For more information regarding the Airport Master Plan click here.
PRESS RELEASE: Orcas Island Airport Improvements to Meet Air Safety Requirements While Minimizing Undesirable Effects on the Local Community.
Eastsound, Washington, July 10, 2018
The Port of Orcas is currently preparing a master plan for Orcas Island Airport that will guide the direction of projects to bring the airport into compliance with safety standards for existing airport operations and to provide for the future needs of island residents and visitors over the next 20 years.
Because public involvement is a very important aspect of this process, the Port will hold a special commission meeting on July 26th at 3:30PM at the Eastsound Fire Station to hear public comment and answer questions and concerns. To facilitate addressing these questions and concerns fully, accurately, and efficiently, please email detailed questions about the process and concerns to orcasairport@rockisland.com
The Orcas Island Airport master plan will present the short-, mid-, and long-term needs for the airport. After the plan is completed an environmental document must be prepared to comply with State and Federal environmental regulations. Based on conversations with the FAA, it is anticipated that the projects may require an Environmental Impact Statement, which is the most extensive federal regulatory process.
The intent of the master planning process is to obtain information on the desires of the community and of those most affected by the airport. The master planning process seeks to identify the present and future needs of the community for its airport and ability to meet FAA standards and to suggest reasonable methods for meeting those objectives. The FAA requires that the Airport document a plan to guide future operations.
In its present configuration, Orcas Island Airport does not meet the safety standards required to service aircraft currently using the airport such as the Cessna 208B Caravan. Cessna Caravan operations make up a large and significant share of the air traffic serving Orcas Island. Operators of regularly scheduled passenger and cargo flights to the island fly the Caravan because of its safety, dependability, and efficiency over the routes they commonly fly. In developing alternatives that will bring Orcas Island Airport into compliance with operations already being conducted there, every attempt has been made to make the best use of existing airport property and facilities while minimizing the undesirable effects it may have on its neighbors.
While several alternatives have been proposed to comply with current safety standards while meeting the needs of the community, none of those alternatives includes any expansion of the airport to serve airplanes larger than those that have already been operating there for years. No such expansion has been planned or contemplated.
Since January of this year, two open-house public meetings have been held locally to solicit input from the community regarding its desires for the airport. The comment period is being extended through August 3, 2018 to allow for additional input regarding the preferred development plan. To eliminate confusion regarding the alternative options, additional information will be provided on the project website ( http://www.portoforcas.com/master-plan/ ) and to the project contact list by July 16, 2018 to better explain FAA requirements and safety standards and to explain the alternative options.
All comments received by August 3, 2018 will be considered in development of the preferred alternative. A public open house will be held in September for the public to review and comment on the preferred alternative.
For more information about the project, the alternative options, and the project schedule please visit http://www.portoforcas.com/master-plan/
The aircraft, N11YP, at the airport entrance had an incident on landing in late June. Nobody was injured as the aircraft departed the runway and the gear collapsed. Because it was close to the runway, the aircraft had to be moved. The aircraft was skidded onto a Wrecker and relocated to its current location.
Normally the airport would have put this aircraft in a less prominent location, out of the way. However, at the time of the incident, there were many aircraft tied-down on both paved and grass locations on the airport and the only available spot was the current location.
The aircraft was deposited by the wrecker at the current location and the fuel tanks were drained into containers for disposal to prevent any and all risk of environmental contamination.
The final disposition of the aircraft is pending action by the owner’s insurance company.
If you have further questions, please contact the airport manager, Tony Simpson, at 360-376-5285
Your camping view may vary!
Hangar 16
Hangar 16 may be available for rent. It is approximately 48×48. Contact Andre Souang at andre@sabinefinancialservices.com or 360-472-0473.
Island Air Ambulance
Island Air Ambulance is a service of Island Air, a local company which has been providing aviation services to San Juan County for over 25 years. Island Air recently created the Air Ambulance Membership Program as an affordable way for island residents and visitors to be sheltered from out-of-pocket costs that could be incurred from the flight portion of an emergency medical transport on one of their fixed-wing, air ambulance aircraft. If you would like more information, please see their website at www.islandairambulance.com, call 360-378-2376 or email membership@islandairambulance.com
Oil
If you need a quart of oil (or 12) at Orcas, you can now buy it from your friendly airport manager.
- $10/quart for Aeroshell 80W or 100W
- $8/quart for Phillips X/C 20W50
Tax included.
Biplane, the Sequel!
Bikes for free use (donations encouraged)
- We have bikes for use free of charge near the fuel pumps. The last 4 of our CTAF will open the lock. Please take the lock with you and use it…and bring the bike and the lock back. If you like these bikes, donations are accepted in the fee boxes or the Port office. We don’t have helmets but encourage you to use one.
Annotated Nautical Chart of Island Flying References
San Juans (Annotated) Nautical Chart pdf
Phone-Sized Ferry Schedule
I put this here because I think some visitors to this website might appreciate a “cut-down” version of the ferry schedule that can be read easily on a phone. This is why I started making it in the first place.
Meeting
The next SPECIAL meeting of the Port of Orcas Commission is Thursday, July 26th, 2018 at 3:30 PM in the Eastsound Fire Station.
Need Power!!
— We now have a small 12/24V GPU (with both alligator clamps and a NATO plug) for “jump-starting” an airplane. Stop by or call the office when needed. After hours, call the Airport Manager’s Cell phone (the number is on my business card which is in a dispenser by the conference room door). Based on the limitations of our insurance, use is at your own risk.
New and Noteworthy:
- A recent visitor’s trip report — you can’t buy a review like this!
- Unofficial KORS Facebook Page
If you have airport pictures you would be willing to share, please email them to me at orcasairport@rockisland.com.
