'Growing Pains''
Boom At Airport Brings Problems Too
Drive out some day to Raeford
Airport and watch for awhile.
There's a great deal to see.
The single paved airstrip is busy ?
student pilots practicing landings and
takeoffs, local residents with planes
based at the airport flying in or out;
a few transient aircraft landing while
pilots and passengers depart for
business in the area.
In the mornings and early
evenings, sky divers practice, aiming
at a target a few hundred feet to the
side of the runway. Coming from all
over the world, they train here to
compete for national and world
parachuting titles.
The scene is far different from
that of five years ago, when the
runway was a poorly maintained
grass strip and a lone hanger was the
only building at the airport.
The rapid growth has brought with
it problems ? growing pains.
"Raeford never had an airport
before and then it expanded so fast,
they didn't know what to do with
it," said Gene Thacker, owner of the
sports parachute school, that has
been based at the airport since 1969.
The airport first developed in the
early 1960's as a Chamber of
Commerce project. Before then, a
private strip owned by Tom Cameron
was located in the Robbins Heights
area, but Bill Moses, who was serving
as Chamber president then said, "we
thought it would be worthwhile to
have public facilities. Raeford had
not had adequate airport facilities up
to then."
Tom Wilson, a Burlington
employee living here then, is credited
with much of the initital
development. Others were Cameron,
Moses and city councilman J.D.
McMillian, who were to become the
first city airport commission.
About 38 acres northeast of the
city was purchased from J.A.
Singleton Jr., Cameron and Marion
Gatlin. as Moses recalls, and a federal
grant was approved.
Donations were solicited to make
up the local matching fund portion.
Here the city ran into one of the
first airport problems. As former
councilman Franklin Teal
remembers, a portion of the FAA
grant amounting to several thousand
dollars was withheld, and the FAA
accused the city of improperly listing
donations. The problem was the
result of listing as a donation tire
market price of some of the land
acquired for the airport in excess of
the purchase price. Teal explained.
No one is really sure how the city
got into the airport business in the
first place.
"The sponsors and the county
commissioners put up the money,"
Moses recalls. "I think the town got
dragged in by the back door because
somebody had to be responsible for
the operation."
Just Sat
But ait traffic was light on the new
strip.
"That thing just sat there," Moses
said. "Cameron and (William) Poole
had planes, but the airport had
limited use by industry."
In 1966. the FAA warned the city
that the grass strip was in danger of
becoming unusable because of
erosion.
In a letter to the city, the federal
government recommended that
public interest in the airport be
encouraged.
"But mainly it just sat there until
Thacker came along and approached
the airport commission about
utilizing it." Moses remembers.
It was the inactivity that
interested Thacker.
"It was 1969. Three Army
parachute cluhs occassionally jumped
here," Thacker recalled. "There was
nothing else here but Cameron and
Poole's hanger.
"That's what got me interested.
There were people jumping here
before me and one day I asked 'who
owned this airport, anyway0- They
said 'I don't know.' 'I said Well,
somebody's got to own it. and
maybe we'd better find out who.' So
I flew in and bummed a ride into
Raeford and started asking around.
Someone sent me to Tom Cameron
and he sent me to J.D. McMillian,
who sent me to John Gaddy, the city
manager."
For Thacker, nearing the
completion of 20 years of Army
service and looking for a place to
establish a parachute business, the
Raeford airport looked ideal. In late
1969, he leased a 170 by 280 foot
area near the runway.
With the jump school in operation,
interest in the airport grew rapidly.
Thacker purchased land adjoining the
airport and built a snack bar.
Buildup
The city built a small
administration building, located
within the area leased to Thacker.
Gaddy said he is not sure which came
first, Thacker's lease or the
construction of the building but "at
the time, that seemed like the best
place in the world for the city to put
a building." (It has been
THIS SIGN.....announces the city airport.
recommended since then that the
building be moved.)
By 1971, the city had begun to
put together a S123.390 airport
improvement project to pave the
3.400 foot runway and a 150 by 300
foot apron and install medium
intensity runway lights, a 36-inch
rotating beacon and a 12 foot lighted
wind direction cone and visual slope
apprach slope indicator (VAS1)
system.
An FAA grant of 577,500 was
approved. About 510,000 of that
grant is being withheld until the city
acquires three portions of land
around the airport which the FAA
says is necessary for approach
clearance.
Donations were solicited as part of
the city's matching funds. Listed as
donors were: Raeford Turkey Farms.
