4||0|1946|0|
0|0|0|||1||Less-Elder Days Story Time%3A The Airport|Gryphon||23:57:54|06/08/2018|So%2C apropos of nothing much%2C here%27s a little story about a little airport.%0D%0A%0D%0AHere in Millinocket%2C we have a municipal airport%2C imaginatively called Millinocket Municipal Airport.  It was built back in the %2730s by the Civilian Conservation Corps%2C which was a New Deal make-work%2Fpersonal-improvement agency for young men%E2%80%94unskilled labor in the great out-of-doors%2C healthy character-building toil%2C that sort of thing.  Like many things here%2C the airport seems ever so slightly out-of-scale for what the town is now%3B it%27s not a controlled field with commercial service or anything%2C but it has two paved runways%2C lights%2C a proper fixed base operator%2C all that good stuff.%0D%0A%0D%0AWhen I was a little kid%2C the airport was a happening place.  The town%27s sole large industry%2C the late and much-lamented Great Northern Paper Company%2C had a small fleet of aircraft it maintained in a hangar there%2C and in the summer the Maine Forest Service would station a flock of spray aircraft there to conduct operations in the state%27s then-raging war against the endemic and economically disastrous spruce budworm.  I%27m not talking about your garden variety agricultural applicators here%2C either%2C I mean %5Bi%5Dserious%5B%2Fi%5D spray planes%2C the kind converted from World War II military aircraft.  B-25s%2C TBF or TBM Avengers%2C C-54s %28the military transport version of the DC-4 airliner%29%2C that sort of thing.  %28This was presumably my first exposure to WWII-vintage aircraft%2C which were not so very old in the late %2770s%21%29%0D%0A%0D%0AThings have quieted down a bit over there since the company folded and the budworm ceased to be such a high priority for the Forest Service%2C but it%27s still reasonably active by small-town airport standards.  It%27s the kind of facility where the ancient art of hangar flying is still a thing%E2%80%94the old-timers sitting around swapping war stories and reminiscing about planes they used to have.%0D%0A%0D%0AIn the spring of 2003 or 4%2C while I was working for the local newspaper%2C the airport%27s master plan came up for review by the FAA.  This is a document that spells out the airport%27s capabilities%2C intentions for future development%2C and so forth%2C and it has to be updated every few years%2C if for no other reason than to assure the FAA that the organization running the facility is on the ball.  In Millinocket%2C the airport is municipal government property%2C but the town passes responsibility for the master plan off to the FBO as part of the contract%2C or at least it did back then.%0D%0A%0D%0AI happened to know the person who was running the FBO at the time%2C we%27ll call him Jeff because that%27s what he%27s called%2C and he invited me to join him and the representative from the FAA when they met to discuss the Master Plan updates.  This was%2C if I%27m honest%2C not a %5Bi%5Dhugely%5B%2Fi%5D absorbing occasion even to an aviation wonk like me%2C and was probably of relatively little interest to most of our readers%2C but there was a moment near the end that has stuck with me all these years.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe FAA man%2C who was a federal bureaucrat straight from central casting%E2%80%94not the William Atherton raging asshole kind%2C but very buttoned-up%E2%80%94and Jeff talked for an hour or so about how much the town planned to spend on mowing the grass around the field in the upcoming summer%2C who owned the adjoining land%2C whether there were any noise complaints from the neighbors %28no%29%2C general traffic levels%2C what renovations were planned to the fixed base %28IIRC%2C they were going to modernize their fueling system that year%29%2C and that sort of thing.  At the end%2C the man from the FAA made a couple of recommendations.%0D%0A%0D%0AFirst%2C he suggested that the town look into the possibility of extending Runway 11%2F29%2C the longer of the airport%27s two runways%2C from its present length of just over 4%2C700 feet to 5%2C000 or more.  