National aviation group urges against airport rezoning

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A national organization for pilots and airplane owners is joining the bandwagon of organizations opposing the Hilton Head Island Town Council's effort to block any extension of the airport's runway.

Bill Dunn, vice president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, sent a letter to Mayor Tom Peeples on Thursday urging the town to back off final approval of a zoning change until more research could be done.

The Town Council is expected to give final approval today to a measure to change the zoning for the airport to lock the runway at its current 4,300 feet. The measure means Beaufort County, which owns the airport, would have to seek a rezoning from the town if it ever wanted to change the runway length. That would be a longprocess that would involve several layers of public review.

"We believe that, if enacted without further study or amendment, the proposed (amendment) could have unintended negative consequences for both the airport and the Hilton Head Island community," Dunn wrote.

The Frederick, Md.-based organization represents 414,000 pilots and owners, including 4,800 in South Carolina. Dunn says in the letter that the town's actions could jeopardize federal grants to the airport and undermine the Federal Aviation Administration's authority.

"The Town's current rationale for the (measure) appears to be based on an understandable lack of familiarity with federal regulations governing airport operation and construction," Dunn wrote. "... Respectfully, I would maintain that safety of aircraft operating in air commerce, including the protection of persons and property on the ground, is primarily the mission of the FAA, not the states or municipalities."

The letter urges the town to consider less drastic ways to get a voice in the airport's future.