Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor | A response, and an offer for another lunch
This letter is in response to Mr. James Castino’s letter to the editor. Mr. Castino previously commented about my PenMet-related letters leading me to invite him to lunch where, I believe, we both had a good time. He’s a good guy and is certainly entitled to his views. That said, Mr. Castino doesn’t yet have the whole story, but it’s coming.
Given that Mr. Castino is a former pilot, I will certainly admit his knowledge of aviation undoubtedly exceeds mine. I fully respect his experience, and I’ve never claimed to be an expert in the field of aviation.
Mr. Castino quotes this portion of my Letter No. 2: “We’ve been told the County is looking to expand the use of TIW even further. In addition, we’ve been told, ‘If you think the planes you hear now are loud, wait until you see what’s coming!.” Mr. Castino says I have “no facts” to support these statements. I’m not sure what facts support an oral statement other than maybe a video or recording which I admit I don’t have. What I do have is other citizens who heard these statements and who will verify the accuracy of what I said. I stand by my statements.
I agree with Mr. Castino that TIW “contributes hugely to the general economic vitality of the Greater Gig Harbor Community.” It’s also true that without federal funding, TIW would be operating at huge loss and, I have several years of TIW’s financial statements to prove that point. I understand that doesn’t change the fact that TIW contributes to our local economy. If I was advocating for a complete shut down of TIW, I could understand Mr. Castino’s concerns, but that has never been my goal. My next letter will provide, word for word, what I’ve presented to TNAAC and the County. You’ll see that I said in my opening statement at a TNAAC meeting that I don’t want to negatively impact TIW or its tenants in any financial way. What I did request are what I believe to be very reasonable modifications in how the planes operate while in TIW’s controlled airspace.
I also fully support the training of pilots. I have actually said that publicly at a TNAAC meeting in front of numerous witnesses and in a written handout that I provided TNAAC (which TNAAC failed to include in any detail in their minutes nor did they include the handout I provided them). I wish the airport and all of its tenants nothing but the best in the financial success of their businesses and in their efforts to add to the number of trained pilots.
Mr. Castino says, “ … he (meaning me) seems to (have) little knowledge of traffic patterns…” I have already admitted that I am a novice in the aviation arena, but I’ve done extensive research of both FAA and Pierce County publications paying particular attention to traffic patterns. That subject is not rocket science. I also attended a meeting prior to a scheduled TNAAC meeting where the Tower gave me and others an excellent summary of how traffic patterns work. If Mr. Castino wants to provide a more specific reference to what he’s describing, I’d be happy to provide a more specific response.
I also totally agree with Mr. Castino, and, in fact, I applaud his call for “a full discussion of the merits of aviation in our Community.” I and others have been calling for exactly that for almost 11 months only to be totally ignored. Maybe the County, TNAAC, and the businesses situated at TIW will, with Mr. Castino’s voice being added to that call, finally agree to meet with concerned citizens. If so, I will be the first to thank Mr. Castino for his support. It’s important to know this is not just about noise. There are significant safety issues involved as well.
I’ll be anxious to hear what Mr. Castino has to say about my Letter No. 3 since it focuses on what I’ve said to the TNAAC and to the Pierce County Airport Manager, Trent Smith. I’ve met with Mr. Smith several times and asked him many questions. He’s an Air Force Academy graduate with 16 years of active duty experience in the Air Force and a pilot. I think he’s a great guy, and he’s a great choice as the County’s Airport Manager. He and I have talked several times about traffic patterns, and I’ve learned a lot from him.
In closing, I want to also thank Mr. Castino for taking the time to read my TIW-related letters. I hope he reads all of them. And, I’ll buy him lunch anytime.
Craig McLaughlin
Fox Island