S500; Burlington. S6.000; Richard
Bruce (Knit-Away), S5.000; Bank of
Raeford. S2.500: Southern National
Bank. S500; Heilig-Meyers, SI.000;
Laurinburg and Southern Railroad,
S250.
The county added SI0,000 and
the state made a S20.000 grant. City
funds amounted to S26.345. derived
from taxes on beer and wine sales,
since until 1973 state law prohibited
the use of ad valorem taxes for such
things as airports, recreation or
libraries.
The bids for paving and lighting
were opened in July of 1972.
Construction began later that year.
"They got staried late," Thacker
recalls. "They had the clay on it and
the strip was almost unusable when a
freeze came and they had to quit.
Construction didn't begin again until
March."
Thacker said he had to close his
flight instruction school for the
period and. with difficulty,
continued jumping.
"Very few people used the airport
those months, because of the dirt
and the mud," Thacker said.
The paving was completed in
April. 1973.
The airport began to boom.
Thacker expanded his parachuting
business. Paul Rose opened a flight
instruction school in June. And local
aircraft ownership blossomed.
Suddenly Raeford had an airport.
And problems.
With the increase of air traffic, the
need for management increased.
Because he was the only one based at
the airport, Thacker had managed
the strip informally for the city for
several years. Later, he was
designated the airport manager by
city officials.
Until last year, the airport came
under the eye of the Raeford Airport
Commission, which was composed of
Cameron, Moses, and McMillian,
until his death. Benny McLeod.
appointed to fill McMillian's post on
the city council, also took his seat on
the airport commission.
The group was merely an advisory
body for the city council, with no
authority to control the airport.
In February, 1974, the
commission came before the city
council with recommendations to
have the FAA investigate all airport
operations for compliance with
regulations and to assist in drawing
up local rules. The commission also
recommended that the group be
expanded to include two more
members, both pilots appointed by
the city council and a third to be
chosen by the committee. All policy
procedures should be submitted to
the council before adoption, the
commission recommended.
The action came in' response to
complaints, mostly from pilots, over
the operation of the airport by
Thacker. Later that month, the city
council voted to replace the airport
commission with an expanded
committee.
Battle lines were drown, with
followers being labeled as Thacker
men or Rose friends. The city
council had to expand the committee
before appointments to the group
could gain approval.
After several months, membership
on the committee was resolved. Joe
Rackley was named chairman and
other members included William
Poole, Larry Upchurch, Benny
McLeod. Ed Brown, William Moses
and Gene Thacker, as airport
manager.
Allegations of unsafe operation
continued. On April 28, 1974,
William J. Rileigh of Raeford, wrote
to the FAA charging that two planes
loaded with sports parachutists
taxied down the runway within 75
feet of each other, took off and flew
100-200 feet from each other at
1500 feet and banked, then landed
about ten minutes later without
entering the traffic pattern and
without making any announcement
of their procedures over the Unicom,
a radio advisory channel.
Pilots complained about that
jumpers created a safety hazard,
however, both Rose and Thacker
have said they can both operate in
neither of the other's operation need
pose problems for the other.
Charges
In a letter to the editor last week,
Mrs. Gene Carter charged that a jump
plane spiraled from a higher altitude
into the traffic pattern at the end of
the runway, landing and cutting off
the private plane in which she was a
passenger.
Immediately after their plane
landed. Mrs. Carter said a parachutist
landed on the runway.
William Poole, pilot since 1950
and member of the airport
committee, saw safety as the biggest
problem.
"My biggest beef is that the
airport is not serving the public and
it's not safe." he said. "It is a general
aviation airport built for that. It's
not a drop zone."
"The biggest problem is on windy
days," Poole went on. 'They land all
over die place, on the active runway,
on cars."
"All he needs to do is move the
target, then transport people," Poole
said. "If he had them a mile away, it
wouldn't interfere with traffic."
"I know the town board is sick of
hearing about the airport." Poole
went on. "But they really don't
understand what goes on."
Thacker said the parachutists were
no hazard to aircraft. According to
A Tale Of Three Cities:
How They Run Their Airports
Raeford's municipal airport is just
one of many fields scattered across
North Carolina. A Department of
Transportation aeronautical chart
lists 58 publically owned airports in
the state.
Three other city airports were
consulted about their operations.
They are dissimilar to Raeford. in
that two of the fields have only one
business located on the field and the
other has none. In two cases, the city
pays for the management of the
airport.
