FIELD IS IN LIMBO. THE STATE
TOLD THE ARMY IT INTENDS TO
VACATE, LEAVING AVIATORS
WONDERING WHAT'S NEXT.
GINA MANGIERI IS ALWAYS
INVESTIGATING AND HAS DETAILS.
DILLINGHAM AIR FIELD ON OAHU'S
NORTH SHORE IS HOME TO AVIATION
RANGING FROM SKYDIVING COMPANIES
TO COMMERCIAL AND
PRIVATE PLANES, FLIGHT SCHOOLS,
GLIDERS AND ULTRALIGHTS.
00;17;03;19 THIS IS THE ONLY
SAILPLANE PORT IN ALL OF HAWAII
IT'S OWNED BY THE ARMY, BUT THE
STATE HAS OPERATED IT UNDER
LEASE SINCE 1972. THE STATE'S
CURRENT LEASE RUNS THROUGH
2024. ALWAYS INVESTIGATING
CONFIRMED THE US ARMY GOT A
LETTER JANUARY 23RD FROM THE
STATE DOT
TELLING THE ARMY IT WANTS OUT AS
SOON AS THE END OF THIS JUNE.
SEN. GIL RIVIERE-"TO MY
KNOWLEDGE THIS HAS BEEN VERY
SHORT NOTICE AND I DON'T BELIEVE
THE ARMY OR THE FAA WERE
EXPECTING THIS, I THINK IT
CAUGHT THEM BY SURPRISE."
THEM AND THE OWNERS OF THE
NEARLY 50 CIVILIAN AIRCRAFT AND
MULTIPLE BUSINESSES ONSITE WHO
HAVE HEARD NOTHING FORMAL FROM
THEIR STATE DOT LANDLORD.
STEVE LOWRY, ACROFLIGHT INT'L.,
AVIATION EXPLORERS-"WE'VE GOT TO
MAKE PLANS, ALL OF US THAT HAVE
BUSINESSES HERE. IT WOULD BE A
BIG ECONOMIC LOSS BUT BEYOND
THAT, MY PASSION IS TRAINING THE
NEXT GENERATION OF PILOTS,
PARTICULARLY YOUNG KIDS, AND
LOCAL KIDS THAT DON'T HAVE THE
MONEY TO LEARN HOW TO FLY
JOHN SEQUEIRA, PILOT-"THERE ARE
A PLETHORA OF THINGS DONE OUT
HERE THAT IF THE STATE FEELS
THAT IN THEIR INFINITE WISDOM
THEY NEED TO CLOSE THIS PLACE I
FEEL THE REPERCUSSIONS ARE EVEN
MORE THAN THEY CAN SEE IT'S
AREA LEADERS ARE PLEADING WITH
THE DOT TO RETHINK THE MOVE,
EVEN ASKING THE GOVERNOR TO GET
INVOLVED.
SEN. GIL RIVIERE-"I'VE BEEN
WORKING FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS,
TRYING TO WORK THE BACK
CHANNELS, TO TRY TO SAVE THIS
FROM BECOMING A BIG CATASTROPHE
WHICH I THINK THIS SURELY WILL
BE IF THEY DECIDE TO CARRY OUT
AND CLOSE THE AIRFIELD.
THEY'VE GOT TO ALLOW SOME SORT
OF TRANSITION PLAN IF NOT
CONTINUING OF THE AIRPORT."
DOT TOLD KHON2: THAT BECAUSE THE
STATE DOESN'T OWN
"DILLINGHAM AIRFIELD IT DOES
NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO CLOSE
THE FACILITY IN ITS ENTIRETY."
DOT DID NOT ANSWER MY QUESTIONS
ABOUT
SPECIFIC TIMELINES AND REASONS
FOR THE CHANGE, SAYING THEY'LL
TELL US AND THE PUBLIC WHEN IT'S
FINAL.
GINA MANGIERI-"IS SOMETHING LIKE
A PRIVATE ENTITY, A NONPROFIT
ENTITY, SOME SORT OF THIRD PARTY
MANAGER OR PROVIDER POSSIBLE?:
SEN. GIL RIVIERE-"IT'S HARD TO
SAY, THERE ARE AIR FIELDS THAT
PROBABLY COULD BE OPERATED BY
SOME SORT OF CO-OP, BUT YOU
CAN'T DO THAT WITH NO NOTICE."
THE ARMY TELLS ME: THEY'RE
"NOW ANALYZING THE POSSIBLE
IMPACTS RESULTING FROM THE
STATE'S EARLY TERMINATION
NOTICE, TO DETERMINE THE WAY
FORWARD."
A FATAL SKYDIVING CRASH THERE
LAST SUMMER REVEALED
MANAGEMENT-TENANT DISPUTES,
LIABILITY ISSUES AND A SAFETY
AND
MAINTENANCE CONCERNS.
THE US ARMY TOLD ME THEN THAT IF
THE STATE EVER DID WALK AWAY
THE ARMY "WOULD LIKELY CEASE
ALL FOR-PROFIT COMMERCIAL
ACTIVITY THERE.."
MANY THINK THE CRASH AND A
RENEWED FOCUS ON AIRPLANE AND
HELICOPTER REGULATION FROM HERE
TO WASHINGTON IS PLAYING A PART
IN THE STATE'S DECISIONMAKING.
STEVE LOWRY-"IT JUST BREAKS MY
HEART, WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THAT
HAPPENS, AND OF COURSE IT HAS
HUGE REPERCUSSIONS, IT GIVES
AVIATION A REAL BAD IMAGE WHICH
IT SHOULDN'T AHVE BECAUSE MOST
OF US FLY VERY SAFELY AND ARE
SEN. GIL RIVIERE-THE TRAGEDY
THAT OCCURRED SEVERAL MONTHS AGO
WAS A BRAND NEW STARTUP COMPANY
THAT WAS UNDERFUNDED.
THAT IS NO REASON TO SHUT DOWN
AN AIRFIELD."
THE FEDERAL AVIATAION
ADMINISTRATION MEANWHILE HAS
TOLD THE STATE IN WRITING THAT
FEDERAL GRANTS THEY GAVE THE
STATE MAKE THE D-O-T OBLIGATED
TO STAY AT LEAST THROUGH 2025.
THE FAA SAYS THEY WANT CIVILIAN
ACCESS MAINTAINED AND WARNS THE
STATE AGAINST
DISCRIMINATING BASED ON KINDS OF
AIRPORT ACTIVITIES. WE'LL
CONTINUE TO FOLLOW UP.
GINA MANGIERI, KHON2 NEWS,
ALWAYS INVESTIGATING.