FAA awards Alabama another $13.5 million in grants for airport improvements
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Thursday it will upgrade airports in Huntsville, Mobile, Dothan, Montgomery and 19 other Alabama cities, as well as locales across the nation. Alabama will benefit from more than $13.5 million FAA grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation for various airport improvements to support infrastructure construction, safety advances, and equipment acquisition. “These Airport Improvement Grants are investments in our country’s critical infrastructure,” Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said. The grants – which range from $2.64 million for the Huntsville International-Carl T. Jones Field Airport to $45,000 for the Bay Minette Municipal Airport – are funded through the Airport and Airway Trust Fund and federal appropriations. “I am proud our state is receiving more funding to advance airport infrastructure,” said Alabama U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby. “These grants are important investments in the safety, security, and efficiency of local airports in Alabama. The improvements will help drive growth in local communities and directly impact the quality of life for residents and visitors.” The 24 FAA grants, totaling $13,510,593, will support the following airport projects in Alabama: Huntsville International-Carl T. Jones Field Airport, Huntsville-Madison County Airport Authority – $2,642,920 for replacement of multiple terminal building passenger boarding bridges, and apron and taxiway rehabilitation Mobile Regional Airport, Mobile Airport Authority – $1,187,722 for friction measuring equipment acquisition, airport drainage improvements, and an update to the airport master plan study Dothan Regional Airport, Dothan-Houston County Airport Authority – $1,667,165 for apron and taxiway rehabilitation Montgomery Regional (Dannelly Field) Airport, Montgomery Airport Authority – $1,404,035 for installation of perimeter fencing and taxiway rehabilitation Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, Birmingham Airport Authority – $1,375,000 for a Voluntary Airport Low-Emission project to reduce sources of airport ground emissions, improve airport air quality, and reduce the use of conventional fuels Huntsville Executive Airport Tom Sharp Jr. Field Airport, Madison County Executive Airport Authority – $1,234,700 for land acquisition Monroe County Aeroplex Airport, County of Monroe – $506,105 for runway rehabilitation Robbins Field Airport, City of Oneonta and County of Blount – $461,536 for land acquisition and runway rehabilitation Hartselle-Morgan County Regional Airport, City of Hartselle – $498,654 for apron, runway, and taxiway rehabilitation Ashland-Lineville Airport, County of Clay – $412,026 for apron and taxiway construction Brewton Municipal Airport, City of Brewton – $300,000 for runway lighting and airport beacon rehabilitation Foley Municipal Airport, City of Foley – $259,149 for taxiway construction Guntersville Municipal-Joe Starnes Field Airport, City of Guntersville – $235,858 for runway and taxiway construction and installation of perimeter fencing Isbell Field Airport, City of Fort Payne – $220,000 for installation of a runway guidance system and weather reporting equipment Evergreen Regional-Middleton Field Airport, City of Evergreen – $164,742 for runway obstruction removal Camden Municipal Airport, City of Camden – $156,298 for runway rehabilitation Jack Edwards National Airport, City of Gulf Shores – $150,000 for runway safety enhancements and taxiway rehabilitation Centre-Piedmont-Cherokee County Regional Airport, Centre-Piedmont-Cherokee County Regional Airport Authority – $150,000 for access road improvements Jeremiah Denton Airport, County of Mobile – $149,400 for installation of a runway guidance system and runway rehabilitation Craig Field Airport, Craig Field Airport & Industrial Authority – $88,245 for taxiway rehabilitation Bill Pugh Field Airport, City of Russellville – $74,598 for updates to the airport master plan study Atmore Municipal Airport, City of Atmore – $72,000 for construction of a pump fuel facility and an update to the airport master plan study Bay Minette Municipal Airport, City of Bay Minette – $55,440 for runway obstruction removal Bay Minette Municipal Airport, City of Bay Minette – $45,000 for an update to the airport master plan study In July, the FAA announced it was awarding 25 local airports throughout the Yellowhammer State will benefit from more than $25.5 million in FAA grants. This latest round of grants is in addition to the July amount.
