My leasehold at VNY is now at risk of being closed to small general aviation planes for more Jet leases.
I know it's the sign of the times, but ---
If anyone can help by signing the petition it is much appreciated.

Thanks,
Dave

LAWA LEASE UPDATE

December 30,2025

I hope that this lease update had more holiday cheer for you and less critical news.

On December 5th, LAWA issued RFPs for 5 expired leaseholds at Van Nuys airport. The Southwest Aviation leasehold was included in this grouping and split into two separate RFPs. The first parcel encompasses the Paramount site and the second, the rest of the leasehold to the South. In the RFP for the Southern part of my leasehold, LAWA is expanding the boundaries to include a vacant lot fronting Hayvenhurst and a part of the former Green Hornet site. Both sites are being promoted as having aviation development potential, even though the current land use, or FAA restrictions and/or airport specific plan precludes aviation development for these parcels.

As a current tenant, pilot, business operator and plane owner, you should be aware that the proposed use of my leasehold going forward is for general aviation use, not propeller use. (Note that LAWA utilizes a general aviation term to define aircraft over 12,000 lbs. takeoff weight and non-propeller.) Hidden within this designation is an attempt to convert the Southwest Aviation leasehold for jet aviation uses as LAWA receives a significantly higher land rental rate for jet operations.

If a Jet FBO is successful in obtaining the new lease, they will use the land for jet aviation to make the economics work and displace you and your plane. It is likely that you will need to find an alternative airport to fly out of as there is the lack of alternative sites for propeller aircraft and T hangars at Van Nuys.

Of addition concern is that current Southwest Aviation business tenants: the flight schools; insurance providers; tour operators and repair facilities, would be dislocated and the services currently serving the propeller aircraft community at Van Nuys would be lost.

This is major wakeup call, and we have a very short time fuse to organize and voice opposition to LAWA’s plan to reduce propeller access at Van Nuys. Southwest Aviation has set up a petition initiative at Change.org with the following link:

https://c.org/XGQ9nnmL9L.

We strongly encourage you to make your voice heard by signing this petition to retain propeller aircraft on Southwest’s lease and to eliminate the Hayvenhurst lot from this RFP.

When responding to this petition, here are suggested talking points for your post:

Your history of tenancy at Southwest Aviation Complex.

Keeping the current leasehold dedicated for propeller use, not jet use.

Affordability.

Need for a new lease term long enough to enable necessary improvements to the tarmac, buildings, parking lot and pilot facilities at Southwest Aviation. We are suggesting a minimum of ten years.

The importance of the current business operations at SWA to maintaining, operating, training and enabling private aviation at Van Nuys.

How your current operations benefit the local community such as number of students attending flight schools, number of employees, economic impact, mercy flights etc.

I thank you in advance for your concern and action in retaining private propeller aviation at Van Nuys airport

Warmly,
Nick
Southwest Aviation Complex, lp

Done... Happy New Year, Dave!

Thanks Sven,
Happy New Year to you as well.
Probably about time you come up to see us for lunch again?

Thanks Sven,
Happy New Year to you as well.
Probably about time you come up to see us for lunch again?

It's important to tell the powers that be how the aviation ecosystem works. They might want more profitable jets instead of the "lowly" piston aircraft.

But no starry-eyed kid gets his first flight in a Gulfstream.
No aspiring mechanic starts out working on a BBJ.
No aspiring pilot learns to fly in a Global Express.

For any of those planes to have pilots or mechanics, you need a vibrant light aircraft community. That community is ONLY found, where piston aircraft are found. There is no equivalent in the turbine aircraft world. Those same turbine aircraft economics that the airport operator favors, work against the piston aircraft community.

So you can push out all the little guys, grab some short-term gains, and in few years, there will be NO pilots or mechanics to keep the rich few flying. There will be no general aviation ambassadors to the public, which is what local pilots are to their communities. Opposition to the airport will increase.

Lastly, only ten percent of US based aircraft are jets. The overwhelming majority are piston airplanes. Catering to the ten percent is a losing proposition in the long-term.

I think they understand it. Just go do that at another airport somewhere else like Santa Paula or Camarillo, [is their response].

While I would like to believe this, I don’t think it is true. The clear trend is that more and more airports and FBOs are trying to tailor their business and services to attract high end turbines. If it were a losing proposition I don’t think that would be the trend.

I agree with your big picture though. I am concerned over the long term that we will lose an increasing amount of airports and infrastructure as the population of pilots and aircraft owners continues to shrink and be less economically diverse.

As much as it sucks for us little guys, it makes total business sense for an FBO or airport to want primarily jet traffic if they are money making ventures. Based solely on fuel volume sales it makes sense, then tack on all the crazy ramp fees that are popping up for jet and turbine traffic and you've got a recipe for actually making some money if you have an FBO in a desirable location and can charge for it.
Not that I like seeing it happen, but

My home base for my 195 is KPLR in Cropwell, Ala. Thirty miles outside Birmingham, out in the pine woods.

I heard the board was taking applications for those who wanted to build moderately big hangars. I own two planes (195 and 310), and my buddy owns two (V-Tail and C-180), so we thought we'd go in together.

Until we got the application. Jet-A powered aircraft only. Let me emphasize, this is out in the sticks. I guess there's enough jet owners out in the countryside to give them hope.

If that airport has taken FAA grant money I suspect they are violating the terms of the grant by restricting hangar space to turbine aircraft.

We have a similar action going on at Camarillo Airport. Proposal to tear down 42 box and port a port hangars to build larger facilities for the turbine crowd.

We’ve known it was coming for some time now but the lying SOB’s in county government kept denying it until just releasing the RFB. Lowest life form on the planet seems to be politicians and many, not all, gov employees!

If that airport has taken FAA grant money I suspect they are violating the terms of the grant by restricting hangar space to turbine aircraft.

They THINK this is true, but the biz jets are

1) not evenly distributed around the US

And

2) going into the fractional fleet at the same rate or greater than the private/corp fleet.... fracs never go in hangars (unless in maintenance)

I've been told that when they find a developer for the area where my hangar sits and the development plan requires my hangar be removed, I may stay at MKE if I choose by renting space in one of the new hangars from the mew master lease holder.

The minimum standards for those new hangars is 22k sqft of land lease 7500 sqft of hangar, 12,250 sqft of ramp, and a 17.5 door height.

An important part of a presentation I gave to a staff member of the elected official who has authority above our airport director touched on this topic.

I make an analogy that compares GA to sports.

What would pro sports look like if access to sports started after high-school?

Now, think about the people (kids and coaches), the infrastructure (school and municipal fields and courts), and equipment suppliers that make up sports at all levels below college.

Think about the "why" they particpate and what it does for them.

I end this section of the presentation talking about Sully's glider experience and how there were no MCAS accidents in areas with robust GA. (Incidents, but no crashes) Yes, I know this is a stretch, but it is a long presentation and I needed a familiar yet dramatic way to end that section.