Sanford
Sanford presently has one paved,
lighted, 3500 foot runway, but a half
- million dollar expansion is being
planned.
The runway has a taxiway access
to the northeast but none to the
southwest. It is equipped with low
and intermediate intensity lights, a
beacon and a Unicom radio at the
standard frequency of 1 22.8.
The city constructed a central
terminal building several years ago,
which is leased, to the fixed base
operator on the field. Central
Carolina Aviation.
CCA provides flight instruction,
maintenance, and rentals and has one
maintenance hangar, 10 T-hangars
and parking spaces for about 20
aircraft.
About 36 planes are based at the
field.
The airport is governed by a
commission, headed by Bruce
Thomas, a Sanford service station
owner. Airport manager is a retired
Air Force colonel and CCA owner,
John Ogburn.
In addition to receiving gasoline
sales and tie-down fees, which he
shares on a commission basis with
the city, Ogburn is paid $400 a
month to manage their airport,
perform maintenance on runways
and buildings and similar functions,
according to Thomas. Tie-down fees
range from $15 a month for a ramp
space to $20 a month for a hangar.
This is Sanford's second year with
Ogburn as manager. According to
Thomas, the city received S400 from
gas sales and tie-downs during the
first year, but last year, the return
climbed to S2.600.
Thomas said he had a hard time
convincing the city government to
spend money for a salary at the
airport but that the arrangement has
worked well for the city.
Thomas said an operator from
Southern Pines had run the airport in
Sanford for awhile but that the
arrangement was not suttstac'ie .
"We had a mess heie tor .several
years." he said.
Thomas said he had several letters
in his files from years back
complaining about the Sanford
airport, but since a manager had been
hired, the only letters he has received
are praising the operation.
Tlie airport was originally built by
stockholders. In 1063 it was sold to
the city for Si00,000, and the
purchase price was used to match a
SI00.000 federal grant for paving
and improvements.
Now the city is attempting to
interest Lee Gounty in part
ownership to help finance the
proposed expansion. Thomas said
that federal and state grants would
fund most of the project and the city
and county would then each pay 6Vz
per cent.
The airport caters primarily to
transient aircraft serving the several
industries in Sanford. The expansion
will include a longer runway to
accommodate the larger industrial
planes.
Asheboro
The Asheboro city airport is leased
to a fixed based operator, Asheboro
Aviation, which provides pilot
training, major and minor
maintenance and air taxie service.
The field is equipped with a 3,900
foot paved, lighted runway and has a
beacon and Unicom.
Other than the basic lease, the city
gets no revenue from the airport.
Jerry Glenn, a spokesman lor
Asheboro Aviation, said:
'The city benefits tremendously
from tire business the airport brings
into it. Businesses, like Burlington
and Klopman mills, use the airport
extensively."
According to the lease, the fixed
base operator is required to keep the
airport open at regular hours, man
the Unicom and have fuel available.
A three-man airport commission
governs the airport.
Edenton
The situation at Edenton differs
consideraoiv ftoiti that at the oilier
airports. Vcording to ci'v manager
Bill tlai..?><'(, Eifento'! was given an
old Marine Corps lucility equipped
with a tower and three paved
runways, including one 5,500 lighted
runway.
A Unicom and radio beacon have
been acquired through federal
surplus.
In addition, an old World War II
hangar for about 20 aircraft is
located on the field and a large,
paved apron borders the area.
The city has spent very little on its
airport. Gardner estimates the cost to
Edenton taxpayers as less than
$5,000 in the last ten years.
Instead, the property produces
revenue, he said, because a number
of industries are located at the
airport.
"Some, we've sold land to and
some lease from the city," he
explained.
The field is governed by an airport
commission answerable to both the
town council and the county board
of commissioners.
"The town owns the airport but
we get the county lo lake an interest
in it," Gardner said.
Unlike most other fields, there is
no fixed base operator located there.
"We've had several, but they just
never seemed to work out ."Gardner
said.
* Instead, the city pays an employe
to dispense gasoline, operate the
radio and maintain the area. He is
paid $500 a month and receives the
profits from gas sales and hangar
rentals.
TIE DOWNS. . .on the apron at Raeford Airport.
FAA regulations, powered aircraft
must defer to parachutes, he said.
However, even when jumpers drift
over tire runway, they are in the air
at that point at a much higher
altitude than a landing or taking off
airplane would be.
