NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Airport Commission has voted to move all glider and tow-plane activity to the south side of the runway.
The commissioners unanimously voted on the issue Tuesday even though they had concerns about letting the tow plane operate in an area designated for ultralight aircraft.
"The whole point was to separate the planes by their speed and now you put the tow plane in with the gliders," Commissioner Trevor Gilman said. "Just because the glider pilots are familiar with it doesn’t make it any less of an obstacle in the pattern because it is still a 100-naught airplane on that side."
Initially, Gilman requested that just glider activity was just moved to the south side of the airport. He said the FAA cleared the change assuming they properly charted the operation.
He said as long as the gliders carry a handheld radio to contact other planes there should be no confusion with flight patterns.
Pilot Michael Milazzo suggested that all glider operation be set to the south side of the airport, including the tow plane for safety reasons.
"The tow plan has a tow rope and I have had instances where a faster plane is coming in and I have 200 feet rope dangling from the end of my plane," he said. "Now you don’t only have a plane that is 8 feet tall … but now you have 200 feet of rope hanging out there like fishing line."
He said tow planes always know where the gliders are and it would be safer to keep them with the gliders.
He added it would also help with noise abatement.
Gilman noted that the FAA were ok with glider operations on one side of the airport but he didn’t know how they would feel about throwing a tow plane into the mix. He also feared having a tow plane in the area would confuse transient pilots.
Gilman said he would be willing to bend to the request if the glider pilots followed the rules. He noted that pilots often line up their gliders on the edge of the runway in the safe zone for prepping.
"That is way inside the safety zone for planning traffic," he said. "If we have a King Air come into land and there are gliders on the edge they are literally within the wingspan. They need to be in the designated area."
Airport Manager Bill Greenwald added that the glider pilots should not have more than one vehicle in the infield.
Greenwald, who was also hesitant to allow the tow plane in, said if it doesn’t work they can revert to past practices.
Since there is no glider activity this time of year, commission members will meet with gliders and work out an agreement.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
No Comments
Berkshire County Homes Celebrating Holiday Cheer
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
There's holiday cheer throughout the Berkshires this winter.
Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.
We asked the homeowners questions on their decorations and why they like to light up their houses.
In Great Barrington, Matt Pevzner has decorated his house with many lights and even has a Facebook page dedicated to making sure others can see the holiday joy.
Located at 93 Brush Hill Road, there's more than 61,000 lights strewn across the yard decorating trees and reindeer and even a polar bear.
The Pevzner family started decorating in September by testing their hundreds of boxes of lights. He builds all of his own decorations like the star 10-foot star that shines done from 80-feet up, 10 10-foot trees, nine 5-foot trees, and even the sleigh, and more that he also uses a lift to make sure are perfect each year.
"I always decorated but I went big during COVID. I felt that people needed something positive and to bring joy and happiness to everyone," he wrote. "I strive to bring as much joy and happiness as I can during the holidays. I love it when I get a message about how much people enjoy it. I've received cards thanking me how much they enjoyed it and made them smile. That means a lot."
Pevzner starts thinking about next year's display immediately after they take it down after New Year's. He gets his ideas by asking on his Facebook page for people's favorite decorations. The Pevzner family encourages you to take a drive and see their decorations, which are lighted every night from 5 to 10.
In North Adams, the Wilson family decorates their house with fun inflatables and even a big Santa waving to those who pass by.
The Wilsons start decorating before Thanksgiving and started decorating once their daughter was born and have grown their decorations each year as she has grown. They love to decorate as they used to drive around to look at decorations when they were younger and hope to spread the same joy.
"I have always loved driving around looking at Christmas lights and decorations. It's incredible what people can achieve these days with their displays," they wrote.
The Wilsons' invite you to come and look at their display at 432 Church St. that's lit from 4:30 to 10:30 every night, though if it's really windy, the inflatables might not be up as the weather will be too harsh.
In Pittsfield, Travis and Shannon Dozier decorated their house for the first time this Christmas as they recently purchased their home on Faucett Lane. The two started decorating in November, and hope to bring joy to the community.
"If we put a smile on one child's face driving by, then our mission was accomplished," they said.
Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.
click for more