we need some help here on the west coast.

The FAA has decreed that the local motorsports (go-karts and autocross) will not be allowed at Marina Airport here in Monterey bay.

we have a petition out to prevent the shut down, and we still need a few more signatures and I was hoping to find some more help out here.

http://www.change.org/p/federal-avia...marina-airport

If you could take the time to sign the petition, you would help save one of the best locations we have here in the region.

thanks for your support.

I signed it. I hope others will as well. You do not need to be located locally to support the use of the airport for motorsports.

Chris,

Is there a link to the faa letter that states why they want it discontinued?

Santa Maria used to have go carts and autox. Then shortly after 9/11 it was stopped.

It was the TSA.

Years later (2011) money talked and Porsche built a small road coarse on the airport.
Since then it has been available for rent and the go cart track has opened again.

The problems were:
- the FBO that was in charge of the property had a disagreement with the track operator.
- that FBO liked the Porsche people and got paid a lot for the property use...
- there is a TSA requirement at controlled airports, but just about any citizen can go to the TSA office and apply to be an event agent ( don't remember the exact name). The local Porsche club and Corvette club have members (usually the wives) sign up. Its there job to make sure people stay in the area.
- airport managers usually want these events because they like the revenue too.

So I'm not sure its the FAA. Everyone assumes and blames them.

there were multiple reasons.

Their have been a couple of incident where the go-karts went blasting down the active runways violating their agreement with the airport and promptly got kicked out.

there have also been a couple of accidents during auto crosses in the past couple of years, but nothing serious enough to warrant the access to the paddock.

the TSA has been a problem being who they are, but one of the bigger and more vocal proponents have been the rich individuals who have recently bought property in the old Fort Ord, and want to turn Marina Airport into their own personal horse club & garden. These are the same individuals who have tried (and failed) to get Laguna Seca shutdown due to noise...

More recently, the airport has been looking at expansion, and allowing amateur motorsports on a expanding airport is not ideal....

http://marina.airportstudy.com - The study conducted by the FAA didn't recommend any expansion at this time, so those plans have been recently shot down as well.

There are a lot of reasons, lots of political BS getting thrown around, and the local motorsports clubs and small businesses suffer as a result.

Chris,

I think the petition is good, but writing the FAA directly is better. I signed the petition, but here is the address of the FAA district office with a link to the staff. I would also recommend you write your local congressman and the congressman for Monterey County.

San Francisco Airports District Office (Nevada, Northern California)
Federal Aviation Administration
San Francisco Airports District Office
1000 Marina Blvd., Suite 220
Brisbane, CA 94005
Phone: (650) 827-7600
Fax: (650) 872-1430
San Francisco ADO staff listing
http://www.faa.gov/airports/western_...san_francisco/

FAA bastards did it to Inyokern airport shortly after 9-11- which was the oldest continually operating drag strip in the USA.

they let just about every car commercial that's not filmed at willow springs be filmed at IYK though, and even re-paved a runway specifically for the commercials.

We are running an auto-x there next month, so there's hope.....

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DanW

Chris,

I think the petition is good, but writing the FAA directly is better. I signed the petition, but here is the address of the FAA district office with a link to the staff. I would also recommend you write your local congressman and the congressman for Monterey County.

San Francisco Airports District Office (Nevada, Northern California)
Federal Aviation Administration
San Francisco Airports District Office
1000 Marina Blvd., Suite 220
Brisbane, CA 94005
Phone: (650) 827-7600
Fax: (650) 872-1430
San Francisco ADO staff listing
http://www.faa.gov/airports/western_...san_francisco/

---

It's been done.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by chrisw52

Their have been a couple of incident where the go-karts went blasting down the active runways violating their agreement with the airport and promptly got kicked out.

---

Sorry but this is almost unforgivable. I hope these individuals are never allowed back.:mad:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by chrisw52

there have also been a couple of accidents during auto crosses in the past couple of years, but nothing serious enough to warrant the access to the paddock.

---

And airplanes crash too. :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by chrisw52

the TSA has been a problem being who they are,

---

Remember the TSA is the rule police. They don't make the rules. If they don't understand or get confused they say no

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by chrisw52

but one of the bigger and more vocal proponents have been the rich individuals who have recently bought property in the old Fort Ord, and want to turn Marina Airport into their own personal horse club & garden.

---

So, I speak from a little point of knowledge here. I've spent more that a couple tens of thousand$ at horse shows in Pebble Beach. After 40+ years, PB decided to shut down their horse showing there and the 2 partners that ran it split. One went north the SAC, they other up the coast slightly.

Here's what you need to do. Explain to the pilots who this group is and that they will someday soon be fighting these people for their right to fly their planes.
Horses are NOT compatible with planes either.

The pilots and auto crossers should be on the same side. Pilots deal with noise issues all the time.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by chrisw52

These are the same individuals who have tried (and failed) to get Laguna Seca shutdown due to noise...

---

State owned profitable park. Going to be tough to shutdown..

I think making sure the pilots know the threat is the answer. The runway incidents need to be solved and that's why they don't like you - no pilot wants to have to dodge something on the ground - planes don't work good there :eek:

Been there - done that :eek:

The FAA does listen to pilots.

Signed

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BeerBudgetRacing

Sorry but this is almost unforgivable. I hope these individuals are never allowed back.:mad:



And airplanes crash too. :D



Remember the TSA is the rule police. They don't make the rules. If they don't understand or get confused they say no



So, I speak from a little point of knowledge here. I've spent more that a couple tens of thousand$ at horse shows in Pebble Beach. After 40+ years, PB decided to shut down their horse showing there and the 2 partners that ran it split. One went north the SAC, they other up the coast slightly.

Here's what you need to do. Explain to the pilots who this group is and that they will someday soon be fighting these people for their right to fly their planes.
Horses are NOT compatible with planes either.

The pilots and auto crossers should be on the same side. Pilots deal with noise issues all the time.



State owned profitable park. Going to be tough to shutdown..

I think making sure the pilots know the threat is the answer. The runway incidents need to be solved and that's why they don't like you - no pilot wants to have to dodge something on the ground - planes don't work good there :eek:

Been there - done that :eek:

The FAA does listen to pilots.

---

can't argue with anything you said, but this is a very old and very political problem between a variety of different players.