THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 2015
NORTH COAST
3A
Gearhart neighbors say biplane too noisy
Biplane activity sparks
conversation about FAA rules
By KATHERINE
LACAZE
EO Media Group
SEASIDE — Jim Grant’s
biplane offers residents and
visitors alike the chance to
survey the surrounding sce-
nic area from a rare, bird’s-
eye view in an open cockpit.
During the summer,
Grant, of Portland, provides
custom scenic flights from
the publicly owned Seaside
Municipal Airport, located
on Seaside property sur-
rounded by the city of Gear-
hart off U.S. Highway 101.
Two passengers — he will
take anyone ages “4 to 94”
— can ride the biplane at one
time.
“I’ve had a lot of peo-
ple come who like having it
here,” Grant said. “It’s a sum-
mertime activity that’s been
traditional since the 1920s.”
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riling local residents who feel
the operation is too noisy, in-
terferes with wildlife habitat
and creates a safety hazard,
especially in light of a 2008
Gearhart crash of a small
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Mayor Dianne Widdop
addressed the topic at a Gear-
hart City Council meeting
earlier this month. Widdop,
who sits on Seaside’s Airport
Committee, said residents
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over are concerned about
safety, wildlife intrusion and
especially the noise.
“I’ve heard from people
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over, the estuary front on Lit-
tle Beach, on Nita and Ocean
Avenue,” Widdop said. “The
complaints have been with
the noise, and it’s annoying
to everyone.”
Wildlife, air safety
are concerns
Grant’s routes vary. The
“Seaside Intro” tour covers
Seaside, the Cove, the mouth
of the Necanicum River,
Gearhart and the golf cours-
es. Another, the “Seaside
Plus,” climbs to a higher al-
titude for a more panoramic
view of the Columbia Riv-
er, Astoria and more. Other
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up the coast and get cheaper
by the minute. They hit land-
marks such as Fort Stevens,
the south shore of the Colum-
bia River and two lighthous-
es by Ilwaco, Wash. Some of
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the Gearhart Ocean State
Park.
The Necanicum Estuary is
a wildlife reserve the Audu-
bon Society of Portland has
designated an important bird
area. It provides habitat for
western snowy plovers, bald
eagles, Calidris sandpipers,
semipalmated plovers, small
numbers of whimbrel and
occasionally long-billed cur-
lews.
Gearhart resident John
Dudley, who lives on Little
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the wildlife reserve are “the
major concern.” “It is fright-
Buoy 10
hatchery-only
The Daily Astorian
Stick to hatchery
salmon, as of today.
To
continue
the
Buoy 10 salmon fishery
through Labor Day, state
managers limited catch-
es to hatchery adipose
fin-clipped salmon.
Recreational fishers
are quickly approach-
ing their share of the
salmon run, the Oregon
Department of Fish and
Wildlife reported, and
the changes should help
extend Buoy 10 through
Sept. 7 as scheduled.
The state reported
18,600 Chinook kept
during 46,600 angler
trips through Aug. 20.
The limits starting today
are as follows:
• Through Sept. 7,
only adipose fin-clipped
Chinook may be re-
tained.
• The overall dai-
ly bag limit is still two
adult hatchery salmon or
steelhead, in combina-
tion. Only one may be a
Chinook. All wild steel-
head, coho, and Chinook
salmon must be released.
• All jack salmon
caught between Tongue
Point and Buoy 10 must
be released through
Sept. 30.
• Anglers may trans-
port unclipped Chinook
salmon caught in adja-
cent fisheries, such as
the Pacific Ocean or the
Columbia River above
Tongue Point, through
the Buoy 10 area. But
they cannot fish in Buoy
10 with an unclipped
salmon on board.
All Chinook salmon
retention in the Buoy
10 area is scheduled to
close Sept. 8 through
Sept. 30. Managers will
monitor the fishery, and
an earlier closure is pos-
sible if effort and har-
vest rates continue to be
high.
State managers are
predicting over half a
million coho will be re-
turning to the mouth of
the Columbia.
From Sept. 8 through
Sept. 30, the fishery
closes to Chinook salm-
on, but fishers may keep
a daily limit of two
hatchery coho salmon.
From Oct. 1 to Dec. 31,
anglers can catch Chi-
nook and hatchery coho,
with a daily limit of two.
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ening to think of those birds
colliding with the plane,” he
said.
