HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES 713 Draft 01 1980-1984C
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OFFICE INFORMATION ONLY
Meeting: August 24, 1983 (EDC)
Action: File Resolution 713 at the request of Councilman Fujii.
Re: Res. 713
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Y O ~\
County of Hawaii- - State of Hawaii
Resolution
WHEREAS, Mr. Walter C. Miller, a veteran of 35 years in
aviation, has proposed .that an aircraft maintenance complex could be
a possible means to expand the use of the facilities at the Hilo
Airport;' and
WHEREAS, a maintenance complex would compliment
Mayor Matayoshi's proposal of a Pacific Basin cargo distribution
center; and
WHEREAS, a cargo/maintenance complex with a semi-cylindrical
hangar design could serve a dual purpose for commercial and
community activities; and
WHEREAS, increases in the number of direct flights to the
neighbor islands would certainly benefit from the availability of
maintenance and repair services at the Hilo Airport; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Miller's concept is a positive step toward the
creation of a new industry for the Big Island and would contribute
to the expansion of our economic base.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF
HAWAII that it urges the Administration to support Mr. Miller's
proposal of a cargo/maintenance complex at the Hilo Airport.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the County of Hawaii
remit a copy of this Resolution to the Mayor of the County of Hawaii.
Dated at Hilo, Hawaii, this day of
INTRODUCED BY:
1983.
COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNTY OF HAWAII
COUNTY COUNCIL
County of Hawaii
Hilo, Hawaii
ROLL CALL VOTE
1 IAYESI NOES I A/E I
I hereby certify that the foregoing RESOLUTION was by the vote indicated to Fujii
the right hereof adopted by the COUNCIL of the County of Hawaii on Hale
ATTEST:
(:OUNTY CLERK CHAIRMAN & PRESIDING OFFICER
Lsi
_ s~n~ne
Chr. Yamashiro
Reference: -
M.B. No. ~„+,
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RESOLUTION N0.
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T0: ALL COUNCIL 1•C~•IBERS
SUBJECT: CARGO~]IAINTENANCE C(Y.1]'LEa
FROM: WALTER C. MILLER
.>_ < ,< ,:,:.July 25, 1983
Kilo, Hawaii
1875 Kalanianaole Avenue ,608 ,
Hilo, Hawaii 96720 ~ ., ,.: ~ ,,; ,,,
Phone (808) 935-9267
Aloha, Ladies and Gentleman;
In Ifay, 1981, I wrote a letter to the editor of the I;awaii Tribune with
regards to the use of the Hilo Airport. The letter was published and I
am enclosing a copy of the letter,
In the .last tyro years our forty-three million dollar international airport
seems to me, to be going to seed: Of course, we have picked up 1Iid Pacific ,
Airlines, for a total of five flights a day, Aloha and Hawaiian Airlines are
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losing money hand over fist and now United Airlines is considering re-routing
to Kona, It seers strange, since the tax-payers of this state have put up the
cash for our International Airport, The following airlines have pulled out of
Hilo, Western, Continental, Pan Am, P]orth Pleat Orient, American, World, and a
host of charter flights.
riy thirty-five years experience in the Aviation Field tells me that if
United starts re-routing from Kona to Flilo with extra take-off and landings
start to cause delays, they tivill more than like]y "dump" kilo for the
higher load factor_out of Kona; "The recent trend of the airlines to abandon
East I;arraii,~has lost thousands of?dollara`in~.landing'~fees,`fuel 'sales, catering
services and has widened the gap in unemployment, This is due, primarily,
F01:19ARD (1)
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by not efficiently utilizing the most ideally located airport in the world,
From-dime to;aime, in;;the -last.. few years,~.ahe-:Council;°has>made comments re
garding conditions, as they novr exist, with our air transport system, It
appears they vrere comments, only,
kiayor Iiatayoshi has suggested that Hilo Airport be used as a cargo terminu$'
for the Pacific BasiW, This is a very fantastic idea, but I would carry this
concept further and create adual-purpose Cargo~tdaintneance Complex
A huge han~eryrbui3;t on the same configuration as the Hoolulu Tennis Stadium,
would house a cargo distribution center and aircraft maintenance facility
which could also be utilized for community functions,
The following. are some of:the~evepts which could be~programmed for a,complex '
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of this size; ~ ~~ '
The kierry kionarch Festival, The International Festival
of the Pacific, Local, State and National Sports, Civic
and Eeligious EWents, as well as a National Convention,
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or two, -
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As a cargo terminus, quoting from Aviation Neek and Space Technology magazine
dated kiay 1, 1983, A complex such as this could generate approximately
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f~~/million pounds of freight a month, creating and estimated two hundred
jobs in handling car go, ,alone,
Asa FAA sanctioned Aircraft Iaintenance Fixed Base IDperator, this County
could put on tho work force a;,pro~:imately three hundred and seventy-five
ASP klechanics, Sheet Metal Specialists, Ground Support Personnel, and
un-told numbers of Office,'Finance, kianagnent'and Personnel employees,''
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It goes without 'saying that'the Counoil is'~ familiarxith .the,'Airport and.
