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Wednesday, July 13, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
LETTERS
Continued from page 2
To the Editor:
To the guy flying the UAV at the airport on the
4th of July:
I must admit to a little bit of envy; you must’ve
gotten some spectacular footage of the drag races,
as well as the whole event.
As a drone flyer myself — and one who has (not
necessarily happily) registered with the Federal
Aviation Administration (FA33YEM9WP) — I
must also admit to a certain amount of anger and
frustration. Surely you must know that flying
UAVs over people is against the law, as well as
being potentially hazardous to bystanders.
You also may or may not be aware that so far
this year firefighting aircraft have been grounded
on several occasions due to UAVs being operated
in the vicinity of wildfires.
We’re at the very beginning of the UAV revolu-
tion, and it’s not too far a stretch to imagine the
FAA imposing an outright ban on all personal-use
UAVs.
To you and all UAV pilots who may be tempted
to get the cool shots: Please don’t give the feds any
further excuses to shut us down.
Pete Rathbun
s
s
s
To the Editor:
The economy is booming and Sisters remains
dependent upon tourism and recreation activi-
ties. EDCO (Economic Development for Central
Oregon) and City of Sisters leadership have been
working diligently to bring new industry into
our community. The land at and around the air-
port has been designated for industrial and com-
mercial development. Private and government
dollars have been invested in the airport to cre-
ate better opportunities for economic advance-
ment. The activities proposed at the airport can
be diverse, and a skydiving venture is but one of
the enterprises that is permissible in an airport
setting.
Sisters Airport is expanding and improving its
services for pilots and aircraft. I understand that
over 80 percent of city residents voted to annex the
private airport into the city. It is unrealistic to then
ask the Bensons to not expand the business oppor-
tunities for their airport.
I am a private pilot and own an airplane. For
four years I rented a hangar in Prineville because
there were none in Sisters. Once Sisters Eagle
Airport built their hangars I rented one. Now I
spend money in Sisters to hangar and fuel my
airplane. I frequently spend time at the airport
and have met many people who fly to Sisters to
enjoy the amenities of Sisters Country. As the air-
port expands, more economic impact will be felt
community-wide.
There are 4,800 licensed airplanes in Oregon.
Some of these planes travel to or over Central
Oregon for work or pleasure. With the more afford-
able fuel prices, air travel is increasing and it is not
fair to assume that the skydiving airplane based out
of Sisters Airport is responsible for the increased
noise in the area.
I volunteered at the 4th of July of event where
hundreds of people came to see and learn about
airplanes, classic cars and skydiving. Money was
raised to support the very successful aviation pro-
gram at Sisters High School, which can introduce
youth to aviation careers.
The expansion of the airport and its services has
prompted much local discussion in recent weeks.
I encourage people to find ways to communicate
their views and opinions in a respectful manner.
Perhaps we can explore how we can seek com-
mon ground through efforts such as the Speak Your
Peace initiative.
John Dunlap
s
s
s
To the Editor:
At the outset, we want to say that we have the
highest respect for the individuals operating the
Eagle Airport.
They are good people, smart entrepreneurs, and
in the past have been good neighbors.
However, not all business decisions are good
ones, and the decision to initiate a commercial
skydiving operation is, in our opinion, a flawed
venture. It has dramatically increased the level
and frequency of air traffic and engine noise in
our community. It has deprived many of the enjoy-
ment of their homes by the constant, relentless and
grating sounds of an airplane engine four days a
week.
This is especially disturbing because this activ-
ity takes place during the warmer months when
many wish to be outside enjoying their property,
listening to the sounds of nature, and experiencing
the peace they treasure in this community.
In our opinion, the recreational benefits to a
limited number of skydivers and the questionable
financial benefits to Sisters pales in comparison
to the price paid by so many residents, as well as
visitors.
Part of being a good neighbor is knowing when
your own self interests disproportionately and
adversely impact the legitimate interests of those
around you. Although we don’t criticize Eagle
Airport for experimenting with this venture, we
think time has shown that the drawbacks far exceed
the limited benefits.
Some comments have suggested that the City
of Sisters develop noise ordinances or take other
regulatory action to either halt or severely restrict
this and potential future activity. A more simple
and expedient solution may be for the operators of
Eagle Airport to reconsider their decision to launch
a commercial skydiving business due to the nega-
tive impact on so many in the broader community.
David Adler & Marcy Edwards
See letterS on page 20
“I was just going in
for 10 minutes.”
But then the check-out line was so long.
Even with the windows partly
down, the heat can rise from
80º outside to 102º inside
the car in a short time.*
Parked cars are deathtraps for dogs: On a 78-degree day,
the temperature inside a parked car can soar to between
100 and 120 degrees in just minutes, and on a 90-degree
day, the interior temperature can reach as high as 160
degrees in less than 10 minutes. Animals can sustain brain
damage or even die from heatstroke in just 15 minutes.*
FURRY FRIEND S
501 ( c )( 3 )
FOUNDATION
www.furryfriendsfoundation.org
Friends don’t
leave friends in
parked cars!
*www.peta.org