Bend Airport Petition

The Friends of the Bend Airport advocates on behalf of aircraft owners, pilots, hangar owners and tenants, aviation business owners, and others. The Friends group was established three years ago to foster, on a long-term basis, a safe, vibrant and robust aviation community at the Bend Municipal Airport.

Many of the Friends:

• Have invested private funds in facilities, aircraft and businesses at the Bend Airport in reliance on the City policies and business practices and rules and regulations that have been in place for many years.
• Have hundreds of years of combined aviation experience, including experience working with the Federal Aviation Administration and local government.

The City of Bend is undertaking an update of its rules, regulations and policies impacting aviation operations, hangars, businesses and others at the Airport. This update is directly connected to FAA Grant Assurances both present and future in relation to procurement of funds for a proposed control tower and other future projects.

The Friends of the Bend Airport hosted a roundtable meeting on October 17, where over 50 airport users, business representatives, tenants and city staff were present. The goal of this meeting was to get a better understanding of the changing rules and regulations. Several attendees shared their experience in recent dealings with the City regarding leases and sales of hangars. There was a lack of transparency from the City in every case. In many cases hangar improvements and sales have been halted, some dating back over 6 months.

A small work group that formed following the rountable meeting has requested of Staff to meet and discuss the changes. This request has been delayed until ‘public release’ of the document(s) at some unknown future date.

We, The Friends of the Bend Airport, ask on an immediate basis, to be consulted and involved in the drafting process of all changes regarding rules and regulations impacting aviation operations, hangars, businesses and others at the airport.

If you are in agreement with the need for involvement and having a voice in the drafting process, please send us an email by clicking here, with a simple ‘YES’!