Some US Airports and heliports at risk of falling off charts

Some US Airports and heliports at risk of falling off charts

15-Jun-2020 Source: AOPA

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is cleaning up their airport database, and is on the verge of removing almost 3,000 private airports from the flight charts across the nation. Some 114 of those are in Alaska. While we want and need current and accurate information for flight planning, many of these facilities are still active airports and seaplane bases. Reaching out to airport owners and encouraging them to update their information will help keep viable airstrips and seaplane bases on the charts.

Updating Airport Information
Flight planning starts with having good information about the airports we plan to visit. Aeronautical charts and facility directories, along with numerous online websites and data services, are the places we look–but where does the airport data come from? For public use airports, the FAA pays someone to periodically go to that field and check details like runway length, condition, obstructions, etc. Private use airports, however, have a different process. The FAA relies on the owners to update their information. The FAA periodically sends a survey to airport owners, asking them to update their entries. But what if they don’t hear back?

FAA is currently starting a campaign to change the status of airports whose owners or managers have not provided updates since December 31, 2017. The airport’s record in the FAA’s airports database will be changed to a “CLOSED INDEFINITLY” which will trigger removal of the airport from the flight charts in the subsequent charting cycle. This process is slated to start in July, 2020 for airport owners or managers who have not responded to the letter or updated their information online. The change may be undone, however. If an airport owner belatedly updates their record, the status can be revised, and data restored. But it will take waiting for a publication cycle for the airport to appear on the charts again.

You can help
Check to see if airports you are familiar with are on FAA’s list. Explore this map of airports in Alaska needing updates. If you know the airport owners or managers, consider reaching out to them to see if they have updated their entry since this list was created in early May. Here are several ways they may accomplish that task:

  1. Return the FAA survey letter, if they still have it.
  2. Log onto their account on the Airport Data and Information System, https://adip.faa.gov and update their data. Even if the airport owner makes no update to any of their data, by virtue of logging in they have confirmed that their airport is active.
  3. Submit an FAA Form 7480-1 to Alaska Region Airports Division (hardcopy or email) identifying any revisions, or confirming there are no changes.
  4. Contact Patrick Zettler, with the Alaska Region Airports Division for assistance. He may be reached at 907-271-5446 or patrick.zettler@faa.gov.

While you are at it, thank them having an airport. Private airports are an important component of our aviation infrastructure. They provide capacity beyond that available from public airports and can provide an added layer of safety for aviation operations!

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