HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-06-22-HFAC-min
Hanscom Field Advisory Commission
Minutes – 22 June 2021
Prepared by Massport Staff
Video of HFAC Meeting can be found on the BEDFORD TV YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpGZoHgJ7H08Lcm7aj90Gfw
• Call to Order: HFAC Chairman Christopher Eliot called the meeting to order
• Announcements:
• Chairman Eliot will be recording the HFAC Meeting
• Chairman Eliot welcomed all to 15 June replacement meeting pursuant to Chapter 20 of the Acts of 2021
o Act suspends certain provisions of the Open Meeting law which had lapsed
• Presentation by Chris McCann will be rescheduled for July or September
• Chairman Eliot welcomed Mike Lynch, FAA Community Engagement Officer
o Mike will be able to attend occasional HFAC Meetings and working on time for him to do a Fall presentation
• Residents found two airlines advertising scheduled passenger service out of Hanscom
o Waltzing Matilda Aviation and Southern Airways Express have information on their websites, but have not been
approved for scheduled passenger service at Hanscom Field
• Taxiway November Project is coming up and waiting to hear update from Massport
• Emily Mitchell welcomed Mark Giddings, new Concord representative, to his first meeting
• Minutes: The April 2021 Meeting Minutes approved with the change to add the Bedford TV You Tube link
• Margaret Coppe requested one edit on May Meeting Minutes to change “Legislature” to “Legislators”
• May 2021 Meeting Minutes approved with the amendment of word
• Thomas Hirsch pleased on amplification of Meeting Minutes
• Monthly Noise Reports: Amber Goodspeed presented the April Noise Report and noted that:
In May 2021 as compared to May 2020:
• 7am - 11pm operations increased 222.4% in May 2021
• Singles (including touch and goes) increased 494.8% in May 2021
• Turbo activity increased 136.5% in May 2021
• Jet operations increased 145.6% in May 2021
• Helicopter activity increased 10.8% in May 2021
• Noise disturbance reports increased from 54 in May 2020 to 306 in May 2021, made by 32 separate callers
• Massport is scheduled to replace the Noise Monitoring Terminals
• Barbara Katzenberg asked about military flights in the HFAC Report Summary
o Military flights are included in the Noise Monitor and EXP data but not in the statistics nor noise complaints
• Capital Programs and Third Party Development Reports: Amber Goodspeed presented the Capital Programs and
Third Party Development reports and noted that:
• Business terms were approved at the May Massport Board Meeting for reuse of Hangar 12 with Signature Flight
Support expected to take occupancy of the hangar on 1 July previously used by Nagle Aviation
• Ross Rectrix continues design work and plans to discuss any potential work in buffer zone with the Concord
Natural Resources Commission
• Massport is exploring the release of new RFP for the North Airfield area encompassing up to 30 acres
o Chris Boles and Emily Mitchell asked about potential use: utilization of area will be up to any bidders
• Rehabilitation of Taxiway N will take place beginning 3 August
o 60,000ft of paving in estimated 400 daytime, weekday only truck trips along Route 62 and Hartwell Road
o Emily Mitchell indicated Massport indicated only 6 days of heavy truck traffic; no final details on jake brakes
o Concerned citizens with questions about the project can contact the Massport Noise Abatement line
o Patty Dahlgren commented about flow of information and accuracy
o Jennifer & Chris Boles and David McCoy asked about asphalt/soil removal, disposal & potential spreading of
contaminants along residential haul route; Massport will follow all applicable laws
• Massport and Runway Realty Ventures have engaged in land swap negotiations to trade land adjacent to Taxiway
R for an area of land that encompasses a corner of the former Navy Hangar. Surveys and appraisals next steps
• Agenda Items: Topics discussed on published agenda:
• Christopher Eliot asked about future HFAC meeting preferences post Covid-19 pandemic
o Emily Mitchel believes there will not be a choice; new legislature extends remote option through April 2022
• Discussion of ESPR Chapter 2: Facilities & Infrastructure
o Summary of complex set of systems a facilities at Hanscom to include runway/aviation markers, parking, water
and electrical systems and tanks for various types of fuel; Chairman Eliot encourages reading
• Citizen Comments: Citizens commented on and/or asked about the following topics:
• Amy McCoy asked about how Massport routes noise complaints
o If flight is legal, operators not generally notified unless flight occurred during Nighttime Field use hours
o Safety issues forwarded to the FAA
o Tom Hirsch would like to see complaints broken down by submittal method
• Chris Boles feel flight school passing low over local communities is result of pilots unaware of noise they cause
and that they would change their flight patterns voluntarily outside enforcement
o FAA contacts pilots only when there is a Federal Regulation violation and promote pilots to fly neighborly
• Cargo or Scheduled Commercial Passenger Services
• Amber Goodspeed talked about On Demand Charter Operations, passenger service limited to 4 days a week
• Neither Waltzing Matilda Aviation nor Southern Airways Express, both On Demand Charters, have expressed
interest in scheduled passenger service
• Waltzing Matilda Aviation is a sub tenant on Hanscom Field but does not have scheduled passenger service
• Southern Airways Express has expressed interest to explore passenger service have not made official request
• To have scheduled Commercial Passenger Service, need to enter into operating agreement with Massport
• No interest has been expressed to Massport about entering an operating agreement
• Margaret Coppe stated HFAC requests notice when airlines express interest to Massport to avoid surprises
• Thomas Hirsch discussed differences between Part 121, commercial air service, and Part 135, charter operations
• Other Business: The proposed date for the next HFAC meeting is 20 July 2021 at 7:00 p.m.
• Discussion of Chapter 3 of the ESPR, Airport Activity Levels, will be on the Agenda
• Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 8:53 p.m.
Attendees: Christopher Eliot, Margaret Coppe, Mark Giddings, Thomas Hirsch, Barbara Katzenberg, Emily Mitchell,
Amber Goodspeed, Michael Vatalaro, Mike Lynch, Chris Boles, Jennifer Boles, Patty Dahlgren, Lexie Marshall, Amy
McCoy, David McCoy and Katie Winchell.