Alabama airports receive $25.5 million for infrastructure improvements
Alabama U.S. Senator Richard Shelby on Thursday announced 25 local airports throughout the Yellowhammer State will benefit from more than $25.5 million in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grants. The funding was awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation for various airport improvements to support infrastructure construction, safety advances, and equipment acquisition. “These FAA grants support critical projects that aim to improve safety, security, and efficiency of airports across the state,” said Shelby. “Airport infrastructure plays a vital role in economic growth and development in Alabama, and I look forward to the progress that will stem from these grants.” The grants, which range from $7.08 million for the Mobile Downtown Airport to $94,500 for the Thomas C. Russell Field Airport in Alexander City, are funded through the Airport and Airway Trust Fund and federal appropriations. “This is outstanding news for constituents of Alabama’s 7th Congressional District. Airports are economic engines in our communities which promote job creation and greater economic growth for the state of Alabama,” said Alabama 7th District U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, whose district is home to four cities receiving funding. “Infrastructure investments like these projects play a vital role, not only in our economic success, but in the overall viability of our communities.” Shelby chairs the Senate Committee on Appropriations, which unanimously approved the FY2019 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill last month. The 25 FAA grants, totaling $25,517,940, will support the following airport projects in Alabama: Mobile Downtown Airport, Mobile Airport Authority: $7,080,027 for taxiway reconstruction, runway rehabilitation, and installation of a new taxiway lighting system MacCrenshaw Memorial Airport, City of Greenville: $3,114,820 for runway reconstruction H.L. Callahan Airport, City of Fairhope: $3,033,757 for construction of an additional taxiway and access taxiways Tuscaloosa Regional Airport, City of Tuscaloosa: $2,652,600 for apron rehabilitation and a master plan study Lanett Municipal Airport, City of Lanett: $1,717,830 for construction of a runway and installation of a new runway lighting system Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, Birmingham Airport Authority: $1,417,500 for erosion repair, safety equipment acquisition, sign installation, and taxiway rehabilitation Headland Municipal Airport, City of Headland: $990,000 for construction of an additional taxiway Auburn University Regional Airport, Auburn University: $832,500 for taxiway rehabilitation Enterprise Municipal Airport, City of Enterprise: $653,140 for taxiway rehabilitation Pryor Field Regional Airport, Counties of Morgan and Limestone: $495,900 for taxiway lighting reconstruction Cullman Regional-Folsom Field Airport, City and County of Cullman: $450,000 for taxiway reconstruction Carl Folsom Airport, Elba Airport Authority: $446,998 for construction a 7,200-square-foot hangar building Anniston Regional Airport, City of Anniston: $446,400 for apron and taxiway rehabilitation Marion County-Rankin Fite Airport, County of Marion: $261,000 for construction of an additional taxiway to provide access to aircraft hangars Albertville Regional-Thomas J Brumlik Field Airport, City of Albertville: $253,168 for taxiway reconstruction Shelby County Airport, County of Shelby: $249,970 for construction of a 14,830-square-foot hangar building Bibb County Airport, County of Bibb: $242,640 for land acquisition to extend protection zone Moton Field Municipal Airport, City of Tuskegee: $195,480 for runway and taxiway rehabilitation Talladega Municipal Airport, City of Talladega: $190,410 for taxiway rehabilitation Bessemer Airport, City of Bessemer: $150,000 for runway rehabilitation Prattville-Grouby Field Airport, Prattville Airport Authority: $150,000 for installation of airport drainage improvements Wetumpka Municipal Airport, City of Wetumpka: $150,000 for installation of a new navigational aid and a new runway vertical/visual guidance system Walker County-Bevill Field Airport, Walker County: $135,000 for updates to the airport master plan narrative report and airport layout plan Ozark-Blackwell Field Airport, City of Ozark: $114,300 for runway rehabilitation and installation of new navigational aids Thomas C. Russell Field Airport, City of Alexander City: $94,500 for installation of a new navigational aid and a new runway vertical/visual guidance system
Gerald Dial: Alabama Space Authority working to ID location for new space port
