Introduction

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) developed the airport master planning process to assist the nation's airports in developing improvement plans to meet future aviation demand. The Master Plan Update for Friedman Memorial Airport will serve as a resource guide for managing and improving the Airport in the near-term (5-year) and long-term (20-year) timeframes. The Master Plan Update uses the year 2002 for baseline data and analytical purposes, with a planning horizon extending through to the year 2022. This study provides a framework for defining the community's long-range aviation needs and exploring the Airport's ability to accommodate those needs.

Plan Goals and Objectives

The goal of the airport master planning process is to provide general facility development guidelines that satisfy aviation demand while remaining compatible with the environment, other modes of transportation, community development, and other established community goals. Some of the specific goals of the Friedman Memorial Airport Master Plan Update are as follows:

• Operational safety for the aircraft fleet that can reasonably use the airfield is an important consideration. Given the site constraints imposed by the Airport's limited land envelope and surrounding terrain, this is a challenge and will be a major focus of the master planning effort.

• Air service is an important component of the Wood River Valley economy. Therefore, this master plan will strive to develop plans to optimize commercial air service capabilities, which in turn serve to further improve air service opportunities.

• A Joint Powers Agreement adopted in May 1994 by the City of Hailey and Blaine County lays the groundwork establishing the operating parameters for the Airport Authority. This master planning effort will identify the capacity of various airport facilities, which in turn defines the point at which the Airport can no longer accommodate additional activity. Defining the trigger point relates to the last sentence in the preamble to the 1994 Master Plan Update (below), which will continue to serve as a reference for this Master Plan Update:

  "The Friedman Memorial Airport is critical to the success of our resort economy, yet it has an enormous impact on the adjacent community. The goals of this Master Plan are to eliminate as many of the safety deviations as possible while not expanding the impact on the adjacent community. We seek the highest quality and safest airport possible within the physical limits imposed by the geography and the human use of adjacent lands. As pressure for use reaches the physical limits of the facility, we need to look for alternatives away from the valley cities rather than expansion at the present site."

Plan Scope and Documentation

While the Airport Master Plan Update is tailored to meet Friedman Memorial Airport's specific needs, it also adheres to guidelines established by the FAA. Important FAA master planning objectives incorporated within the Friedman Memorial Airport Master Plan Update include:

1. Provide an effective graphic representation of the Airport's existing and recommended ultimate development and anticipated functional areas.

2. Assess the feasibility of the recommended development action through a prioritized and phased schedule of recommended improvements.

3. Provide concise and descriptive documentation that can be clearly understood by the community and agencies charged with approving, promoting, funding, and implementing the Airport improvement program.

To meet these objectives and address the specific needs of the Friedman Memorial Airport, the Master Plan Update incorporates a series of analyses or elements, including:

• Inventory of Existing Facilities
• Projections of Aviation Demand
• Demand/Capacity and Facility Requirements Analysis
• Alternative Plan Concepts
• Environmental Overview
• Financial Plan
• Airport Layout Plan Update

This website will be updated as the above milestone analyses are completed. The updated Airport Layout Plan (ALP) is one of the culminating elements of this planning process, as it provides the official graphic representation of the Airport's existing and proposed facilities. Once the FAA approves the ALP, certain projects may be eligible for grant funding.

This Airport Master Plan Update, once the process is complete, will serve to replace the 1994 Airport Master Plan Update, the 1998 ALP Update and Narrative Report, and the 2002 ALP Update.

Administration

This section lays out some of the administrative aspects of the Master Plan Update project, including the key airport personnel involved, the project consultant team, and the public involvement process.

Involvement by Key Airport Personnel

The Board of Commissioners (Board) of the Friedman Memorial Airport Authority, in discussions with the Airport Manager and the community, identified the need to conduct a master plan update process. They did so because there were many compelling issues that the Airport and the community were facing related to aviation activities and industry trends. They also did this based on the introduction of the DeHavilland Dash 8-Q400 aircraft, which placed the airport into a more demanding category in terms of airfield design standards.

It was considered prudent to evaluate options for accommodating current demands and identify opportunities for improving the Airport within the context of a long-range planning exercise. The members of the Board will be the primary reviewers of the Master Plan Update products and processes. The Airport Manager will also be a key participant in the Master Plan Update process. Both of these parties will have regular communications and discussions with the consultant team hired to assist in the planning effort.

Project Consultant Team

Toothman-Orton Engineering Company, which was hired by the Board to assist with various improvement projects at the Airport, entered into an agreement to update the Airport's Master Plan. This agreement was the culmination of nearly a one-year effort to define the scope of the master plan based on the important issues that needed to be addressed. These discussions involved planners at the Federal Aviation Administration Airports District Office and Northwest Mountain Region office, as well as other subconsultants retained by Toothman-Orton, assembled as part of a Master Plan Team to assist the Airport in the development of a Master Plan Update.

Subconsultants gathered to work with Toothman-Orton and the Key Airport participants on this Master Plan Update, and their area of expertise, are listed below.

Mead & Hunt - general airport planning, including terminal planning and architectural concepts

Pavement Consultants, Inc. - pavement condition index (PCI) program development

Harris Miller Miller Hanson - aircraft noise analysis

Baker Engineering and Risk Consultants - terminal building blast analysis

Public Involvement Process

It is important to the success of this master planning process that the community be allowed to participate and opportunities for information sharing are available. The public will be made aware of the Master Plan Update process and the needs of the Airport from the inception of the study. This aspect of the project will focus on positive communication with the public and will include Board briefings, public involvement workshops, involvement at the federal government level (through the FAA), and this master plan web page.

