“Fly With The Best”

Will Renton Airport EVER be as busy as Boeing Field?

Every airport has it’s own style and personality.  These characteristics are determined by a number of factors such as  location, runway length, approaches, etc.  Everyone in the aviation community knows that Renton will never be as busy as Boeing Field.  The location, physical size, and services available, determine the type of operations that each airport is able to sustain on a regular basis.  Below is a comparison of the airports and our thoughts about what that means to our citizens and neighbors.

* source Airnav.com data for 12 months ending 12/31/2005

Look at the companies that operate from Boeing Field.  Why do UPS, BAX, and Ameriflight choose to locate their operations there?  The answer is simple.  Boeing has a runway TWICE as long as Renton, TWO precision approaches, and a 24 hour control tower.  These three features are deal breakers for large companies that  require the reliability of precision approaches and operate large aircraft.  Renton can NEVER match these types of facilities.  We would have to stretch the runway to I-405 just to meet the runway requirement.  We all know that’s not going to happen!

69% of the operations at Boeing Field are comprised of Transient and Air Taxi/Commercial Operations .  These are the companies that most need the long runway and precision approaches and are least likely to relocate to Renton.

Transient vs. Based ?( see “Paholkepedia”). 

Operators with aircraft based on the field benefit by operating in a noise friendly manner and no aircraft owner flies everyday.  Transients come and go.  Every day there’s another batch of aircraft arriving and departing.

I operate an FBO.  Please believe me about these two facts. 

1) Based aircraft are my “bread and butter”.  These are my regular customers.  They buy fuel, catering, you name it.  But they really don’t fly that much.  We estimate approximately 1/2 operation per week per based aircraft on average.

2) Transient aircraft are the “gravy”.  They pop in for the day, buy a bunch of fuel and split.  Each of these aircraft equals approximately 2 operations on the day they visit. Unlike based aircraft, they are not acutely aware of the noise abatement procedures.  They might also take an attitude of  “Oh well, we won’t be back here anytime soon.”  Pro-Flight informs each and every transient pilot using our facilities of the noise sensitive areas and noise abatement procedures.

 

My company responded to Renton’s RFP  for a Corporate Aviation Center, proposing that the facility be built and operated in a manner that would attract Based Aircraft and not force the FBO’s to target Transients or scheduled freight carriers.  We proposed this solution because we are able to leverage our existing investments over the last twelve years.  We understand the noise impacts and we know the true sources.  Another FBO will require massive fuel sales in order to sustain their business.  We also believe we have a viable plan to attract “zero noise impact” business to the field AND manage the noise problem.