Lineville-Republican State Senator Gerald Dial sent a letter to U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby informing him the Alabama Space Authority — formed by the State Legislature in 2017 to promote the research and development of the aerospace and aviation industries in Alabama — is beginning work to identify the location for a space port in Alabama, in an effort to position the state as a leader in the burgeoning space flight industry. A space port is a site for launching and receiving space craft; between 1996 and 2017, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) licensed ten space ports in seven states. In the letter to Shelby, Dial, the chairman of the Space Authority, cites the existence of the Marshall Space Flight Center, Redstone Arsenal, and the Maxwell Air Force Base as reasons why Alabama can be a leader in the commercial and military space flight industry. “Senator Shelby has been a tremendous ally and friend of Alabama’s aerospace industry, and this letter is meant to update him and his office on our efforts to first identify a prime location for the space port, and then to move forward with construction plans,” Dial said. “Senator Shelby was just named chairman of the U.S. Senate’s appropriations committee, and that position certainly increases his opportunities to represent Alabama’s interests, including our push to become a leader in the commercial and military space flight industry.” The Space Authority held its inaugural meeting on March 16 at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, and heard from Glenn Rizner, chief of staff for the FAA’s Commercial Space Transportation Office, on the FAA’s application process for space launch site licenses. Read Dial’s letter to Shelby below:
House panel weighs privatizing air traffic control
A House panel is considering legislation that would split off management of the nation’s skies from the Federal Aviation Administration and give that responsibility to an independent, nonprofit company. The idea is to remove air traffic control from the uncertainties of the government budget process. Proponents say Washington dysfunction has hampered the FAA’s efforts to update equipment designed to make flying more efficient and safer. The union representing about 18,000 air traffic control workers supports Republican Rep. Bill Shuster‘s bill. The union says the legislation will protect the workforce and provide predictable funds for the aviation system. President Donald Trump supports the effort, but aviation groups that often rely on smaller airports for business travel, recreation, pilot training and crop spraying oppose it. So do some key GOP senators. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
House chairman: Donald Trump favors privatizing air traffic control
A House committee chairman says President-elect Donald Trump likes the idea of spinning off air traffic control operations from the government and placing them under the control of a private, non-profit corporation chartered by Congress. Rep. Bill Shuster, head of the House transportation committee, told The Associated Press that he spoke to Trump about the idea several times both before and during the presidential election. He said he believes the president-elect would be supportive, although details would have to be worked out. “I have spoken to him on a number of occasions and he generally likes the idea,” Shuster said. “We do need to sit down and put meat on the bones … I think in general he sees it as something that’s positive and we need to work on it.” The Republican lawmaker endorsed Trump early on and campaigned twice with him in his Pennsylvania congressional district. He also campaigned twice with Vice President-elect Mike Pence. Since the election, Shuster has met with Shirley Ybarra, a former Virginia transportation secretary who is working with the Trump transition team on transportation matters. Ybarra and the Trump transition team didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. Shuster and most of the airline industry have been pressing for air traffic control privatization. They say the Federal Aviation Administration is moving too slowly to adopt new technology and that airlines haven’t seen the benefits they expected from the agency’s air traffic control modernization program, which has been in the works for more than a decade. Earlier this year, Shuster included a plan to privatize air traffic control in a bill to extend the FAA’s operating authority. The bill was approved by the transportation committee, but Shuster was unable to get it to the House floor after several influential lawmakers, including the Ways and Means Committee chairman and the House and Senate Appropriations Committee chairmen, raised objections. Democrats, some segments of the aviation industry and some FAA unions also oppose the plan, although the National Air Traffic Controllers Association endorsed the bill. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee chairman and Shuster’s Senate counterpart, hasn’t taken a position on the issue. He said Friday that the FAA hasn’t been successful in bringing fundamental change to how air traffic is managed despite spending billions of dollars. “Congress has different options, and we will continue to explore them, but the case for changing the FAA’s approach to air traffic control modernization has become stronger,” Thune told the AP. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., the senior Democrat on the House transportation committee, cautioned earlier this week that any proposal to overhaul the existing air traffic system “must be thoroughly vetted, not rushed through Congress just because the political landscape makes it easier.” Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., raised objections Friday to what he described as an attempt by House proponents of air traffic control privatization to include language in a defense policy bill that would effectively squelch military objections to the plan. Nelson described his concerns in a letter Friday to Senate Armed Committee Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., and Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the committee’s senior Democrat. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
