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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-03-18-HFAC-min Hanscom Field Advisory Commission (HFAC) Minutes – 18 March 2025 Prepared by Massport Staff Video of HFAC Meeting on the Lincoln, MA TV Page: https://cloud.castus.tv/vod/lincoln/?page=HOME HFAC Website: https://sites.google.com/view/hfac  Call to Order: HFAC Chairman Christopher Eliot called the meeting to order at 7:03pm  Announcements: th  Chairman Eliot recording HFAC Meeting; greeted all to March 18 meeting pursuant MA Open Meeting Law  Chairman Eliot sadly shared with all the passing of former HFAC Chair Mike Rosenberg  Chairman Eliot reiterated collapse of electric airplane startup Eviation after internal standoff among shareholders  Chairman Eliot informed HFAC about REGENT Craft, who builds the all-electric 12 passenger Viceroy seaglider o Seagliders are maritime vessels that operate exclusively over the water in three modes: floating on their hull, foiling on hydrofoils or flying in ground effect, within one wingspan of the surface of the water  Chairman Eliot reported that former New England Regional Office Community Engagement Officer Lindsey White is no longer with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); Mike Vatalaro will investigate replacement  Minutes: The February 2025 Meeting Minutes were reviewed for approval  The February 2025 Meeting Minutes were approved 4-0 with the following amendments o Change the word “indicted” to “indicated” in the Agenda Items section o Fix spelling of MA State Auditor’s last name to DiZoglio in the Agenda Items section o Add “Chairman Eliot” to quantify who the McCoy lawsuit was shared with in the Agenda Items section o Margaret Coppe and Emily Mitchell were not present to vote  Cargo or Scheduled Commercial Passenger Services  Amber Goodspeed stated there have been no requests for future scheduled passenger or cargo service  Monthly Noise Reports: presented by Amber Goodspeed In February 2024 as compared to February 2025:  7am - 11pm operations decreased 16.1% in February 2025  Singles (including touch and goes) decreased 40.1% in February 2025  Turbo activity decreased 9.5% in February 2025  Jet operations increased 0.5% in February 2025  Helicopter activity increased 1.2% in February 2025  Night Operations (11pm-7am) increased 8.9% with 157 in February 2024 compared to 171 in February 2025  Barbara Katzenberg requested to add years as a better reference to the graphs  Barbara Katzenberg inquired how monthly data calculated when days missing; averaged over just days with data  Agenda Items: Topics discussed on published agenda:  Amber Goodspeed introduced the Massport project team for the Taxiway Echo Rehabilitation and Taxiway Echo 5 Construction; schedule dependent on Federal funding of which there is uncertainty o Stephen Flecchia explained the project scope to include paving, milling, earthwork, adjustment and installation of airfield LED light fixtures, airfield guidance sign modifications and new taxiway bypass connector o Project duration is estimated to be 41 calendar days in totality; will begin on 04 August 2025 o Taxiway Bypass Connector Echo 5 will be constructed at the Runway 11 approach end; required safety feature o Contractor haul route will come off Interstate 95, on Route 2A to Hanscom Drive; access airfield through Gate 1 o Chairman Eliot questioned how federal funding could be uncertain as project is safety related; no funding guaranteed with Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) investigating all federal spending o Barbara Katzenberg asked how funding is appropriated; 90% from the FAA and 10% from Massport o Jennifer Boles raised question on need for second taxiway; Taxiway Echo 5 will provide a bypass taxiway to help avoid long traverses on Runway 11 if Taxiway Mike is occupied by another aircraft o Jennifer Boles queried about new taxiway size; new and old taxiways will be able to handle the same aircraft  Chairman Eliot opened continued discussion on Airport Community Concern for Lead o Chairman Eliot suggested HFAC petition the Commonwealth of MA to subsidize unleaded Avgas plus provide a percentage of costs for installing and purchasing secondary fuel tanks o Implementation constraints would include new fuel tank and fuel truck dedicated to unleaded Avgas o Thomas Hirsch raised problem where different brands of unleaded fuel, Avgas G100UL (GAMI) and UL94 (Unleaded) are not certified to be mixed together; can cause problems with multiple airport flights o Tetraethyl lead (TEL) manufactured only by British company Innospec; ingredient in 100LL (Low Lead) Avgas o Terri Ackerman had questions on percentage difference between jets and single engine pistons at Hanscom Field; piston engines use leaded Avgas while jet and turboprop engines use jet fuel with no lead o Jennifer Boles stated leaded Avgas contains 15% more lead than the banned leaded automobile gasoline o Thomas Hirsch found Falmouth Airpark sells Swift Fuels UL94; intended as a direct replacement for 100LL o Amber Goodspeed stated that MA State Department of Revenue has quantity figures for fuel tax not Massport o Chairman Eliot shared information from Dr. Bruce Lanphear who conducted extensive research on lead exposure o Terri Ackerman questioned impetus of FAA’s Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions (EAGLE) program o Chairman Eliot deliberated that the FAA’s focus on safety doesn’t include environmental hazards o Laura Bushell shared text from Hanscom Field 2022 Environmental Planning and Status Report (ESPR) stating, “adoption of unleaded Avgas at Hanscom Field is forecasted to align with the FAA's Eagle initiative”  Chairman Eliot reiterated query on Massport’s policy on Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS); no update  Capital Programs and Third Party Development Reports: Amber Goodspeed presented the Capital Programs and Third Party Development reports and noted that:  As presented by Stephen Flecchia, rehabilitating a portion of Taxiway Echo and constructing Taxiway Echo 5 as was mandated by the FAA; Phase 1 of project scheduled to begin summer of 2025  Citizen Comments:  Jennifer Boles requested to have source of above 70 DNL day at the Site 32 noise monitor identified  Jennifer Boles provided link to request for proposal (RFP) on Hanscom Field Civil Terminal Building renovations o Information first presented to the HFAC by Amber Goodspeed in January 2025  Kathleen Sullivan asked about government funding for lead testing in communities surrounding Hanscom Field  Trace Salzbrenner asked about future of Federal funding at Hanscom Field  Other Business: The date for the next HFAC meeting will be at 7:00 p.m. on 15 April 2025  Election of Commission Chairman will be conducted at the April HFAC  Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 8:53 p.m. Attendees: Christopher Eliot, Terri Ackerman, Thomas Hirsch, Barbara Katzenberg, Stephen Flecchia, Amber Goodspeed, Mark Wimmer, Mike Vatalaro, Cindy Baxter, Jennifer Boles, Laura Bushell, Patty Dahlgren, Alexandra Eliot, Robert Grom, Trace Salzbrenner, Jenny Stewart, Ann Sobol and Kathleen Sullivan.