East Hampton Fly In - Lets Try Again

rkittine

rkittine

Around The Moon
Based on the East Hampton Town Board "DRAFT" resolution, the airport will most likely close end of day February 29th, 2022. The plan is that they will supposedly re-open it as a Private Airport requiring Advances Permission to land and take off for any aircraft not based at HTO. Hopefully this will at least really happen and not just stay closed.

In an attempt to get people out to the airport, I am proposing Saturday the 29th of January with a weather day of Sunday the 30th of January? Does this conflict with anything? The weather looks ok from the advance forecasts for that weekend.

If these dates would work, I will see what I can get covered with the Pilots Association.

 

Cheers, 
 
you

rkittine said
Based on the East Hampton Town Board "DRAFT" resolution, the airport will most likely close end of day February 29th, 2022. The plan is that they will supposedly re-open it as a Private Airport requiring Advances Permission to land and take off for any aircraft not based at HTO. Hopefully this will at least really happen and not just stay closed.


In an attempt to get people out to the airport, I am proposing Saturday the 29th of January with a weather day of Sunday the 30th of January? Does this conflict with anything? The weather looks ok from the advance forecasts for that weekend.


If these dates would work, I will see what I can get covered with the Pilots Association.


 


Cheers, 


  
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you know I'll be there (if I ever get my plane out of annual, that is). 
 
I can always fly over to Brookhaven and pick you up.

 

Trying to confirm with the airport right now.
 
Here is the update on this get together.

Jim the airport manager is aware that we will probably have a small group of planes at East Hampton Airport (HTO) either on Saturday the 29th or Sunday the 30th of January depending on the weather.

Since there is some much drama going on with the Town of East Hampton, there is no way to get the Landing Fee waived as that is paid directly to the town and no one wants to approach the town board to get permission to waive it.

I also talked to Sound Aviation that runs the ramp, which now has a ramp fee of $40.00 for parking a single engine aircraft. And fuel (for non-members of the East Hampton Pilots Association, is now $7.99 per gallon of which $1.50 also goes to East Hampton Town. 

I have asked Sound if they would waive the ramp fee and if they could extend member fuel pricing to people coming, but do not have an answer yet and I am not sure they will extend this accommodation. So there may be a $40.00 fee. Were I park one of my planes, there are a number of tie down spaces where the planes are gone for the winter months. I am going to see if I can get some planes into those places that day. If I can get permission for that (from someone else who tends to be more friendly) I will post in advance exactly what to do after landing rather than taxiing to the ramp.

I am looking at either making a room in the terminal available and having food delivered or I am sure that I and a few others can drive people to one of the two close restaurants. 

There is fuel available at Brookhaven airport with no landing fee and probably somewhere in the $5.75-$6.50 range is you would be heading West afterward and there is also fuel at New London / Groton without a landing fee. 

As an update to the airport situation, the airport will be closed at the end of day on February 28th and MAYBE reopened on or about March 4th as a Private, Permission required to land or take off for planes not based there, but there is a concern that the reopening may not happen or at least not for anyone that does not own a hanger and pay a ground lease. So if that happens, I will be moving the plane not in my hanger to Montauk, where I have already paid a full years tied down up front for 2022.

Will keep everyone adviced.

Bob
 
Looks like the advanced forecast for the 29th is for 5 to 8 inches of snow and winds to 30 knots. Not looking good. Sunday the 30th may still work and if not there is still time before February 28th.

Bob
 
I would call this the "HIGH ROLLER FLY-IN".

Bob Kittine is working hard to make this financially manageable for most of us. The "Hamptons" are well known for being an expensive place to do anything. However, there is a strong reason to go to this fly-in on Long Island, New York - you may never get to do it again.

The East Hampton Airport is closing in a few days and the likelihood of it ever being open again to us ordinary folk is doubtful.

So watch this space daily for information on the fly-in next weekend. You may be making history.
 
Thank you Tom.

