Palmdale air role cannot be dismissed

EditorialFocus: A San Diego professor has kissed off Palmdale, claiming it will never become a major air transportation site. He is apparently ignorant about our local resources and progress that is being made toward Antelope Valley's future role in commercial and military aviation.

Steven P. Erie, a political science professor at UC San Diego, recently did an article that shows a dangerous lack of knowledge about Palmdale's airport potential. Erie has written "International Trade and Job Creation in Southern California: Evaluating Los Angeles/Long Beach Port, Rail and Airport Development Projects." It will be published by the California Policy Seminar.

At the risk of being provincial, here are three sentences from his article that seriously offended us:

"Palmdale, once touted as the new international airport, is destined to remain a small regional facility because high-speed access to populated areas is too expensive.

" . . . Yet, the peace dividend offers Southern California a windfall opportunity to solve its pressing international and cargo-airport needs. Five military air bases are set to close or be revamped for joint military-civilian use: El Toro, Norton, March, George and Point Mugu."

Erie is apparently ignorant of the existence of Air Force Plant 42, a busy, 5,700-acre operational airfield with two 12,000-foot runways - one of which is said to be the strongest in the world.

He probably hasn't seen our news stories announcing a $12 million program to improve lighting, runways and taxiways so that large cargo planes can be accommodated.

He must be unaware that the Palmdale Regional Airport presently operates under an Air Force lease on Plant 42 property.

In short, military and commercial aviation are actively using this Air Force facility and have been operating under joint-use agreements since 1973.

Erie may not be aware that the Los Angeles Department of Airports has acquired 17,700 acres immediately adjacent to the east of Air Force Plant 42 for the future development of what may yet become Palmdale Intercontinental Airport.

Before he dismisses Palmdale as "destined to remain a small regional facility because high-speed access to populated areas is too expensive," he should acknowledge that we already have daily Metrolink service that could be expanded at relatively low cost to link the Palmdale Airport and the entire Los Angeles Basin.

There is a good probability that if California develops a high-speed rail system it will be routed through Palmdale.

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing . . . particularly when a professor professes to know how to solve Southern California's future transportation problems.