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FAA tells airport to stop paraglider operations; manager orders FOD mat, cleaning equipment and PAPI aiming device
Summary
Airport staff said a Flight Standards inspector urged the authority to restrict paraglider activity because of nearby controlled airspace; staff also reported several year-end equipment purchases and work orders including a FOD mat, pressure-washer lens racks and a PAPI aiming device kit.
Airport manager Bob told the Logan-Cache Airport Authority that Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors told staff they should not allow paragliders to operate from airport property because the field is within controlled airspace and pilots must obtain clearance from the Air Route Traffic Control Center for each flight.
"No more paragliders at the airport as per the FAA," Bob said, reporting that the FAA initially asked the airport to restrict paragliders and later indicated that the requirement would be enforced by the FAA/ARTCC rather than by the local authority. Manager Bob said the FAA told him paragliders would need to call the Air Route Traffic Control Center each time they wanted to fly and that ARTCC was "not likely" to authorize such flights regularly.
Bob described prior informal glider operations on an abandoned west runway where pilots and vehicles accessed the field via a gate; he said pilots sometimes parked in mud that tracked onto taxiways and that recent incidents — including damage to a light — contributed to the FAA's review. Board members asked whether the operators had been formally trespassed; Bob said he had changed the gate combination and that operations from the abandoned runway have been stopped.
Manager report — equipment and maintenance: Bob also briefed the board on several purchases funded from year-end unspent money: a FOD (foreign object debris) mat that can be towed behind a vehicle to pick up gravel and debris from taxiways, a pressure washer and glass-rack system to clean taxiway light lenses, and a PAPI (precision approach path indicator) digital aiming device kit to verify PAPI angles. Bob said staff ordered the equipment to improve safety and reduce labor-intensive cleanup.
Capital projects update (related items): Staff reported bids and scheduling for paint/striping work (bids received from four companies; runway-only painting estimated total $140,000 with a local share of about $42,000 on a 70/30 split), a possible PAPI control-box relocation pending FAA determination, and a planned purchase of snow-removal broom equipment estimated at $250,000 (federal/state funding expected, local share roughly $6,000–$7,000). Staff said the taxi-lane Kilo federal project is estimated at about $1.1 million with a small local share (~$30,000) and that taxiway Charlie is estimated at $800,000 with a local share in the $150,000 range.
Clarifying counts: When asked how many glider/paraglider operators used the property, staff estimated "less than 10." Board members flagged that enforcement options are limited because the FAA asserted ARTCC control over those operations, not the airport.
Ending: The board accepted the manager's report, asked staff to pursue required FAA coordination on the PAPI and painting projects, and directed manager Bob to circulate any required documents and bid results before the next meeting.