Jeff and I glanced at each other in faintly exasperated amusement%2C as we%27d both been bugging them to do that for the better part of a year by that point.  We knew just why the FAA man was recommending it%3A Aircraft insurance companies like 5%2C000-foot runways a lot better than they do 4%2C713-foot ones.  If 11%2F29 were 5%2C000 feet or longer%2C the airport could attract traffic that isn%27t allowed to stop there now for insurance reasons%E2%80%94particularly small business jets%2C if any happened to be in the area.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28I already knew this because I had considered trying to organize an air show at MLT the previous year%2C and had run aground on the fact that the theoretical centerpiece of the program%2C the %5Blink%3Awww.collingsfoundation.org%2Faircrafts%2Fboeing-b-17g-flying-fortress%2F%7CCollings Foundation%27s B-17%5D%2C couldn%27t land there.  The very nice man from the foundation I talked to agreed that it was a daft rule%E2%80%94B-17s operated from %5Bi%5Dfar%5B%2Fi%5D shorter fields during the war%2C and 287 feet is not very far%E2%80%94but their insurers simply wouldn%27t hear of it%2C and so the whole idea died a death.%29%0D%0A%0D%0APoint two%2C the FAA man advised that the small ridge in between the two runways needed to be cleared to comply with a new regulation that the center point of one runway at a two-runway airport must be visible from the center point of the other one.  This was going to take a little doing on account of the town did not actually %5Bi%5Down%5B%2Fi%5D that little wedge of raised land between the two runways%2C but evidently they sorted it out%2C because the job was done a few years later.%0D%0A%0D%0A%22Most importantly%2C though%2C%22 said the man from the FAA%2C %22what can we do about that hill at the south end of 11%2F29%3F%22%0D%0A%0D%0AJeff and I looked at each other%2C baffled.  What hill%3F  There%27s no hill within at least half a mile of the south end of 11%2F29.%0D%0A%0D%0A%22Uh... what hill are you talking about%3F%22 Jeff finally asked%2C awkwardly.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe FAA man looked equally puzzled that he had to ask.  %22The one right across the road%2C%22 he said.%0D%0A%0D%0AAgain%2C Jeff and I were stumped.  %5Bi%5DWhat%5B%2Fi%5D one right across the road%3F  The only thing right across the road from the south end of 11%2F29 is a vacant lot%2C and then a little gully%2C and then the perimeter fence of the town cemetery%2C which is %5Bi%5Dwell%5B%2Fi%5D back from road and could have no conceivable bearing on the approach to the runway%2C and anyway is not a hill.%0D%0A%0D%0ASeeing that we had no idea what he was on about%2C the FAA man gestured for us to follow him and we all went outside.%0D%0A%0D%0A%22%5Bi%5DThat%5B%2Fi%5D hill%2C%22 he said%2C pointing to what was indisputably a dull brown prominence just across the street.  He seemed nonplussed%2C to say the least%2C when Jeff and I couldn%27t help but laugh.  After all%2C he was quite right%2C there was %5Bi%5Dobviously%5B%2Fi%5D a hill over there%2C and a fairly substantial one at that%3B so why had we%2C the editor of the local paper and the operator %5Bi%5Dof the damned airport%5B%2Fi%5D%2C professed ignorance of it and then burst out laughing when we had it pointed out to us%3F%0D%0A%0D%0A%22That%27s not a hill%2C%22 Jeff explained when he could breathe again.  %22It%27s snow.%22%0D%0A%0D%0AThat only baffled the FAA man further%2C since it was late April.  %22%5Bi%5DSnow%3F%5B%2Fi%5D%22%0D%0A%0D%0A%22That%27s where the town crews dump the snow they plow off the roads in the winter%2C%22 Jeff explained.  %22Takes a while to melt %27cause there%27s so much of it.  It%27ll be gone in a couple weeks.%22%0D%0A%0D%0AThe FAA man considered this%2C regarding the mound thoughtfully.  To be fair to him%2C it really did look like a hill%3B it was brown%2C the way plowed-up snow piles look in the spring when the outermost layer has melted and all the road sand and gravel and crud is on the surface.  There was no white showing%2C just dirt.  