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Creswell Airport
Monday, September 08, 2008
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
We can only hope these quotes are true.
An interesting story that could happen at our Creswell Airport if all the bickering doesn't stop.
What will it take to get new safety rules accepted by the city and get the skydiving businesses back in operation? We still haven't understood what changed after some ten odd years of operation that caused the shutting down of those businesses. There is NO question, these businesses must adhere to strict safety rules. But forcing them to jump away from the airport is not the answer. At least we know where to look when they are jumping on the field. It's looking more and more like a personality problem and not a safety issue. Let's get this fixed.
Skydiving can take place safely at Creswell airport
After many months of ongoing controversy between the city of Creswell, the Creswell Airport and Eugene Skydivers, and with no final resolution in sight, I would like to address this issue not only as a resident of Creswell for the past nine years, but also as a professional skydiver.
I am a retired U.S. Army officer, former Airborne Ranger and Professional Exhibition Skydiver with the U.S. Army Parachute Team "Silver Wings," and currently am an active Parachute Tandem Master and an Assistant Professor of Military Science at the University of Oregon.
I have more than 3,000 parachute jumps, both within the civilian sector and in the military, and I have been conducting parachute operations throughout the world for more than 28 years, and the past nine years at Creswell Airport with Eugene Skydivers.
I find it very interesting that the argument between the airport management and the skydiving community is based on "safety" concerns.
We have a few pilots and the airport manager saying it is unsafe, and the skydiving community saying that it is perfectly safe (there has not been any incident between a parachutist from Eugene Skydivers and another aircraft attempting to land or takeoff).
It seems that it is an "us against them" mentality and the city administration has taken the side of the airport manager and a small number of pilots. It is interesting to note that for skydiving operations to be conducted, it takes aircraft and pilots.
Some of the most experienced pilots that you will ever find also happen to be pilots who fly aircraft being used for parachuting operations, yet their voice has been lost in this controversy.
If you were to ask any of them if they thought skydiving was unsafe with using the field adjacent to the airport as a parachute landing area, they would all say that it is not unsafe and has been done safely over the past 14 years.
Based on information from the FAA, and my own personal experience, I believe that landing parachutists in the open area east of the Creswell Airport is safe to both parachutists and pilots.
Because the city administration has voted to deny parachutists landing on airport property, this very professional business that brings people and customers from all over the nation, supports fund raising activities for numerous organizations and provides jobs to a multitude of citizens is in danger of closing its doors forever.
I am personally saddened that if the city administration does not vote to allow skydiving and parachutists to land at Hobby Field, that another Creswell business will have a "For Lease" sign hanging from its door.
Darren McMahon, CPT U.S. Army Retired
Creswell
"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all."
-Dale Carnegie
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