Air Force: Major airport would disrupt test flights

The Air Force official also called unnecessary the Los Angeles World Airports' long-talked about plans to develop an international airport on 17,500 acres of property adjacent to Air Force Plant 42.

Developing the property as an airport would require a separate control tower, which would wreak havoc with flight communications, and make routine takeoffs and landings more complex.

That was the word this week from Lt. Col Robert M. Catlin, commander of the production flight test installation at Plant 42.

"There's a concern the Air Force has if there's a separate airport," Catlin said. "The Air Force would have serious problems with that. Not just Plant 42, but Edwards Air Force Base."

Instead, the airport board should look to marketing Palmdale Regional airport, which already has a terminal and, up until last year, supported commercial commuter flights, Catlin said.

Commercial flights from Plant 42 have occurred under a joint-use agreement made in 1989.

The agreement states that in exchange for the Department of Airports deferring future construction of its planned runways and other improvements on its adjacent property, the Air Force gave its permission for up to 400 commercial flights per day on its runways.

Currently, there are no commercial flights in and out of Palmdale.

The last air carrier used Palmdale Regional airport, which operates from the same runways and shares the same control tower as aircraft from Plant 42.

Service to Palmdale began in 1971 at a terminal built on land leased from the Air Force. It was discontinued in the mid-1980s.

After years of negotiation, the joint-use agreement was reached, and commercial flight operations resumed.

Proponents of commercial air service from Palmdale argue against planned expansion of Los Angeles International Airport. Some residents in northern L.A. County and the San Fernando Valley believe commercial service from Palmdale would be an improvement.

When Los Angeles World Airports purchased land adjacent to Plant 42 in the 1960s, it was with the intention to develop it to relieve expected heavy passenger traffic into LAX.

Also at that time, it was believed by some that Lancaster and Palmdale would be among the biggest cities in California.

Instead, the majority of growth went east toward areas near Ontario - Ontario International is the third-largest airport in Southern California.

While no airport has taken shape on the airport land, it does have a nine-hole golf course, Desert Aire. Farmers also lease 2,000 acres of airport land to grow carrots, Christmas trees, sod and other crops.

"Some people are still holding on to that 30-year-old dream, but the predictions based on that dream never occurred," Catlin said.

But, even if a population boom in the Antelope Valley were to occur, Catlin said, Palmdale Regional Airport would be able to accommodate that.

Currently, up to 50 operations per day can run from Plant 42 - an operation meaning either one arrival or one departure.

More than that requires an environmental impact statement.

Catlin estimated that besides the military air traffic, Plant 42's two runways could accommodate up to 400 commercial operations per day - the same traffic seen by Ontario Airport. Catlin also said that if necessary, a separate runway could be built on Plant 42.

But, "anything built separately next door to us would have serious implications on what we do here," Catlin added. "We could not operate like we do now."

As for having to acquire environmental impact statements to run more than 50 operations per day, Catlin said, "I would love to have that problem. That means we've got an airport here."