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Democratic Committee
EHAA Leadership Must Go!
3/1/98
P. O. Box 53
East Hampton, NY 11937
Helen,
As a pilot and aircraft owner based
in East Hampton I can only wonder what the leadership of the
East Hampton Pilots Association is doing to themselves. I am
not a member of their organization, nor under current leadership do I choose
to be one. How is it that an organization that formed to serve aviation
enthusiasts has become such a pariah to virtually everyone in our Town?
Could it be because of their leader's selfish and adversarial methodology?
I think so.
Clearly such an organization
needs credibility to engage in civil give-and-take dialogue with our local
legislators. Because of "the sky is falling" tactics employed by their
leader their association's credibility is approaching zero as I have
personally seen the audience's eyes glaze over when any airport issue presented
"is vital to aviation safety". While safety is important to all aviators,
and maintaining a capital asset of the Town
is just good business, not turning very nearly the entire Town against
everything done at the airport is also important-- which is where we are
with the proposed airport legislation. This proposed legislation
is seen by nearly all Town residents as necessary not only because of all
the sniping that went on last year in regard to the runway reconstruction,
but because of how that project was
ushered through in the first place. Faulty procedure, bad communication
and an unwillingness to listen to neighbors by a former councilman the
EHPA supported was evident since its creation. This proposed legislation
is necessary because we want to prevent that type of 11th hour nonsense
in the future. Open, responsive government is good government.
The Town's concern for the underlying aquifer and excess noise makes all
of us, not just the aviators, pay attention to issues affecting the airport.
I heard an EHPA member last month on LTV say that current jet aircraft
"are virtually silent". That's just silly. Try standing near
Mr. Mort Zuckerman's Falcon 90 (looks like
a smallish Boeing 727) on a warm summer afternoon and hold a conversation
while he just idles on the ramp.
Has the EHPA leadership's efforts resulted in elevating (no pun intended)
the goals and concerns of local aviation and local pilots? Are they
being listened to any longer? Has their efforts resulted in more
people or less people being angry at, or suspicious of, our aviation community?
Are the nearby residents of the airport satisfied that everything
possible is being done or has at least been considered to ease existing
or projected noise issues? If the answers to those questions are
not in the spirit of how we residents view the future of our Town nor in
the spirit of open and honest conversation then we can ask another question;
why is the leadership of the EHAA still the leadership?
Now I'm not writing this in an effort to get into dueling editorials about
who is, or isn't, doing a good job or who does, or doesn't, have a representative
opinion. I had my fill of that last November. However, I believe
that the EHPA could be, and certainly should be, a unique cog in the wheels
of our local government and it would be a shame to waste an opportunity
to improve conditions and communications among
neighbors and aviators because of the aggressive tactics employed by a
select few nonresidents.
Regards,
Barry W. Leach