Banner-towing denied

BY LORIN SINN-CLARK

A Gwinnett County pilot, Gould Barrett, asked the Barrow County Airport Authority for permission to tow banners out of the Barrow County airport at the authority’s Nov. 16 meeting.

The authority told Barrett banner towing is not allowed and suggested that he get on the agenda for a future meeting if he wanted them to consider the matter further.

Banner towing has not been allowed at the airport for over 13 years; gliders, skydivers, hot air ballooning and ultra lights are also prohibited. Citing safety reasons, the authority has voted repeatedly to continue to prohibit these activities when the regulations have been challenged in the past.

The most recent request to allow banner-towing was made by authority chairman Frank Nocera at the Sept. 21 meeting, after he gave permission for a banner towing plane to use the Barrow County airport on September 18.

Nocera told the authority he was unaware banner towing was prohibited and lobbied heavily for a change in that regulation. The board voted to continue to prohibit the activity, based on continued safety concerns and numerous citizen complaints about the plane.

Barrow County Commission Chairman Danny Yearwood attended the Nov. 16 meeting. Nocera is Yearwood’s appointee to the authority.

Comments

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#1 Anonymous on 11/27/10 at 09:41 PM [Reply]

I hope Mr Barrett takes actions against Barrow County Airport over being denied access to the airport. The FAA has the final say over these type aircraft the county is banning. Many airports around the USA have had its federal funds cut off due to banning these type aircraft.

#1.1 Anonymous on 11/28/10 at 11:50 AM [Reply]

the Airport Authority has already taken action on that, and, as quoted in an article in September, "Authority members then asked for clarification from Aviation Program Manager Phil Eberly, of WK Dickson, who serves as the airport’s FAA approved and mandated consultant. (FAA.grant assurances dictate that any public use airport receiving federal grant funds hire such a consultant.) Eberly told the authority individual public use airports can and do have minimum standards and operating guidelines to control specific activities, with airport safety being a major factor."

So your statement is obviously false. Besides, the National Guard has been a wonderful tenant for the airport. You wanna screw that up?

#2 Buck on 12/03/10 at 09:57 AM [Reply]

Sounds like Mr. Nocera get to pick and choose the guidlines by which to operate an airport. When will this idiot be removed from the airport authority? Mr. "Anonymous", you seem well versed in the protocol of the airport and quick to defend Nocera......hmmmmmm! Ultimately, the airport has to operate by federal standards. Furthermore, a consultant is not mandated but encouraged. So get off the internet Frank and go do your job.....whatever that may be!!

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