Friedman Memorial Airport Authority Board of Commissioners Briefings. The Airport Board will represent Airport and local interests. The planning consultants will meet with the Board during the course of the study (as part of their regularly scheduled meetings) to review study progress and draft reports. Specific milestones for master plan meetings with the Board will likely include: 1) project kickoff; 2) projections of aviation demand; 3) facility requirements; 4) alternative plan concepts; and 5) final recommended improvement plan.

Informational workshops may also be scheduled as part of the public involvement process, providing the opportunity for interested persons to discuss airport/master plan issues directly with Airport staff and members of the consultant team. Look for advertisements in the local media for such events.

Federal Aviation Administration. Planners and airport certification personnel from the FAA Airports District Office in Seattle, WA will be involved in the master plan study through its completion. They will review and comment on master plan documents, and will provide guidance regarding FAA policies and standards.

Airport Master Plan Web Pages. These web pages were developed and are maintained to help inform the public about the Master Plan Update.

Technical Element: Projections of Aviation Demand

This element of the Friedman Memorial Airport Master Plan Update provides projections of future aviation demand at the Airport. Projections of short-, intermediate-, and long-term activity at the Airport are based on 5-, 10-, and 20-year milestones (2007, 2012, and 2022), using 2002 as the base year of analysis. Year 2002 data serves as the base year of data as it is the most recent year for which a full year of activity data is currently available.

Projections of aviation demand are an important element of the master planning process as they provide the basis for several key analyses, including:

• Determining the role of the Airport, with respect to the type of aircraft to be accommodated in the future
• Evaluating the capacity of existing Airport facilities and their ability to accommodate projected aviation demand
• Estimating the extent of airside and landside improvements required in future years to accommodate projected demand

This chapter uses the most recent aircraft activity available at Friedman Memorial Airport to project future levels of aviation demand through the year 2022. The forecast analysis contained in this chapter includes methodologies based on historical aviation trends at the Airport, as well as other socioeconomic trends related to the Wood River Valley. National projections of aviation activity developed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) were also reviewed within the context of this forecast analysis.

Demand projections were developed for passenger enplanements (boardings), aircraft operations, and based aircraft. These are shown in the charts below.

Enplanement projections, which were developed using a socioeconomic methodology, indicate an increase from 65,752 in 2002 to approximately 139,000 in 2022. This represents a compounded annual growth rate of approximately 3.9 percent. Local initiatives to improve air service to Blaine and Camas counties is a significant reason for the projected increase in passengers traveling to the area.

Aircraft operations are projected to increase from 57,888 in 2002 to approximately 83,800 in 2022. This represents a compounded annual growth rate of approximately 1.9 percent.

The number of based aircraft at Friedman has been static in recent years, mainly due to a lack of available general aviation facilities at the Airport. The current hangars at the Airport have all been leased for some time and additional hangars have not been built, which has limited growth at the Airport in this sector of the aviation market. An undefined level of demand is, therefore, assumed to exist. This forecast assumes that if additional general aviation facilities were available, particularly aircraft storage hangars, the number of based aircraft would begin to more closely follow the projected increases in based aircraft nationally. Assuming that additional general aviation facilities could be built, it is projected that based aircraft demand will increase from 143 in 2002 to 201 in 2022.

Technical Element: Demand/Capacity and Facility Requirements Analysis

This element analyzes the capacity of certain airport facilities and compares it to current and projected demand. The result is a list of facility needs that the Airport owners can consider in light of current and projected demands. As such, this document sets the stage for the development of alternative plan concepts and a review of improvement options. Given the natural and physical constraints of the current airport site, it is possible that all facility needs may not be met. This element is one installment in a planning process that is considering aviation demands, as well as the affect of those demands on the community. 

Based on current and projected demand levels, the following facility improvements will be considered in the next phase of the plan:

• Based on current and projected airfield demand/capacity levels, and the long lead times for planning for capacity improvements, planning for additional aviation capacity for the Wood River Valley should commence in the immediate future.
• Alternatives for improving the taxiway system to reduce the likelihood for conflicting taxiway movements should be examined.
• An increase in the approach category of the critical/design aircraft is included within this Master Plan Update. Due to current and projected aircraft activity, the FAA Airport Reference Code (ARC) at the Airport is now C-III rather than B-III. The most significant changes associated with a change in the ARC from B-III to C-III include an increase in the Runway Safety Area and Object Free Area dimensions, the runway-to-taxiway separation, the runway-to-aircraft parking separation standard, and the Runway Protection Zone dimensions.
• Runway length does not meet FAA recommendations for the type of aircraft and loads currently using and projected to use the facility (7400 feet would be ideal).
• Penetrations of Federal Aviation Regulations Part 77 surfaces must be removed or a determination of non-hazard request should be made with the FAA for those penetrations that are to remain.
• The Transponder Landing System currently planned for installation in 2003 has been found to be the best alternative for improved aircraft approach minimums at this time and should be installed when attainable from the FAA.
• A new Airport Traffic Control Tower should be constructed.
• Terminal building improvements are recommended, including expansion from 14,000 to 37,000 square feet.
• There is demand for an additional 30,000 square yards of aircraft apron space and for an additional 100,000 square feet of aircraft storage hangars.
• The airport maintenance building and snow removal equipment building requires expansion.
• Where attainable, a perimeter service road should be constructed.
• Additional auto parking spaces (320) and terminal curbfront is recommended.
• A designated apron should be provided for the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S.Forest Service.

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