Air Force resists Palmdale airport development plans

This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press December 15, 2000

By DON JERGLER and BOB WILSON
Valley Press Staff Writers  

PALMDALE - U.S. Air Force brass doesn't want international flights coming into Palmdale, and they don't want 17,000 acres east of Plant 42 developed into a major airport.

Citing a joint-use agreement signed in 1989, Plant 42 officials reminded the property's owner, Los Angeles World Airports, that for security reasons, the Air Force stands against allowing international flights to and from Palmdale Regional Airport, which is on Plant 42 property.

The officials also said development of a major airport next to Plant 42 would hamper the facility's military flight operations - an act that would jeopardize thousands of local jobs.

Those stances could shoot down plans under way to develop Palmdale Regional Airport as an alternative terminal to Los Angeles International Airport.

At present, as many as 50 planes a day may either leave or arrive at Palmdale Regional Airport under the terms of the jointuse agreement between the Air Force and Los Angeles World Airports. As many as 250 planes could either leave or arrive under amendments to the agreement now under consideration.

But because so few travelers have used the limited air-passenger services provided in the past at Palmdale Regional, all airlines have canceled operations at the facility.

Palmdale and cities in the greater Los Angeles area have been pressuring Los Angeles World Airports to use Palmdale Regional to alleviate the overcrowded, noisy conditions at Los Angeles International Airport.

On Dec. 4, LAWA's Board of Airport Commissioners agreed to seek marketing and advertisingconsulting services to develop and market Palmdale Regional, as well as Ontario International Airport.

Days earlier, L.A. City Councilwoman Ruth Galanter succeeded in pushing through a measure approving the hiring of a consultant to work outside airline channels to market - and eventually establish international operations at - Palmdale Regional.

And Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, whose 5th District includes Palmdale, also has hired a consultant, who has completed a report setting forth a list of reasons why Palmdale Regional should be developed for both passenger and cargo services.

The Air Force has approved LA World Airport plans to construct a 322-by-580-foot aircraft cargo parking ramp, as well as plans to upgrade portions of the taxiways at Palmdale Regional.

And under its joint-use agreement, the Air Force has agreed ultimately to allow up to 250 takeoffs and landings a day at the facility. But it does not want the citizens or agents of foreign governments on Plant 42 soil, nor does it want congestion in the plant's airspace.

To protect those interests, the Air Force has incorporated wording in its joint-use agreement with LAWA that states: "Whereas, the USAF maintains and operates airport facilities at Plant 42, where a certain level of civil operations can be accommodated without detriment to the military mission of Plant 42 and have previously been authorized by the USAF, up to a limit of 50 operations per day. ... Plant 42 shall be used by civil aircraft operating under this agreement for United States domestic commercial air service only."

According to Plant 42's commander, Air Force Col. Celeo Wright, the Air Force is willing to allow a limited number of domestic flights at Palmdale because they would benefit the local populace as well as some plant workers.

But Wright also contends international flights would bring foreign nationals and agents too close to some of America's top secret aircraft programs.

On Monday, Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford proposed adding an aviation element to the city's General Plan, a document that outlines the use of land within the municipality's boundaries.

That General Plan element would include measures to protect air operations at Plant 42 in light of a comprehensive LAX development plan to be presented this spring to Los Angeles officials for approval, Ledford said.

The LAX master plan will include components for the development of Palmdale Regional and Ontario International, the mayor said.

Palmdale's component will outline the regional infrastructure and facilities - as well as the marketing efforts - needed to lure passenger and cargo service to Palmdale, he said.

"A specific work plan is going to have to be put in place and approved for Palmdale," Ledford said. "A request to initiate a masterplanning effort will come forward this month."

The terms of the joint-use agreement with the Air Force, as well as the reports generated concerning future passenger and cargo demands in Southern California and other factors will all come together in the work plan, he said.

While unwilling to predict a date when air passenger service could resume at Palmdale Regional, Ledford said, "I think everything will move rather quickly.

"We need a final buy-off from the Air Force - not locally, that's been done, but at the federal level," he said. "The Air Force wants to make sure this fits within the joint-use agreement."

"We know that the Air Force will not sign off on development of an additional airport on the 17,000 acres until we achieve the (maximum-flight) threshold," the mayor said. "I think that focuses everybody back to Plant 42."

"That doesn't mean that international flights couldn't occur at Plant 42," he continued. "But the reality is, it may work in some limited cases, maybe cargo. There may be some need for a passenger carrier to come up here, but quite frankly, I think LAX is envisioned for the home of the international flights - like Ontario. They can handle it, but they don't get that many of them."

Los Angeles World Airports spokeswoman Nancy Castles said her organization is taking things one step at a time.

"Our primary goal is to re-establish air service at Palmdale regional airport," she said.

International flights are an Air Force concern, Castles acknowledged.

Before SR Technics America, a Swiss-based firm, could establish operations at Plant 42, the airport's organization had to obtain permission from the Air Force, she said.

The current limit of 50 on daily flights at Palmdale Regional would pose no conflict with military operations, said Maj. Tom Sparaco, the base's deputy commander.

At LAX, an aircraft lands on a runway every 45 to 60 seconds, Sparaco said.

"In about an hour, you can have 50 landings on a runway, and we have two of them," he said.

At that rate, "It's not a conflict problem," he said. "The conflict problem comes up when you have different controllers of one airspace."

That is what would occur if the 17,000 acres adjacent to Palmdale Regional were developed into an even larger airport, as some officials have suggested.

The second airfield would require a second control tower, creating confusion and airspace issues.

Wright said discussions about re-establishing air service at Palmdale Regional often are intermingled with discussions about long-held plans for the possibility of construction of an international airport on the LAWA's neighboring property.

"I believe that Plant 42-Palmdale airport (property) and the 17,000 acres that LA World Airports owns adjacent to us have been confused," Wright said. "Sometimes they're talking about Plant 42-Palmdale airport, and sometimes they're talking about the 17,000 acres."

"If you talk about those two interchangeably, and you're not clear what you're talking about, you will get them confused," he said.