Millions being invested at Oneida Co. Airport

[Disgusted-Daily]

As reported by the disgrace forum.

www.uticaod.com/news/x144143431

Is this really a smart investment considering the trouble airlines are in with fuel prices and etc? Also don't most major flights go in or out from Albany or Syracuse?

[Ralph]

I don't know......after taking into account the AIP grants and the FAA grants, just until the end of 2008, you're talking about $69 MILLION plus some!!!

That's a pretty hefty chunk!!!

[Disgusted-Daily]

Ralph,

What happens when the grant money runs out? Will we be able to operate it with the current problems the airlines are having? Will that be up to 69 million or 69 million even though were only putting in 22 million?

Still seems to be a hefty gamble with or without the grants!

[strikeslip]

This is one of the biggest boondoggles Oneida County has bought into yet! It was totally unneeded, but a lot of people are getting rich off all the construction.

What is really a shame is that the Whitestown facility is being wasted . . . we are building hangars at GAFB, but abandoning them at the old airport.

OC did not NEED a new airport, but GAFB needed a new mission. It was OK to gamble with the Federal funds -- but not with the old airport. I think they should have tried to style GAFB as a cargo port for the entire NE US . . . but be prepared to abandon the idea in the event it didn't work out. To give up the old airport that even the PILOTS preferred was stupid.

strikeslip.blogspot.com/2008/04/almost-100-bucks.html

[rrogers40]

Its worth it if they can continue to steal the cargo planes from Hancock.

The problem is that originally they were not going to purchase/open the airport at Griffiss until they got rid of Whitestown.- Unfortunately they jumped the gun and are now stuck with 2 airfields.

Its a good thing that they opened the new Airport at Griffiss as they can do more their. Its impossible to land a 747 at Whitestown- but at Griffiss you can land not just the 747 but all those other big cargo planes. There will never be an Airline that Lands at Griffiss- but thats ok- as there is more money in Cargo.

[Ralph]

todd said:

Ralph,

What happens when the grant money runs out? Will we be able to operate it with the current problems the airlines are having? Will that be up to 69 million or 69 million even though were only putting in 22 million?

Still seems to be a hefty gamble with or without the grants!

Oh I agree!! I think it is a boondoggle as Strike says. As far as using our monies for it.

No matter what grants they are, from whatever agency....comes out of our pockets in the end. My opinion is that if they have such great businesses up there with such great potential, let commercial investors invest in it, not the general public.

[countrygal]

My brother was ground control up until the last of the military planes left Griffiss. The politicians blew so many deals that it's mind blowing. UPS and Fed. Express both wanted to move a hub there but didn't want to compete with the air space at the Oriskany airport. They asked the jerks in office if they would consider moving Oriskany to Griffiss and the word was a huge NO! The commander of the base at the time couldn't believe they would turn them down. So many things got turned down I was beginning to wonder which politicians owned something at the Oriskany airport.

The Griffiss runway was 5th on the list for the Space Shuttle to land. My brother was on alert if he was working when the Shuttle was gonna land, "just in case". That runway can land ANYTHING flying.

[wcup102]

Years ago, maybe some of you may recall this, this area had the opportunity to have the Albany airport here and also to have the now Rt 81 come up through Utica instead of Syracuse. I believe that was under the County Executive Jim Donovan regime. But as usual Oneida County is a day late and millions of dollars short because the have ostrich blood running through their veins and can't get the heads out of the sand.

[WestmoGuy]

I actually like the idea of the Airport there. No, its never gonna be a passenger hub. Our area cant support that, but the money they have invested got Empire Aero there in the first place. We need jobs like this in our area.

[bobbbiez]

Don't know much about the financial part of all this, but I did like the convenience of being able to fly out of the Oneida County Airport which we did every time we planned our trips. Besides us, many people were very disappointed that it was closed.

[thelma]

I use to work for Mohawk Airlines in the early 70x when Mohawk Airlines was merging with Allegeny Airlines. I was an Executive Secretary in the Purchasing Dept. and worked for a man named Mr. Latta. I loved this job! It was very diversified because everything that the Airlines needed, from liquor to uniforms, etc., went thru our Dept.

But, unfortunately, Allegeny was the survivor and Mr. Latta was let go. I was requested to move to Pittsburgh, Penns. and work for the Big Chief of Purchasing but at that time, I wasn't brave enought to move out of State with 4 children without my family being close by. That was the end of my 2+ years with Mohawk Airlines.

Too bad Oneida County couldn't bring in another commercial airlines here as working for an airlines is a great experience. We could fly any place "space available" BUT, you better make sure you showed up for work on Mondays!

[Clipper]

Thelma, we went from Mohawk Airlines, upward to US Air over a period of time, and fluctuated between many flights a day and only a couple. We eventually lost out to the much better airport in Syracuse, and were relagated to "one plane wonders" for limited an lousy service. Population and politics caused that downturn. Griffis has a great runway and great hanger space, as well as the land to develop on the North side of the runway. A cargo hub would have brought a lot of employment, between the cargo carrier's own employees, and the truckers employed to haul the freight flown in and out. After all, a 727, can't deliver it's cargo to East Utica, or to Main St. in Lake Placid. The truck terminals and loading docks alone, at Memphis Tn Airport, where Fedex has a major hub, are unbelievable. That hub services the whole southeast corridor with overnight service. Rome could be that hub for the whole northeast if we could get our heads out of our asses and lure such a company here.

[strikeslip]

Countrygal's post was new info to me... I can understand why OC would not have jumped at closing the Oriskany airport (and I still think closing it was a mistake) because it was "right-sized" for this area.

The allegation that FedEx and UPS were concerned over Oriskany's "competing" air space just does not make sense to me given the fact that even when Oriskany was operating at full tilt, it was never a problem to the B52s and other military planes going into Griffiss. If it was not a problem to military craft, it should not have been a problem to UPS/FedX

Regarding Ryan's comment about "stealing" cargo from Hancock, my understanding was that many in Onondaga County actually WANTED Griffiss to take cargo flights

[countrygal]

I actually thought the same thing....why UPS/FedX would care when the military didn't. I think there might have been more to the story, but that was all the info my brother got at the time. The base commander mentioned it to him during a conversation they were having. McGuire is an airspace mess which is why everyone was so shocked that the military mission went there.

It's all water under the bridge now. We'll have to see what comes of everything now that the airport is in Rome.

[frankcor]

The only issue that I ever heard of competing airspace between Griffiss and Oriskany is that because the main runways are parallel to one another, it was not uncommon for pilots to confuse the two. I remember at least one private pilot was surprised when greeted by Air Police with M-16s as he climbed out of his aircraft.

For that reason, a small radar beacon was installed between the two to help air-controllers determine that a pilot was on the wrong track sooner than what was possible without it.