Airways Improvement Act of 1982, where-by the FederalGovernment with
valid cause, will "Grant" financing to cormrunities who wish to expand,
FORIiARD (Z~
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Id;VENUl; IS AVA II,ABLEJ All some of our Council members has to do is to
absorb all;,of,,.the..a.deas=.:hhave~sutmritted, realize, their:validity, and,apply) -
Each year the lilitary'awards a'great number of aircraft modification, repair,
and over-haul contrasts to Civilian Contractors...Since there are many types
of Fighters, Bombers and Cargo craft which require all types of maintenance,
the Military furnishes'the'parts, hardware,: blue-prints and usually a --~
qualified crex to assist'with any problems. The folloxing is`~aa example of .t"'~
of some of the logistics which confront the Military,
array C7 Caribou aircraft which are stationed at Kwajalein llissle Base in the
Marshall Islands, must fly from Itwajaloin to Slabama or California for the
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mandatory fifteen .hundred hour overhaul, This is an eight thousand mile -
flight, mostly over ,water"in a two„engine propeller driven::airplane;,-The,
aircraft is loaded with four internal rubber gasoline tanks, strapped to the
floor. This is ridiculous. A 1-faintenance Base in Hilo xo uld save the tax-,
payers money „ put, people willing and able to work,-and reduce the chance of
losing an•auplane and it_,'s crew~over~'long.water •flights, '~ .- ~~
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?~Ihen the word getr;out~4and it will)) that Hilo is going to build a huge
Cargo/]taintenance Complex, .the entire aviation world will ",beat" an air bridge
to our beautiful shorn. There are hundreds of rrorld zride aviation manufacturers,
aircraft equip~ent suppliers, electrical, avionics and hosts of sales people
who will leap at the chance to do business in Hawaii, lfar~y of theso companies
send representatives to the Faris Air Shox once a year, as well as to areas
all over the United States to demonstrate their products. I am sure they
would relish the' chance"to"use'our complex.as. axr'area-to`demonstrate' their
.companies' newes't`inovation, _ <
lIuch emphasis should also be placed on the loss of revenue to lintels, as
these are being slowJ,y sold down the drain to "condo" developers. fur sugar
industry is all but dead, A portion of our olrl airport is being turned into~~a~,
graveyard for: junked industrial equipment, :automobiles, buses, and a multttGde•
rnnrA"n (3)
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of rotting paraphernalia.:=>,This is an area that in by-gone ,years was the
entrance and exit to the Orohid Island, I drive by there frequontly~
and when I see this beautiful area turned into a "dump"~ it brings a lump
to nlY throat,
Our Island needs grotirth and employments not rhetoric. Fbssibly~ the rumors are
true that Hawaii>is'truly~-.anti-business.<-:Considar:-that it. has.. taken over;>.five' ..
years to permit the building of a mach needed job generating shopping center!
Too often squabbles between our elected officials leave a lot to bd desired.
This area needs leadership that will bring us into the twentieth century!
~ small group of "businessmen.farmers" in'Hiho,"is trying valiantly to establish
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an air freight service from the Bits-Island to Los Angeles California, and
return, These people are extremely dedicated to this goals but financing is
iripossible to obtain without the help pf the Council to approach the Federal
Govern~`nnant to help them ®ualify for assistance,
Hilo International Airport<:is.a trategicaLly.located.in,the Pacific:.Basin for
just such ad Car go Iiaintenance Complex. We are the only prime alternate air-
port for Honolulu as well can be attested when this past July 13th, 1983~~
all of the island of Oahu oras dramatically shut doom because of a massive
electrical power failure, Avast number of aircraft were diverted to Hilo
for"re-fueling and passenger comfort, Hilo is not a second rate airport--
it has the capability of handling all types of aircraft in arty kind of
weather,
" The concept of a Cargo~lfaintenance Complex has far reaching benefits for the
revitalization of;,th~s=area and'is_a positive`.stap~toward creating :a !.new ;identity
to an Island whose economy is based on agriculture and tourism,
FOR~;,iRD(4)
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T•Ihether we lilce it or not, a great deal.of~our tax money is being allocated
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to foreign countries, If the federal money-lenders have a trust fund for
airport improvements, wlp~ not approach them and ask if some of the funds may
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not be returned so we may build a facility in Hilo to put folks to work.