As the week progresses, I will watch the forecast an update this thread. There does not seem to be away around the landing fees, but anyone that thinks they are coming, please E-mail me at [email protected]. I think that I can direct you where to go so that you will not have a Ramp Fee to pay. And if anyone really needs fuel in order to leave, I will put it on my account to get you the better price (not that great at $6.49 per gallon) and you can send me a check or pay PayPal or Venmo later. 

Bob
 
Welcome, I am trying to finally pull one of these off, but the Weather Gods are not cooperating. The forecast for East Hampton for Saturday is 5-8" of snow, though some sites are forecasting over 12". Sunday's forecast is for 25-30 MPH winds with gusts over 40 MPH.

Since the airport is open until midnight on the 28th of February, we have a few more weekends and the advanced forecast for February 5th and 6th looks promising. So lets figure now the date is the 5th with a back up of the 6th.

Will check daily and post.

Bob
 
East Hampton Airport has survived the storm after getting about 18" or Snow. The Runways are clear and the taxi ways are OK. There is rain forecast for later in the week with temperatures that may hit 50 + so by the weekend, there should not be any snow on any area to worry about. The advanced forecase shows Mostly Clear Skies with winds at 10-20 and for Sunday a little more cloudy, but winds light and variable. 

I will be around both days. So, let me know who might come and what day you prefer so we can try to pull this off this weekend.

Bob
 
Be sure to check airport status. The airplane haters got Easthampton changed to Private prior Permission. Not sure when it starts.
 
East Hampton Airport will close as KHTO at Midnight on February 28th, 2022. The towns plan is to reopen as a PPR on March 4th. Based on the requirements of the FAA, no one thinks they can get it done that quickly, but who knows they may just open it to aircraft based here or keep it closed until the they and the FAA cross all the "Ts" and Dot all the "Is". But for now it is business as usual. This is why we are trying to get this done for people who want to see it before the changes. 

There is a possibility it will not reopen, but that is slim as all of us that own hangars and have ground leases are ready to take legal action if that happens.

Bob
 
I

rkittine said
East Hampton Airport has survived the storm after getting about 18" or Snow. The Runways are clear and the taxi ways are OK. There is rain forecast for later in the week with temperatures that may hit 50 + so by the weekend, there should not be any snow on any area to worry about. The advanced forecase shows Mostly Clear Skies with winds at 10-20 and for Sunday a little more cloudy, but winds light and variable. 


I will be around both days. So, let me know who might come and what day you prefer so we can try to pull this off this weekend.


Bob


  
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Prefer Sunday but weather permitting, I could make Saturday as well.

Hudson Valley should have recovered from the ice storm by then.
 
Currently looking like Sunday is the preferred weather day. Sat has some wind forecast.

 

If you are going, please confirm in this thread along with tail number and aircraft type.

 

We need to coordinate parking amd ground transportation.
 
Good Morning,

I just looked at the forecast again and Sunday is calling for mostly sunny skies with some clouds, high of 30 degrees and winds light and variable. I AGAIN reached out to the airport management and the company that has the ramp rights and have some information and am waiting for other's to respond. So far I only know the following:

LANDING FEES: - The system at East Hampton is Automated through a Company in Virginia and so land fees will be billed to the registered address of those aircraft that land Sunday. I was trying to get these waived, but they are assessed by the Town of East Hampton, who's relationship, as you have all heard is in flux. SEE FINAL NOTE. They can not even provide a single invoice if the Club is going to cover these fees. I did ask for that. I am trying to confirm that the landing fee for aircraft under 4,500 pounds is still $20.00.

RAMP FEES: - These are charged by Sound Aviation who controls the Ramps, Tie Downs and the Fuel sales. I have asked them if they will waive or reduce the $45.00 charge for a single or if they are going to waive for those buying fuel. I am still waiting for an answer from them. They did respond asking a few questions. There have also been posts that the ramp fee is $50.00 now with only a 50% reduction for a fuel purchase of at least 20 gallons. I am also trying to see what the correct amount is and what I might be able to do about it.

