This topic doesn’t really fit anywhere on Beechtalk but I thought I’d mine the “brain trust” as some of you may have had run-ins with overly authoritarian airports. I have posted previously on some of the difficulties we have seen at KLAR (Laramie, WY) since the city fired all the prior board members and the airport manager and installed hand-picked city council members as board members and the prior director of our local drug court as the airport manager (no prior experience, no certification).
We had a lot prior issues with their interpretation of the lease and making things very hard on local pilots and instructors (trespassed a local instructor because he refused to work for her when she offered him a job) along with many other conflicts with me an others.

It came to a head last Friday morning I had a trip planned to Tahoe. Weather was 200 overcast and snow removal was in progress. The runways were NOTAM’d closed until 06:30 so I filed for a 06:40 departure. I started engines and called center. I was cleared to depart runway 21 with no void time and instructed to call her (Denver Center Controller) airborne. As I taxied to the runway, the FBO got on the radio and told me that the runways were closed. I asked why (since there was no snow on them and visibility was unlimited under the overcast) and they said it was because of runway ice. I asked why there was no NOTAM to close the runway and they didn’t answer. So I announced I would do a runway safety check and taxied down 1/2 way (the distance I needed to take off) to check for obstacles turned around and came back while doing braking action checks (fair). I pulled off at the beginning of the runway and called center back. Initially she just said that she should get me on radar shortly, but then I explained that I was still on the ground and that the FBO was calling the runway closed. She very matter of factly said “Oh, well let me check again…nope it is still open. Again, you are cleared to depart, call me airborne.” So I notified the FBO and the plows (which all had radios) that I intended to depart runway 21 as cleared but that I would wait until everyone reported clear of the runway. They did, I visually confirmed this, and took off without incident.
15 minutes after departure, the airport put in a NOTAM closing the runway. About 30 minutes after that they removed it again. About 4 or 5 hours after departure, I got an email from the airport’s attorney accusing me of departing from a closed runway and “putting lives at risk”. I explained that it was an open runway from which I was cleared to depart and sent historical NOTAM records to them proving this issue. Last night they changed their “charge” to violating airport “rules and regulations” (which are not written and can’t be reviewed by me) and have suspended me from accessing the secure side of the airport (where my owned hangar is), or flying my plane for 30 days.
Contrary to their prior charge, they now admit that I did not violate any FAR’s but claim that they can still block me from accessing the airport and my hangar as they see fit. They also said that failure to comply with this order would put my lease at risk.
I thought about just challenging their claim and flying this morning but wanted to check with others first. I tentatively have flights scheduled on Wednesday and Thursday as well. I have calls back in to AOPA legal defense department (the’ve been consulted on her before) and a local lease attorney.
I’d be interested in some of the Beechtalk IFR pilot’s opinions on what transpired as well as any recommendations for attorneys that can address this type of issue. I have left messages with the Denver FSDO but they haven’t called back. I am not just looking to get privileges back to use the grant assured public airfield…I’m looking to change they way the do business.
Thanks.

You may get a lot of useless opinions here but what you really need is an attorney. Hopefully you already have one. The attorney needs to be someone who understands contracts as that is the likely basis of your dispute. If they know a bit about airports and FAA that would be helpful but you need someone local. It might be worth a call to AOPA as you might get lucky with some help.

What is the actual timeline involved in an airport listing a NOTAM and it going live/effective?

Is there one?

Talk to AOPA

I know they have helped a lot with similar problems where the airport was probably violating their agreements with the FAA etc. they have the big guns

Thomas, that sounds like a goatrope. Short-term I wouldn't poke the bear.

Longer term, channel your inner Jill:
I went to high school with Jill. Her father owned the pool hall / greasy spoon in our small town, it was just down main street from the courthouse. The place was always hopping because it had the only liquor license in town. A few days before graduation, Jill's father passed away and she became the proprietor.

The city council thought the pool hall was a blight on the community. With a kid now in charge of it, they decided to run her out of business. They stopped emptying her dumpster out back and then wrote her up for being a health hazard. She paid a private company to empty it but the next week, the city parked a truck in her alley blocking access.

That happened to be election day. It was raining cats and dogs and turnout would be low. With the bad weather, the pool hall was packed with every construction worker and farmer. Jill jumped up on the bar and announced "turning off the taps, no more beer until all you sumbitches walk up the street and write my name in for city council".

She got something crazy like 80% of the vote, and her trash was always picked up on time after that.

Did they tell you a second time that you could not take off after you did the runway check?

Good grief that sounds frustrating.

Nothing like an authoritarian group with all the authority but none of the responsibility.

I wish you luck in getting this resolved.

As a side note, it is disappointing to hear about people with power that don't have a background in the field, yet act as the expert.

Snow and ice this early in the season! I'm surprised that City Council members are permitted to serve on the airport board. I'm on the board at my airport, city officials are not allowed to serve. Both by the charter of the airport board and the rules governing city officials.

Very sorry to hear about this situation. You need an attorney, preferably one that is a pilot or at least one that knows aviation. Not too many of those around. AOPA legal services is pretty good and found one in my local area that I have used multiple times.

Attorney and it makes a difference if the airport receives FAA grants in the last 20 years.

Good grief, sorry to hear about your troubles.

I agree that you will need a lawyer. If you are serious about getting the management changed, you may want to try to find a lawyer who is a pitbull about making sure that all governance and compliance documents have been properly filed as regards rule making, operational authority, and such. If those "operating" the airport have such casual disregard for how the rules of your flight departure should work, it would not be surprising if they have a casual disregard for how the rules of their governance should work, and have not done their due diligence on a number of fronts.

Good luck!

The NOTAM for the closed runway ended at 06:30 (that’s why I was cleared to depart). My departure was 06:47. The NOTAM for the “re-closure” was at about 07:05, and re-open about 25 minutes after that at which point another plane departed as well. Initially they had said it would be “after sunrise” before the runway would open…they changed their minds. They close the runway anytime their friction meter spits out a zero, which it does with almost all snowstorms. No other local airfields were closed (but they rarely are and ours always does ever since they bought their friction meter).
No, they did not say I could not take off after I told them that I had been cleared to depart by center a second time. They just said they needed time to move the trucks (which we waited for).
I have initiated work with a lease/tennant attorney but they know little about aviation. It appears there are several potential Part 13 and Part 16 violations in how they have been doing business, and that does’t really fall under the scope of the attorney I’m working with. Perhaps AOPA will have suggestions.

"Discriminatory practices."

Assuming it's a public use airport, and further assuming it's a Grant Rights airport (I'd look it up but I gotta work).

They're out of line in multiple ways, but getting something done about it will be a task; your problem is both legal and political.

You might call your Senator and Representatives. I've seen mighty things happen when those folks get involved!

KLAR is a Part 139 Certificated Commercial Airport. They fall under the FAA's Northwest Mountain Regional Airports Division.



I won't jump into the rest because, well I just won't, but I will touch on this. As a Part 139 Certified Airport, we are required to conduct airfield assessments including braking tests using an approved Friction Meter. If at any time braking is reported to be or found to be Nil, we are required by the FAA to close that surface until we can treat and improve the conditions.

Good idea on the political front…can try that. Yes, the airport is public use and receives federal grants.