No injuries after VP-hopeful Mike Pence plane slides off runway in NYC
Republican vice presidential candidate Mike Pence‘s campaign plane slid off a runway during a rainstorm at New York’s LaGuardia Airport late Thursday, tearing up concrete before coming to rest on a patch of grass. When the plane came to a stop, U.S. Secret Service agents rushed from the back of the plane to the front, where Pence was seated, to check on the candidate. He said he was fine, though, and no one had been injured. “We can see mud on the front windows,” a calm Pence said in the press cabin about a minute after the plane came to rest. Later, the Indiana governor tweeted: “So thankful everyone on our plane is safe. Grateful for our first responders & the concern & prayers of so many. Back on the trail tomorrow!” In Geneva, Ohio, GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump told his supporters that Pence had come “pretty close to grave, grave danger.” But, he added: “I just spoke to Mike Pence and he’s fine. Everybody’s fine.” Democrat Hillary Clinton tweeted: “Glad to hear @mike-pence, his staff, Secret Service, and the crew are all safe.” The plane was coming to New York from Fort Dodge, Iowa, where it had made a hard landing but stayed on the runway earlier Thursday afternoon. After a rally in Fort Dodge, Pence’s flight to New York was delayed because of weather. The Indiana governor spent about 20 minutes tossing a football with his staff, journalists and Secret Service agents near the Iowa runway. Upon arriving at LaGuardia, after a bumpy approach, the Boeing 737 Eastern Airlines charter landed roughly, making first contact with the runway concrete. The pilot slammed on the brakes and the plane began to slide sideways. When it stopped, passengers could smell burning rubber. The Federal Aviation Administration said, “A crushable concrete runway safety technology called an Engineered Material Arresting System stopped the plane.” The FAA website says the material is “designed to safely stop airplanes that overshoot runways.” The 37 passengers, including Pence, and 11 crew members were evacuated through the back of the plane. In a series of televised interviews on Friday, Pence said he was grateful that the crushable concrete runway worked as designed and for the “quick action” by pilots and first responders. “Just for a few seconds, you could feel us bouncing off,” he told ABC’s “Good Morning America.” ”And with mud splattered up on the windows, we figured we were off the runway.” Pence added: “I’m just really grateful, really grateful, for some quick action, not only by the pilots, but also by first responders” who were quickly on the scene. The Port Authority shut down the runway following the incident, but later reopened it. In a statement, the agency confirmed that the plane had “overshot” the runway and said there were no injuries and no fire. Port Authority Executive Director Patrick Foye said the National Transportation Safety Board “will take control of the investigation. The aircraft will remain where it is until the NTSB releases it.” Foye added, “Per the request of the NTSB, we are not going to speculate on the cause of the incident tonight.” Pence spokesman Marc Lotter said Pence spoke with Trump shortly after the landing. The vice presidential candidate also called into the $1 million fundraiser at Trump Tower that he had been expected to attend, Lotter said. The campaign said it was preparing a new, similar aircraft that would be ready soon. Republished with permission of the Associated Press
Auburn to offer flight school for drones
Auburn University’s aviation center plans to being offering courses about how to fly drones. The school said Friday it has received federal approval to operate a new Unmanned Aircraft Systems Flight School as part of its aviation center. Auburn says it’s the first school in the nation to receive FAA approval for such a program. The FAA didn’t immediately have any comment on the planned course. Auburn aviation center director Bill Hutto says Auburn will administer written exams and flight tests for would-be pilots of unmanned aircraft. FAA rules require both for licensed operators. Drones are considered a tool of increasing importance in areas including agriculture, building science and engineering. Auburn has been training pilots for almost 75 years. The school offers three degrees in aviation and aerospace. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