FUEL PRICES: - The fuel price is currently $7.74 per gallon, which includes $1.50 per gallon paid to the Town of East Hampton. I tried to get the "BASED AT EAST HAMPTON", fuel discount, but that did not happen, so if you need fuel and they will not waive the ramp fee, you can get it for a lot less elsewhere.

As far as time goes, there are two restaurants in the area, that are close by and I am sure can handle us. One is across the road from the airport in an indoor Sports Complex. "The Club House" in Wainscott, New York. That would be the easiest. The other is the restaurant at the Poxabouge Pitch and Putt facility on Montauk Highwat in Sagaponack, just a few miles away. I will for sure have my car and will see who else I can get to help shuttle and join us for lunch. The Club House opens at 12:00 Noon on Sundays and the other opens for early breakfast.

As far as time goes. I would think around noon would be best. There may be a place we can meet at the old Executive Terminal of the airport. I will check with the manager of that facility today. At least that would allow being inside and chatting while waiting for rides back and forth to the restuarant.

As soon as I hear from Sound Aviation, I will post again, but I am hoping to set up parking by the Executive Terminal. Although all the tie downs are accounted for, the majority are not in used during the off season and as of yesterday the area was wide open. 

ASSUMING WE ARE MEETING AT the EXECUTIVE TERMINAT: You land (probably on 10 or 28 - the longest runway and most commonly used where wind USUALLY favors 28) and need to taxi to get to runway 16/34 - Back Taxi 34 southernly to almost the end and turn right on "G" toward the large hanger, which is the Executive Terminal.

AWOS is still working on 118.075 and though the tower is closed for the winter, its frequency of 125.225 is the advisory frequency for the airport. I will be monitoring there from 11:30 on.

It would again be nice to know who is com\ming, so if you can, please E-mail me at     [email protected]      if you are coming, how many people and your type and N Number.

Robert Staab is handling the fineries for this and is expected to be there. So, so far since unfortunately Tom Corcoran is in Florida, I will be there, Sierra N60021 with two more pilolts, Robert and Dan in his Sundowner have advised they will be there.

Tom is going to come visit when he gets back from Florida.

As I pointed out above, I would fill you in on the next part of the saga. Tom wanted to get to see HTO before it closes as he and others are concerned that the cost to land and issues getting permission in the future might make it too complicated.

This morning the East End Aviation Alliance published a letter from the FAA to the Town Board of East Hampton. In it they reiterated that the REOPENING of the facility of the old East Hampton Airport, even being in the same place with the same features, could take as much as 2 years. In addition, the town would have to providing funding for many required studies, the purchase, installation and maintenance of a privately owned AWOS system, reevaluation of any requested Instrument Approaches (they will all be deactivated as of March 1st as well as any involvement of NY ATC with the airport. This might have been a ploy by the Town to be able to turn around and say due to the FAA they now have to permanently close the airport, or JUST maybe it will make them totally reexamine their decision, which there is still time to modify. It is interesting that the FAA has taken the stance, that the current instrument approaches, that are completely safe, usable and being sued, will have to have a new reevaluation and issuance.

If anyone would like a copy of the FAAs letter, E-mail me and I will forward it. It might come in handy for any area in the future who might think of trying to do the same thing.

Looking forward to Sunday.

Cheers 
 
rkittine said
I am going to try to upload the letter from the FAA to The East Hampton Town Board here. Interesting reading. Also have included an Airport Diagram. NO 2 is THE EXCUTIVE TERMINAL


 


View attachment FAA-LETTER-ABOUT-MARCH-2022-REOPENING.pdfAIRPORT-DIAGRAM.png


  
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Just read the letter.. Quite interesting... Why does the Town want to change this to a private airport and risk losing so much. Sounds like if they have buyers remorse, there is not a good way to return to what you had without waiting quite a long period of time.... Sounds more like Government Bureaucracy!
 
You would have to understand the politics out here. There is a special meeting of the Town Board today that I am going to Zoom in on. Hopefully something will change.
 
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