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Board allows visiting group to test grass runway; engineering assessment scheduled
Summary
A visiting aviation group asked to practice soft‑field landings on the airport's grass runway. The board authorized a subsurface assessment by engineering to confirm load capacity, with site testing planned in early September and an assessment report to be shared publicly.
The board voted to permit a visiting aviation group to conduct a subsurface assessment of the airport's grass runway to determine whether heavier aircraft can safely practice soft‑field landings there.
Vince Peltzer, representing a Montana-based flying group, asked for permission for periodic soft‑field training and described plans to ‘‘touch down on the grass, taxi around, take up on the pavement’’ and operate with aircraft under roughly 120,000 pounds. An engineering representative described a contingency airfield pavement evaluation, saying the assessment would include penetrometer testing, boreholes and a mapping of subsurface layers to identify sections that may be limited to a smaller number of passes. The firm proposed conducting fieldwork on Sept. 6–7 and delivering a report the board could use to decide next steps.
The board framed the action as authorization only for the assessment — not approval for regular operations — and asked that the resulting report be made public and shared with FAA/State aeronautics offices. After public comment urging community engagement on noise and traffic, the board moved and approved giving the group permission to perform the assessment and to return with the engineering report for follow‑up discussion.