In September 2004, the
Federal Aviation Administra-
tion issued an advisory that
encouraged pilots making
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DUHDVWRÀ\DWDOWLWXGHVKLJK-
er than those permitted by
regulation to reduce aircraft
noise.
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of “noise-sensitive” areas
included parks, recreational
areas, wildlife refuges and
cultural and historical sites
where “a quiet setting is a
generally recognized feature
or attribute.”
The background for the
policy is that “excessive air-
craft noise can result in an-
noyance, inconvenience or
interference with the uses and
enjoyment of property, and
can adversely affect wildlife,”
according to the FAA.
To reduce bird strike risks,
the Aeronautical Information
Manual states pilots should
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areas of bird concentration
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during bird migration. Chart-
ed wildlife refuges and other
natural areas contain unusu-
ally high local concentration
of birds which may create a
hazard to aircraft.”
Neighbors have cited gen-
eral safety as another concern.
Brian Fennerty, a former
U.S. Airways pilot who also
lives near Little Beach, said
he was most alarmed about
safety.
“He’s well below what we
FRQVLGHU D VDIH ÀLJKW SDWK´
Fennerty said. “If you talk to
than 500 feet to any person,
vessel, vehicle or structure.
“That’s what I go at,”
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patterns are “perfectly legal.”
FAA regulations do not
prescribe minimum altitudes
for takeoff and landing. Grant
said he descends at a height
that allows him to spot elk,
pedestrians and other safety
hazards on the landing strip.
He carries a radio with him,
although it’s not a require-
ment, he said.
He said he doesn’t believe
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“It’s not a fast airplane,” he
said. “It’s loud, so a bird can
hear it coming.”
He is only aware of one
person who has expressed
concern, and he described her
as a “NIMBY” — an acronym
Following the rules
for “Not In My Back Yard”
Grant said his safety re- used to describe someone
cord is clean, and he conducts who opposes an activity only
KLV ÀLJKWV E\ WKH ERRN +H as it personally affects them.
said he travels no more than a
Otherwise, Grant added,
25-mile radius, the legal limit, he feels the community is sup-
DQGKDVDUHFRUGRIVDIHÀLJKW portive, as his local business
going back several decades.
makes use of the airport.
According to the FAA,
The Facebook page for
biplanes must adhere to the -LP¶V %LSODQH 5LGHV LV ¿OOHG
same general restrictions as with enthusiastic remarks
other aircraft. Over any con- from passengers. “This was
gested area of a city, town or an experience that I’ll never
settlement or over an open forget,” one wrote.
air assembly of persons, an
“Great adventure, fantastic
aircraft must maintain an al- pilot and tons of fun,” wrote
titude of 1,000 feet above the another.
highest obstacle within a hori-
Reaching a compromise
zontal radius of 2,000 feet.
“This is an issue where you
Over “other congested ar- realize everybody probably
eas,” an aircraft must maintain has a perspective that is really
an altitude of 500 feet above different,” Fennerty said.
the surface, except over open
He and Gearhart’s Dudley
water or sparsely populated both said they respect Grant
areas. In that case, the aircraft has a business and wants it to
may not be operated closer EHSUR¿WDEOH
pilots, the higher up you are
when something goes wrong,
the longer you have to cor-
rect it. He has no buffer for an
emergency. None. Zero.”
Gearhart residents clear-
ly remember the morning of
Aug. 4, 2008, when a sin-
gle-engine plane crashed into
a home at 398 N. Marion St.,
killing the pilot, his passen-
ger and three children in the
house. Three other people,
including two children, went
to a burn center with injuries.
“It still brings back some
very raw emotions,” Dudley
said of the crash.
Widdop agreed. “You can’t
imagine, unless you were
here,” she said. “For a long
time after, you would just
shake if you heard a plane.”
“I don’t think the neigh-
borhood is against someone
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adding they are aware they
live near an airport.
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occurring upward of a dozen
times per day, however, they
wonder if something could be
done to mitigate the noise pol-
lution and safety risk. They
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at a higher altitude and taking
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“I would like to know what
latitude there is,” Dudley said
in regards to Grant making a
steeper descent from a higher
altitude. “It seems to be do-
able in terms of other aircraft
we’ve seen approaching the
airport and making a steeper
incline into the landing path.”
He also would prefer if
Grant could vary his routes
more so the same people and
areas wouldn’t be continually
affected by the noise pollu-
tion.
