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FAA letter confirms Whiteman Airport obligated to remain
Community coalition highlights case against closure
Reprinted Courtesy of AOPA E-Brief
By Tara Finestone/Morse Creek Media
A newly surfaced letter from the FAA raises significant questions about whether Los Angeles County can legally close Whiteman Airport, even as the county moves forward with a $1.3 million study exploring the airport’s potential closure and redevelopment.
Whiteman Airport has created career opportunities, supported firefighting operations, and generated revenue for Los Angeles County for generations. Photo courtesy of Vista Aviation.
In a January 21 letter to county officials, the FAA confirmed that land purchased with federal Airport Improvement Program funds at Whiteman Airport created obligations that do not expire. According to the FAA, those obligations remain in effect for the useful life of the land and require the property to continue operating as an airport unless the FAA formally releases it.
The letter states that an airport sponsor that used federal funds to purchase land “must use the airport as an airport until released by the FAA.”
That clarification raises an immediate question: Is studying the closure and redevelopment of Whiteman Airport realistic if the federal government has not released the airport from its obligations?
As the threat to the airport’s future surfaced, pilots, business owners, and public safety advocates formed the Whiteman Airport Coalition to ensure the public has clear and accurate information about the airport’s future.
Approaching Whiteman Airport. Photo courtesy of Vista Aviation.
“Our goal is simple,” said Christina Pascucci, CEO of Atlas. Your Path Forward, a certificated pilot, and former chair of the Los Angeles County Aviation Commission. “Any decisions about Whiteman Airport should follow the law, make financial sense, protect regional public safety, and reflect what the community actually wants.”
For many people connected to the airport, the issue is personal.
“Aviation is the reason I left everything behind and moved to the United States,” said Estevan Roth, a Pacoima resident and pilot with Latino Professionals in Aerospace (formerly the Latino Pilots Association). “Whiteman Airport has been home since then.”
Roth says the airport has created opportunities for many people in the surrounding community.
“Whiteman Airport has taken members of our Hispanic community from peeking and dreaming outside the airport fence to taking off and flying over that same fence.”
Local aviation businesses say the airport also plays an important role in the county’s aviation system.
“If you care about what happens at Whiteman Airport, now is the time to pay attention,” said Penny Alderson, owner of Vista Aviation, whose company services local, state, and national aviation firms as well as defense contractors.
Photo courtesy of Vista Aviation.
Whiteman Airport supports wildfire response, law enforcement operations, emergency management, and regional transportation. It is also home to businesses connected to national security and antiterrorism efforts.
Hundreds of pilots are based at the airport, and aviation leaders say the facility generates revenue that supports the county’s broader airport system.
“This conversation is about the first responders who rely on this airport in emergencies, the businesses that generate millions for the economy, and the families who live nearby,” Pascucci said. “It is also about the opportunity for Pacoima to lead the way in innovation by embracing this irreplaceable infrastructure.”
Residents and community members who want verified updates, engagement opportunities, and ways to support the effort can join the Whiteman Airport Coalition’s information network to stay connected.
Posted in Airport News, Legislative Issues
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Please Read and Take Action!
Cosponsor the Pilot and Aircraft Privacy Act (PAPA)
The Pilot and Aircraft Privacy Act (PAPA), a bill strongly supported by AOPA and other aviation advocacy groups would prohibit the misuse of ADS-B data such as billing GA pilots for landing fees. We need everyone’s help to get this legislation past.
Please contact your U.S. Senators and Representative to request they cosponsor the Pilot and Aircraft Privacy Act (PAPA), introduced by U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-NC), and U.S. Representative Bob Onder (R-MO)—both active general aviation pilots.
Click here to go to an AOPA site that will help you submit your signature on a letter to your Congressional representative and Senator.
FAA Publishes Unleaded Avgas Transition Plan Draft
Agency outlines a phased approach to replacing leaded aviation gasoline nationwide in a newly published draft, which is open for public comment. (Reprinted from AVweb)
By Matt Ryan
Monday, January 12, 2026 at 11:55 AM ET
Edited By:Zach Vasile
(Credit: Richard Thornton- Shutterstock)
The FAA released its draft Transition Plan to Unleaded Aviation Gasoline for public comment Monday, outlining its proposed approach to eliminating leaded avgas from the general aviation fleet.