To be fair to %5Bi%5Dus%5B%2Fi%5D%2C we%27d never thought of it as resembling a hill%2C even though it plainly did%2C because it was just a transient feature.  We knew there was no landform over there%2C and so genuinely had no idea what he was talking about when he mentioned one.%0D%0A%0D%0A%22Well%2C%22 he said at length%2C %22it%27s still too close to the glide slope.%22%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Bb%5DEpilogue%3A%5B%2Fb%5D The town crew still dumps the snow there%2C but nowadays they dump it a bit farther back from the road and try to spread it out a little more.  That seems to satisfy the FAA.%0D%0A%0D%0AAnd they still haven%27t lengthened the damn runway.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D
1|1|0|||1||RE%3A Less-Elder Days Story Time%3A The Airport|Gryphon||23:43:51|06/09/2018|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Jun-09-18 AT 11:44 PM (EDT)]I was out and about today%2C and stopped to get a photo of this rock%2C which is located outside the airport perimeter fence near the corner of the field closest to town.%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2FG-GFX%2FKMLT%2520CCC%2520dedication%2520stone.jpg%0D%0A%0D%0ACCC companies lived in camps while they were in the field on projects%3B the Baxter Camp presumably took its name from Baxter State Park%2C which is near here.  According to state records%2C the 193rd was supervised by the National Forest Service%2C and apart from the airport%2C was largely tasked with building roads and trails%2C I would guess mainly in the park.%0D%0A%0D%0AInterestingly%2C Baxter Park itself was quite new when this was going on%3B it was established in 1931.  Given that Governor Baxter himself was still very much alive and engaged in the engineering of his namesake park %28which started out %5Blink%3Awww.baxterstatepark.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F04%2FAcQ21Mar17.pdf%7Cquite a lot smaller than it is now%5D%29%2C and that it%27s never been a national forest of any kind %28it was private property before Baxter gave it to the state%29%2C one rather wonders why a National Forest Service-managed CCC company was building trails in the area%2C but I suppose agencies in those days weren%27t as tetchy about boundaries.  I don%27t know just when state park agencies and the federal government became the bitter blood enemies they are nowadays.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D
4|2|1|||||RE%3A Less-Elder Days Story Time%3A The Airport|rwpikul||22:12:37|06/13/2018|%3E...and that it%27s never been a national %0D%0A%3Eforest of any kind %28it was private property before Baxter gave it to %0D%0A%3Ethe state%29%2C one rather wonders why a National Forest Service-managed %0D%0A%3ECCC company was building trails in the area%2C but I suppose agencies in %0D%0A%3Ethose days weren%27t as tetchy about boundaries.  I don%27t know just when %0D%0A%3Estate park agencies and the federal government became the bitter blood %0D%0A%3Eenemies they are nowadays. %0D%0A%0D%0AIt%27s quite simple%3A The CCC%2C and the WPA that followed%2C had a primary goal of putting people to work.  Building trails in a wilderness area that is what would now be called a privately owned public space%3F  Sure%2C it improves the area and a bunch of men can be kept busy doing it.%0D%0A%0D%0AHeck%2C the WPA went around building outhouses for people in rural areas.%0D%0A
2|1|0|||||RE%3A Less-Elder Days Story Time%3A The Airport|eriktown||23:39:16|06/10/2018|As a lifelong aviation nerd and lover of small airports%2C this just made me about piss myself laughing. I have met enough FAA guys to know the type. Thank you. Off to catch my breath.
3|1|0|||||RE%3A Less-Elder Days Story Time%3A The Airport|thorr_kan||10:07:04|06/12/2018|Paternal grandfather was in the CCC.  He considered it a good experience.%0D%0A%0D%0ASnow mountains.  One of those things that have to be experienced to be believed. I know folks across Canada and the US whole time which snow mountains last the longest.  Winnipeg keeps winning for some reason.%0D%0A%0D%0AFederal Bureaucrat%2C %22I%27m a professional%22%2C 1 ea.  That%27s the good kind to get.