"IT DON'T DD ANY IL1IA1 TO ASK:" Ilho among you has,,the courage to take on this
challenge??177 .. :-,~ :' s
1•ty response to the lett8r to the Editor was very constructive and since I
am semi-retired, if aryy of you have aqy thoughts, either negative or affirmative,
please do not hesitate to contact me:
}lost sincere]y, .
o.rt~~~~ooo~
2lahalo Nui
Ylalter C. 1•Iiller
1875 Kal. Ave, rr608
Hilo, Iiaaaaii 96720 `
;_ Phone 935-9267
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Page 5--complete .. .
' ~ t1Y /`TF.PO`:T SOLUTION
~ 1 Iiay 1981
Dear Editor,
As I gaze out of my window here in Keaukaha at the almost
non-existent air traffic, my memory drifts back to a few years
ago when Hilo's General Lyman Field was'a small, but very busy
place. Old Lyman Field processed a few million people in its'
time. If my memory serves me correctly, we had seven major air-
- carriers operating out of Hilo. We now have a multi-million
dollar International Airport with only one major mainland airline,
(United Airlines) utilizing our facilities. Hilo has the only
all-weather "jetways" for all aircraft operations in the entire
state of Hawaii.
Has any-one considered a solution to this problem? I have
spent the last 35 years in the airline business and although I
am semi-retired, I have not lost contact with the heart beat of
the aircraft industry. I have written, phoned and had physical
conversations with many of my old colleagues and among the many
arguemen*_s they offer is that fuel is too expensive, we are
in a recession, tourism is down, etc. etc..
Ciost of these companies are concerned that-Hilo does not
have a facility to house their equipment. Fdhat is needed is
shops for engine repair, avionics, electrical, metal-smiths,
interior specialists and many more aircraft related skills
too numerous to mention.
The Iiilitary has repair facilities in Honolulu, but most
civilian repairs have to be sent back to the mainland, and as ~.
many a car owner in this county can attest to - once a part is
ordered from the mainland, a generation could pass before it is
received. Enough of the cause: On to the solution.
P9y suggestion is to put to the county, state and federal
- officials, the rental of county, state and or federal unused
land at General Lyman Field to build, with private financing,
a super multi-purpose airplane hangar, consisting of aircraft
shops, a cargo terminal, an engine test facility, and class
rooms for FAA and VA sanctioned training.
In California I served as maintenance supervisor for the
only scheduled helicopter airline that operated out of the Bay
Area. ide operated four 26 passenger helicopters and with out-
side contract maintenance, we were able too operate three, eight-
hour sl?.ifts employing 600 people.
Air carriers who operate convertable airplanes could, with
the cooperation of the tourist industry, fly people from the
mainland to Hilo, convert the airplane to a cargo configuration
and be off to the mainland with aload of flowers, fruits, etc..
There are many supplemental air carriers such as 41or1d
_ Airways, Transamerica Airlines, Capitol Airlines, Flying Tigers,
who have convertable DC8-'~3 series aircraft that are long range
and can carry 245 passengers, as well as 165,000 pounds of cargo
3000 non-stop miles.
Using Hilo as a gateway city, passengers and freight shippers
could split the cost of converting the aircraft, providing local
airlines with much needed revenues and creating employment.
There are hundreds of un-used acres around the most attractive
airport in the state and I believe with the loss of so many jobs
in the sugar and tourist industry, that a facility such as this
will not only put people to work, but will have a definite affect
on the growing crime statistics.
Crime in this state is becoming a real problem, due to the
lack of meaningful employment. Our hotels and sugar plantations
simply cannot absorb all of our young people and tine must other
alternatives.
liahalo ~--
lU1LTER C. ?tLT,i.E;R ''
118175 FCalanianaole ~ 609
~i1 tI') SI~267 96720