The plan was developed in response to Section 827 of the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act, which directs the agency to facilitate a safe, timely and orderly transition to unleaded alternatives while maintaining operational efficiency.
The 77-page draft document establishes a national goal of phasing out 100-octane low-lead aviation gasoline by 2030 in the contiguous United States, with Alaska following by 2032.
The transition framework to unleaded avgas is built around four phases, beginning with fuel authorizations and comparative testing, followed by a period of market experience, a national transition and a final phase specific to Alaska. The plan builds on work conducted under the Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions (EAGLE) initiative, a government-industry collaboration launched in 2022.
The FAA said the framework is intended to support approval of unleaded fuel options for all piston-engine aircraft, ensure continued availability of aviation gasoline and promote widespread access to unleaded avgas at airports.
The agency is requesting comments from stakeholders on the draft plan through March 13, 2026. Public input will help inform refinements to the plan as it continues to work with industry and federal partners toward meeting the congressionally mandated unleaded avgas transition timelines.
Posted in Legislative Issues
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2025 Stuff A Plane Charity Toy Drive a Big Success!
The Redlands Airport Association (RAA) would like to thank all that contributed toys and cash donations during our “Stuff a Plane! Charity Toy Drive” this year. With your help, we collected approximately 1,700 toys and almost $2,000 in donations for The Salvation Army San Bernardino Corps. That’s awesome, as approximately 400 families have asked them for holiday assistance.
We had numerous businesses and entities that sponsored collection boxes for our drive and collected toys throughout the month of November. Here are some photos of our 2025 Stuff a Plane Collection Box Sponsors.
One of our sponsors, Best Choice Products in Newport Beach, CA., came through again for the third year in a row with a massive donation of 289 quality toys. Best Choice Products is a wholesale distributor “of diverse, thoughtfully designed products intended to enhance modern living”. Their retailers include Amazon, Michaels, Target, Walmart and Tik Tok Shop. This donation of 289 toys included 6 different types of toys new in the box with a retail value of almost $20,000. Thank you BCP for such a generous donation!
We concluded our “Stuff a Plane! Charity Toy Drive” at Redlands Municipal Airport on Saturday, December 6th. To help bring the community out to donate toys, we served up a pancake breakfast in the morning and a BBQ lunch in the afternoon. We had three flight simulators in the lobby for kids to experience controlling an aircraft. CAP Cadet Squadron 411, Learn to Fly LLC, GASPPS, Mission Flight Academy, San Bernardino Valley College Aeronautics, and the Salvation Army San Bernardino Corps were all present with displays. Santa arrived in an airplane, visited with the kids, and handed out candy canes. There were aircraft on display for our guests to view including some military aircraft.
The RAA also hosted a LifeStream blood drive for those that wished to donate. They were happy with the results too! 9 people rolled up their sleeves to give the gift of life and 4 of the 9 were first time donors. Bravo!
Here is a link to pictures from the event: 12-6-25 Stuff a Plane Charity Toy Drive
Thank you once again to all that contributed toy and cash donations to support The Salvation Army San Bernardino Corps and making the RAA’s 2025 “Stuff a Plane Charity Toy Drive” a huge success.
FAA grants Santa Clara County’s request for delay
November 13, 2025 By Niki Britton -AOPA
It’s been over seven months since the FAA determined that Santa Clara County’s 2022 ban on the sale of 100LL aviation fuel violated the California county’s federal grant obligations. AOPA raised concerns over deliberate delay tactics by the county and the FAA’s slow response.
On March 24, the FAA announced its long-awaited decision on the 2022 Part 16 complaint against Santa Clara County filed by AOPA, along with local pilots and aviation businesses. The FAA ordered the county to submit a corrective action plan (CAP) within 30 days, and further directed that the plan include the removal of the countywide ban on the acquisition, storage, and sale of 100LL fuel at the two county-operated airports: Reid-Hillview of Santa Clara County Airport and San Martin Airport.
In April, the county filed an appeal of the determination, while simultaneously submitting its proposed CAP to the FAA. The county also requested that the appeal be placed in abeyance for 90 days to continue discussions of the CAP with the FAA.
In July, the county submitted a revised draft of the CAP to the FAA. Despite having the draft for three months, the FAA did not respond or request clarification until October, at which point the county requested an additional 90-day extension.