An instructor at the jump school
said that occassionally a jumper
would land by mistake near the
runway but that jumpers always
check for air traffic before leaving
the aircraft, and notice is given to
airmen that jumping is in progress.
About The Radio
Accounts of the difficulties at the
airport differ. The Unicom
controvery is indicative of the
in-fighting that went on.
Rose began to operate the Unicom
in the sprimg of 1974. On file at his
attorney's office are copies of a letter
he sent to Thacker dated May 10,
1974, notifying him that Rose
intended to file for a Unicom license.
In signed statements, Rose and his
wife, Betty say they notified Gaddy
in May that Rose was applying for a
license.
Rose said Thacker told him soon
after that to stop operating on the
Unicom frequency, 122.8 and switch
instead to 122.9
He feels that the dispute over the
radio frequency contributed to an
accident in June, 1974. Rose said he
had been told several days earlier by
Thacker, as airport manager, to
switch to 122.9, a frequency used by
pilots to talk to other pilots in flight.
Then a student pilot crashed into a
tree in a Raeford yard. In a
statement Rose said, was signed at
tire hospital by the injured student
pilot. David Hayney said he called
for help on the 122.9 frequency and
used the distress signal, Mayday, but
no one answered his call. Rose said
after the accident, he notified the
city manager that he was switching
back to the more common ground to
aircraft advisory channel, 122.8,
Unicom.
According to the Oct. 17, 1974
minutes of tire airport con -ission.
the Unicom was discussed. . . ."said
the Unicom frequency of 122.8 was
being wrongly used. Tire committee
suggested use of I 22.9 for local use
but this would present a problem to
incoming VFR transients. It was
pointed out that local airmen arc
really the problem and it was
suggested that the airport monitor
122.8 and locally use 122.9 but no
motion was officially made and no
vote taken so the frequency still
remains in question."
The issue continued and by
November, the city had purchased its
own radio. Gaddy maintained that
Rose had not complied with FAA
regulations to notify the owners of
the airport and that the city had
never given permission for him to
operate the advisory radio.
"My thinking was that we put this*
radio in the city's building and get
Gene to lease his proposed area.
Then the city would have control of
the center area and, if we were going
to have an employe out there to look
after the airport, then he could run
it. 1 felt that the city had a right to
control who ran the radio.
"Anyway, the committee was
recommending that the city apply
for its own license and I said 'folks,
we're going to buy us a radio and so
we did.
"Then if everyone wanted to play
with the radio, we'd put a remote to
each leasee."
However, the city's application to
operate the Unicom was rejected on
Dec. 26, 1974 by the FAA, who
wrote that only one aeronautical
advisory station is authorized at a
landing site and that a valid station
was then located at Raeford
Municipal Airport in the name of
Paul F. Rose.
Caddy protested, in a letter dated
Feb. 25, 1975, saying that the city,
as owner, had never been notified of
Rose's intent to operate a Unicom.
Caddy also sent letters that date to
Rose and Thacker, advising them the
city was applying for a license.
In the meantime, through his
attorney, Phil Diehl. Rose had first
offered to help train a city employe
to operate the radio and had then
changed his mind and had protested
the attempt to remove the radio
from his control.
Complaints about the radio have *
levelled off. Caddy said he
understood that Rose had had his
radio repaired that as far as he knew,
it was being operated satisfactorily.
"I'm not opposed to Paul
operating the radio, but still it is on
leased property," Caddy said. "It
perturbs me that the city owns the
airport and can't get a license to
operate a radio."
Caddy said he would recommend
that the city council draw up some
guidelines for operation and enter
into an agreement to have the radio
run for the city. He said he would
recommend that Rose use the newer
city equipment if suitable guidelines
were agreed upon.
The city is gaining experience in
the operation of a municipal airport,
Caddy said.
"Ill say this, I'm learning a whole
lot about an airport. We're all
learning and I think we've come a
long way. Some aspects aren't critical
as I thought, like the radio," Caddy
continued.
Last month, Thacker resigned as
airport manager and Caddy was
Continued on page 9
Federal grant for paving and lighting $77,500
City's portion $26345
Donors $44,850
Total improvement costs $123390
Proposed improvement project $141,000
Income
Rose's lease $720 a year
Thacker's present lease $900 a year
Potential from six rented tie downs $720 a year
OLD HANGAR. . .owned by Tom Cameron and William Poole and the flrtt
building constructed at the airport, is now a snag in lease negotiations between
the city and Gene Thacker Removal of the hangar is being discussed.