Control Tower possibly going up in DeLand

[cpoxon 0]

From http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/volusia/orl-vdeland0706nov07,0,7903681.story?coll=orl-news-headlines-volusia

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DeLand, sky divers agree on airport tower

If the Federal Aviation Administration signs off on the pact, it could be enough to keep the drop zone active.

Rebecca Mahoney | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted November 7, 2006

DeLAND -- City Commissioners on Monday signed off on an agreement aimed at keeping DeLand's famous sky-diving industry from following through on a threat to pull out of town once a new airportcontrol tower is built.

The 11-page agreement details how the drop zone will function once the $1 million air-traffic-control tower goes up at DeLand Municipal Airport next year.

If the Federal Aviation Administration approves the pact, sky divers will be able to make up to 1,200 parachute drops a day -- a number that may be enough for Skydive DeLand to stay competitive with other drop zones, city officials said.

"It's still not a perfect situation, but this document makes the best of a regretful situation," said Mike Truffler, owner of AeroGraphics, which publishes Skydive magazine and other industry publications in DeLand. "There's a lot of uncertainty and a lot of unknowns. We're all just going to wait and see, for now."

Members of DeLand's $40 million sky-diving industry told commissioners earlier this year that they would be forced to leave town if the city built the tower, saying it would slow their pilots and make it impossible to squeeze in enough jumps to lure professional skydivers.

The agreement -- forged after four months of negotiations -- creates a strategy that would allow sky-diving operations to remain active and profitable despite the presence of the control tower.

Among other things, it would give Skydive DeLand pilots priority over others in takeoffs and landings and absolves them of the responsibility to notify the tower every time they take off or land.

"This shows a good-faith effort to make this work," said Nick Landgraff, DeLand's airport manager. "I think it's a very good agreement."

The agreement also would require the city to create a nine-member commission to review airport policies and regulations, and designate monthly conflict-resolution meetings between the tower controller, the airport manager and Skydive DeLand.

But members of the sky-diving industry say the only guarantee that they'll be able to remain profitable in DeLand is if the control tower is never built.

"It still remains that building the tower is potentially lethal for our industry," said Bob Hallett, owner of Skydive DeLand. "We don't know -- and neither does the city staff -- if this is something we can live with."

DeLand Mayor Bob Apgar acknowledged the sky-divers' discontent, but said he considered the agreement to be a healthy compromise.

"Sometimes the best deals are the ones that nobody is 100 percent happy with, and we have a little of that here," he said.

Rebecca Mahoney can be reached at [email protected] or 386-851-7914

Skydiving Fatalities - Cease not to learn 'til thou cease to live

[Remster 24]

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sky divers will be able to make up to 1,200 parachute drops a day

55 Twin Otter loads. Thats a good day of jumping!

Remster

[CSpenceFLY 1]

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and absolves them of the responsibility to notify the tower every time they take off or land

The FAA will not go for this.It would put the liability of an accident on them.

[bristolxyz 0]

I agree. If the tower is inoperation. NO planes will take off without an approval from the tower. I can't see how that would work.

The Deland field is pretty big. I fly helicopters (out of Ormond) and have come to Deland many times to eat lunch with friends. There have been many times when I have see planes using different runways whenever they want. Flagler is the same way. I've made it a habit to call my position several times as far out as 5-7 miles and many times while on approach. Deland can operate safely without a tower, but there has to be some sort of STANDARD in communication with all aircraft approaching the field.

All I know is that if there is a tower, aircraft will have to communicate with the tower during take off and landing. It's just a simple radio call ...

OK BYE