A member of the Seaside
Airport Committee, Wid-
dop said she talked to Grant
about elevation, frequency
and safety. “His attitude was,
‘This is the way it is.’ I sug-
gested there might be more
runs over Seaside and few-
er over Gearhart. He wasn’t
taken with that. And there’s
nothing we can do. His alti-
tude is legal, his biplane is
older and it makes noise, so
I guess all we can do is wait
until Labor Day.”
Widdop said it would be
EHQH¿FLDOWRKDYHDFRQYHUVD-
tion addressing the question,
“What can be done so it’s a
win-win situation for every-
one?”
Cyclists honored by — and for — veterans
By EDWARD STRATTON
The Daily Astorian
When Bryce Nurding start-
ed organizing his cross-country
bicycling fundraiser nearly two
years ago, he said many doubted
it would happen. He advertised
the ride at the high school, and
recruited senior Ryan Tallman
and junior Jonathan Williams.
On Saturday, less than a
ZHHN DIWHU ¿QLVKLQJ WKHLU ULGH
from the Peter Iredale shipwreck
to the Hudson River in New
York City, the three cyclists and
Boy Scouts sat in Clatsop Post
12 of the American Legion, re-
ceiving several rounds of con-
gratulations from some of the
highest echelons of the Ameri-
can Legion, along with parents,
friends and local politicians.
Nurding, Tallman, Williams
and Don Child, a former Viet-
nam infantry medic from Ha-
waii, left the Peter Iredale ship-
wreck June 15. They rode 3,521
miles through 12 states, dipping
their wheels in the Hudson Riv-
er Aug. 15 after riding into New
York City with a police escort.
Along the way, they raised about
$20,000 for Operation Comfort
Warriors, a veterans support
group operated by the legion.
The group doubled their fund-
raising goal and made it across
Edward Stratton/The Daily Astorian
From left, Bryce Nurding,
Jonathan Williams and
Ryan Tallman went through
several rounds of congrat-
ulations and photo shoots
Saturday at Clatsop Post 12
of the American Legion.
the U.S. within three days of
their original schedule.
“You have put service to oth-
ers above your own interests,”
said state Sen. Betsy Johnson,
D-Scappoose, who spoke Sat-
urday along with Astoria Mayor
Arline LaMear and others.
Support from American
Legion
Nurding’s event would not
have been as successful, he
said, without the support of
the legion, friends and fam-
ily. The group raised about
$3,000 from local businesses
and individuals, and the trip
was sponsored by American
Legion posts across the coun-
try.
Aug ust 27 th
1 PM o r 6 PM
CON CEAL
CONCEAL CARRY
CARRY
PERM IT
PERMIT CLASS
CLASS
Oregon –
O rego
n 34
- U States
tah
Utah
- Valid
Valid 35 States
It was Nurding, an Eagle
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overall high achiever, who
originated the idea and assem-
bled the equipment lists, con-
tacts, route maps, lodgings,
locales, mileage and more. He
was inspired for the ride by
the Lucky 13 crew of scouts
who cycled from Maryland to
Seaside, raising money for a
cancer center.
On the trip, the riders split
their time camping out, stay-
ing in the homes of supporters
and sleeping in motels. Scott
Lee, Bikes and Beyond owner
and Clatsop County commis-
sioner, provided a discount on
the group’s bikes, which are
being shipped back from New
York City free of charge by an
Afghanistan veteran and bike
shop owner there.
“The
whole
country
stepped in along the way,”
Nurding said. “It was really
impressive and inspiring to see
how many people helped us.”
W arrenton Grade School
office is now open for
REGISTRATION
Pa ren ts of in com in g K in derga rten
stu den ts a re en cou ra ged to register
a s soon a s possible. W e h a ve im porta n t
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Hardest day
The hardest day of the ride,
Nurding said, was riding 113
miles in 110-degree weather
through North Dakota, while the
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shorter but steeper Appalachian
Mountains near the end.
By the end, Nurding said,
the American Legion arranged
for a police escort as he and the
other riders traveled down the
freeway toward the Hudson. He
estimated the ride and fundrais-
er had been featured on several
television stations and about 20
newspapers.
Williams is the only rider
coming back to Astoria next
school year, as a junior. Nurding
said he is going to board at the
private St. Michael’s Univer-
sity School in Victoria, British
Columbia, to help him prepare
for college. Tallman’s family
moved to Hillsboro. Williams
said he has thought of organiz-
ing a similar adventure fundrais-
er.
Still a
Great Catch!
Happy 80th
Birthday
Captain
Paul Flues II
Love,
Your lovable,
crazy family
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