AOPA filed an opposition to the extension request on October 27, alleging that the county’s repeated requests for delay show its intent to avoid complying with FAA grant assurance obligations. Additionally, the opposition states that AOPA and the other complainants have yet to receive any assurance that the CAP is “probable or even possible,” and continues to call out that the “Respondent County is achieving through delay what grant assurance obligations prohibit.”
The FAA granted the county’s request for extension on October 30. Despite AOPA requests to the county and FAA, complainants were not provided with a copy of the proposed corrective action plan; however, neither the FAA nor the county is obligated to provide it. It is AOPA’s opinion that the repealing and reversing of the actions that banned the availability of 100LL at the airports should not take this much time to negotiate.
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Archer To Acquire Hawthorne Airport (KHHR) As Strategic Air Taxi Network Hub and AI Testbed
- Signed definitive agreements to acquire control of one-of-a-kind aviation asset in LA, Hawthorne Airport, for $126M* in cash. The airport is located in the heart of the City, less than three miles from LAX, and the closest airport to some of the city’s biggest destinations — SoFi Stadium, The Forum, Intuit Dome, and Downtown LA.
- Archer plans for the airport to serve as its operational hub for its planned LA air taxi network and, as a test bed for the AI-powered aviation technologies it is developing and plans to deploy with its airline and technology partners. United Airlines’ Chief Financial Officer, Michael Leskinen, remarked, “Archer’s trajectory validates our conviction that eVTOLs are part of the next generation of air traffic technology that will fundamentally reshape aviation. Their vision for an AI-enabled operations platform isn’t just about eVTOLs, it’s also about leveraging cutting-edge technology to better enable moving people safely and efficiently in our most congested airspaces. Through United’s investment arm, United Airlines Ventures, we’re investing in companies like Archer that pioneer technologies that will define and support aviation infrastructure for decades to come.”
- Raised $650M of new equity capital, reinforcing Archer’s sector-leading balance sheet taking its total liquidity to now over $2B.
- Showcased several key performance milestones with its Midnight aircraft– including flights surpassing 50 miles in range and 10,000 feet of altitude.
- Closed acquisition of Lilium patent portfolio, expanding Archer’s global portfolio to over 1,000 assets, giving it one of the most robust portfolios in the industry.
- Deployed aircraft in the UAE for test and demonstration flights and strengthened its international reach through marquee partnership announcements with Korean Air, as well as Japan Airlines’ and Sumitomo’s joint venture, Soracle, in Tokyo & Osaka.
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KREI Compass Rose Project is Complete
With the help of many volunteers from the RAA and the San Gabriel Valley 99’s we completed our compass rose project. Thank you to all that helped with this project. This was a large project, but we had lots of help and I think the volunteers all had a great time.
The finished compass rose is impressive! It is attractive and functional and will serve our airport community for many years. You can view photos of our volunteers in action creating our compass rose at this link: Compass Rose Project October 2025. There are additional photos on the RAA Facebook and Instagram pages.
Thanks again to all our volunteers. We can’t do things like this without your help!
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National Air Traffic Controllers Association Weighs In On Ending the Government Shutdown
Click on this link to read NATCA’s position on Government Shutdowns – NATCA
Posted in Legislative Issues, Safety
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Comments Requested by 9-15-25 on Significant Expansion of the 29 Palms Special Use Airspace
We are all aware of the expanded Controlled Firing Area at the 29 Palms base, but what the USMC is proposing is significantly larger than what we have heard previously. This has been quietly in the works for a few years now.
Check out the two proposals and related graphics that illustrate the magnitude of what they are proposing at this site. It includes new restricted areas, new MOA’s and expansion and modification of existing MOA’s. Here are screenshots of the two alternatives being proposed.
Here is a link to the USMC site with detailed information about the airspace proposal: 29PalmsPSUA
The USMC is seeking public comments on a draft environmental assessment of the proposed expansion. The deadline to submit comments is September 15th. The FAA will be asked to review the proposal for approval some time in November this year.
Please consider including the following in your comments. You may have other impacts you wish to share:
- The impacts of the proposed expansion on your personal flying activities.
- The additional restricted area has the potential to delay medivac access, utility aerial patrols, and aerial law enforcement patrols.
- Lowering the altitudes of MOA’s can increase collision risk between military and GA aircraft.
Here is the link to submit comments: Environmental Impact Statement – Comment Submission Please remember the deadline to comment is September 15th.
Posted in Legislative Issues, Notices
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