’s runway and west ramp!
The Sun Valley Area Neighborhood Council (SVANC) hosted Supervisor Lindsey Horvath for a Q&A event with the public on 8/1 from 6-7 pm. Arriving 21 minutes late, Horvath tardily joined the crowd at 6:21 pm to respond to public inquiries, centered mostly on three local topics (one being Whiteman Airport).
Horvath was witnessed as notably evasive on Whiteman amid several attendees’ questions about the airport:
Horvath stated she has ordered Public Works to not take FAA funding, attributing this move to the County’s noncommittal about Whiteman Airport’s future
The Supervisor remained adamant that her funding freeze directive is ‘not a final judgment’ on the airport from the BOS or herself
Reaction to that point among the airport-related attendees was observed to be extreme skepticism.
Horvath acknowledged the recent LA County Department of Public Health, and also the South Coast AQMD studies that were conducted regarding lead near WHP which concluded that levels found were well below safe allowable standards.
Horvath did not concede lead pollution hysteria is baseless; instead, she signaled an interest in more studies—Critics interviewed felt she seemingly wanted to “shop” for a particular study result.
Although the Supervisor briefly spoke about the County Advisory Committee and its vote, she spoke more about pursuing further studies on ‘what the community wants’
Horvath’s insistence about this was made despite the observed unanimous expression of support for the airport from public speakers at the event.
A common theme throughout the event was Angelenos’ frustration with festering issues such as homelessness, crime, and NGOs, which seemingly boast lavish sums of taxpayer dollars with alleged little accountability. A desire for governmental change was palpable while support for the airport remaining operational was also consistent and strong.
As local San Fernando Valley NGOs Pacoima Beautiful and ICONCDC have spent considerable time and taxpayer-funded resources proposing the shutdown of Whiteman Airport some observers alleged they have done so whilst turning a blind eye to homelessness, crime, and other issues, causing neighborhood anger at current conditions, and NGO activities, and the perceived direct ties to Whiteman politics.
Comments in the form of Letters to the Editor are always invited. Send responses to contactus@scauwg.org.
