Metropolitan Transportation Commission
Regional Airport System Plan
Environmental Study, June 1995
excerpts
Page 15, General Aviation Airports
These airports do not host scheduled air carrier or commuter service, and
have only minimal air cargo activity. Mostly, they accommodate private or
corporate aircraft and limited air taxi service. General aviation airports
are generally smaller than the commercial use airports. A few general aviation,
airports, such as Hayward (543 acres), Napa County (800 acres), Livermore
(510), compare in acreage with Buchanan Field (578 acres), but most are
between 50 and 250 acres.
General aviation airports do not host scheduled air carrier or commuter
service, and also do not have air cargo activity. Most of these facilities
accommodate private or corporate aircraft and limited air taxi service.
As a system, Bay Area general aviation airports are currently operating
at about 46% of their annual runway capacity and about 79% of based aircraft
parking capacity; future projections indicate the region's general aviation
airports would operate at about 59% of their annual runway capacity and
87% of their aircraft parking capacity.
Overall, the RASP endorses the airport Master Plan alternative for the general
aviation component. Under this direction, only three general aviation airports
(Concord, San Carlos, and San Jose) would reach based aircraft capacity
by year 2010. No significant runway capacity improvements are required,
as it is anticipated that airfield capacity would be adequate to meet the
future demand. The Master Plan approach would encourage a proportional shift
of based aircraft and aircraft operations to outlying general aviation airports.
This shift would create a system that results in more flight activity in
the least congested portions of the Bay Area's available airspace. The Master
Plan alternative would also provide a significant increase in enclosed aircraft
hangar space.
Since general aviation facilities are not expected to operate near their
capacity, most airports have the capability to accommodate additional activity.
One key role of these airports will be to complement the capacity of the
air carrier airports by providing alternative facilities for general aviation
users, i.e., to serve as "reliever" airports for the air carrier
airports. In addition, other potential uses of the region's general aviation
airports could include: providing suitable sites for selected air cargo
activity, tilt rotor or helicopter services, and remote ground access terminals
with parking and express bus service to air carrier airports.
Other recommendations relate to airport-specific issues. Reid-Hillview Airport
should be preserved as a general aviation reliever airport or a replacement
facility with equivalent capacity developed elsewhere within Santa Clara
County. (The Reid-Hillview airport has been discussed for closure). Also
the South County Airport could be developed to serve substantially greater
activity than contemplated in the existing airport Master Plan. As runway
constraints become more critical at San Jose Airport, South County's Master
Plan should be revisited to determine if this facility could provide the
needed diversion of operations and based aircraft from San Jose Airport.
Page 32, Moffett Field - RASP Update recommendations are:
Moffett Field has been excessed by the Department of Defense and taken over
by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Other (non-NASA) tenants using the airfield include the Army, Navy and Marine
Reserves and the National Guard. Several high technology companies performing
work for NASA and other government agencies will continue to use the airfield
as well. The use of Moffett Field will likely be limited to these users
in the foreseeable future.
As a reliever airport for San Jose, Moffett Field does not appear to offer
any enhanced instrument capability during IFR conditions because of airspace
conflicts associated with its proximity to San Jose.
Use of Moffett Field for a broader spectrum of aviation activity, including
general aviation, should be left open for consideration in the future to
the extent that it does not significantly conflict with the nature or requirements
of federal operations at Moffett.
Moffett Field is retained in the RASP as a general aviation reliever airport.
As such, the BCDC should also retain the site's designation as an "airport
priority use area" in its "San Francisco Bay Plan". In implementing
this policy, MTC will discourage any action which would interfere with the
airfield's ability to fulfill this role.