Wings Over Humboldt County,*

Creating a Department of Aviation has improved operations and management, thus providing greater opportunity for growth and revenue. Agree.

Aviation management and staff are well qualified and experienced, ensuring that facilities and operations are maintained for public safety. Agree.

Compliance with Federal Aviation Administration requirements is critical for the Department of Aviation to successfully opply for and receive grant funds to undertake major safety projects at all six airports. Partially agree. The County of Humboldt agrees that compliance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements are critical for the county to successfully apply for and receive grand funds at most, but not all, of the county's airports. The Dinsmore and Kneeland airports do not receive FAA funding because they are not included in the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems, which is a requirement for grant eligibility under its Airport Improvement Program.

In 2024, the Department of Aviation was awarded Federal Aviation Administration grant funding of just under $1.9 million. This allowed the Department to make capital improvements at the airports in Rohnerville, Garberville and McKinleyville. Agree. The Department of Aviation received the following FAA grants totaling $1,893,844: $883,043 to reconstruct Taxiway A at the California Redwood Coast-Humboldt County Airport . (ACV) $404,489 to rehabilitate/reconfigure the terminal apron at ACV $359,275 to rehabilitate runway 11/29 at Rohnerville Airport (FOT) $247,037 to rehabilitate the runway, taxiway and apron at the Garberville Airport (O16)

Commercial air service is currently available to the east and south. Establishing air service to the north would result in increased revenue because passengers would be less likely to start their journey at another airport. Agree.

The Department of Aviation has been collaborating with Project SOAR (Sourcing Opportunities for Airport Revenues). This promotes economic development at the airports. (R1) Partially agree. The Department of Aviation's Project SOAR Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the County Administrative Office's Economic Development Division was not renewed in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024-25 and has not been renewed for FY 2025-26. The Department of Aviation and Economic Development Division are currently collaborating on how to best utilize the Project SOAR partnership for airport and air service recruitment related marketing.

The focus of the current Aviation Advisory Committee has primarily been on airport operations. The committee could be better utilized by focusing on broader economic development. (R2) Agree.

The Dinsmore landing strip is threatened by river encroachment. This necessitates constructing a dike to protect the runway or repurposing the site solely as a medivac heliport. (R3) Partially agree. As noted in Volaire's 2017 study, the Dinsmore Airport has physical challenges that will be exceptionally expensive to fix. The county agrees that the Van Duzen River is eating away at the south side of the Dinsmore Airport, threatening to take part of the runway with it. However, this area requires more extensive work than just constructing a dike. The area would need to be shored up and the runway would potentially need to be rebuilt over the long-term. In addition to its challenges with the river, the Dinsmore Airport is surrounded by large trees that continue to grow and block approaches to both ends of its runway. The airport also has significant rising terrain off the approach end of Runway 9, which requires pilots departing in a westerly direction to immediately turn and follow the Van Duzen riverbed to avoid the rising terrain. The Dinsmore Airport's current primary use is by medivac helicopters, so these challenges are not currently a significant issue, but they are an issue that requires monitoring.

Landslides have shortened the effective length of the Kneeland landing strip. Restoration will require an environmental impact report and repairs likely costing millions of dollars. (R3) Agree. The 2017 Volaire study for Kneeland noted that a long-term fix to the runway deterioration will likely cost several million dollars, and it is unclear if the FAA would be willing to fund the fix. Kneeland's runway is crumbling as a large hill slides. The length of that runway has been reduced. Kneeland's main apron would be large enough, and sufficient, for it to remain open as a helicopter base. The runway does serve as an alternate airport for aircraft when coastal airports are fogged in. However, outside of inclement weather the runway is not needed for the majority of the aviation users.

Murray Field Airport is below sea level and sinking. In the long term, the airport will need to be either closed or reconstructed; reconstruction would require obtaining a California Coastal Commission permit. (R3) Partially agree. The county agrees that Murray Field is built on wetlands, and it is one of the few airports in the United States to sit below sea level. Users of the airport, which is Humboldt County's busiest in terms of takeoffs and landings, report the runway is heaving, sinking and cracking as are the taxiways. In time, the runway will require a complete rebuild for it to remain safe. This information was also noted in the 2017 Volaire study. Part of the airport lies within the purview of the California Coastal Commission which could make runway reconstruction difficult environmentally. An upcoming Cal Trans study will provide the county with additional information related to sea level rise at Murray Field. Additionally, the Department of Aviation is anticipating approximately $3.5 million in FAA grant funding for projects at the Murray Field Airport, including repairs, rehabilitation or the installation of a Vertical Guidance System (PAPI-4), improvements to Runway 12/30 and Taxiway A, obstruction removal, hangar repairs, runway lighting system upgrades and perimeter fencing.

Many of the 2017 Volaire report recommendations have been implemented, but several could still be implemented. Revisiting those recommendations would provide opportunities for expansion, commercial development, increased public safety, and increased revenues. (R4) Agree. Since the 2017 Volaire Study, the Department of Aviation has made significant progress on many important initiatives, including creating an Aviation Department, hiring a professional Airport Director, advancing air service development activities, establishing airport system lease rates, improving passenger vehicle parking at ACV and completing a solar power development project. Several projects are currently underway including restructuring the Aviation Advisory Committee, developing a standard air service incentive policy, exploring the possibility of opening a terminal restaurant at ACV, land and lease development, and further developing the airport's website. Some recommendations from the study still remain. These include, but are not limited to, further evaluating staffing levels, scheduling regular airport-tenant forums for general aviation, adopting formal vision, purpose and values statements, clarifying the role of Fly Humboldt (now Fly ACV), air cargo, vetting the hangar waiting list and developing a rental car service facility.

Airport hangars and other infrastructure at the smaller airports are in disrepair due to long-term deferred maintenance. Delaying repairs accelerates damage and can significantly increose the final cost of repair, as well as foster dissatisfaction among hangar tenants. (R5, R6) Agree.