### Martin , Michae l (OST) HfiT —CST - <^^T-Q1-'S: M From : Sent : To : Cc : Subject : Earl e McCormic k [demccormick@tds.net ] Tuesday , Septembe r14 , 201 0 12:5 3 P M Devany , Denni s (OST ) Martin , Michae l (OST ) Comment s fo rU.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio n regardin g Docke t DOT-OST-1997-2784 ; EA S Airline Contrac t fo rth e Augusta , Main e Stat e Airpor t Mr . Denni s DeVany , M r Michae l FMartin , Th e purpos e o f

thi s lette r

i s t o as k that th e U.S . Departmen t

o f Transportatio n (USDOT ) recogniz e that constituent s o f

other s tha n th e August aCit y Counci l are serve db y th e August aStat e Airport an dth e airlin e chose n b y USDO T for

th e EA S contrac t

t o serv e tha t

Airport . I recogniz e th e August aCit y Council' s desir e t o support th e recommendation s o f it s ow n Airport

Committee . Bu t

that Committee' s advice , t o recommen dCap e Ai r ove r USAir , i s a

t complet e odd s wit

h overwhelmin g publi c respons e t o th e contrary . Fo r th e reason s outline dbelo w b y but

on e o f m y constituent s wh o ha s contacte dm e with thi s plea , I as k tha t yo u selec t

t o continu e th e servic e o f

USAi r at th e August aStat e Airport . Respectfully , Earl e L . McCormic k Main e Stat e Senato r Senat e Distric t

#2 1 ' ' ' •__ 3

' r i X T

4=

- X T .•">•-'•;•:-: ' 

### .-«:^ 5 

# g^ 5

•u i I amwritin g a s afrequen t busines s flyer

fro mth e August aStat e Airport i n Augusta , Maine , i n support o f continuin g USAir/Pinnacle/Colga n a s th e EA S supporte dairline . Thi s i s acas e i n whic h th e USDO T shoul d carefull y conside r

th e weigh t

it give s an y recommendatio n b y th e August aCit y Council , it s airport committee , o r staf f befor e assumin g tha t

suc h recommendatio n b e heeded . Thes e recommendation s are flawe db y afailur e t o hav e areasonable , announce dpubli c inpu t proces s i n th e importan t

decision , an dt o flatl y ignor e th e overwhelmin g support

o f tha t publi c which , despit e th e process , responde dwhe n alerte db y concerne dairport users . Th e August aCity Counci l bowe dt o th e recommendatio n o f it s Airport

Committe e despit e what th e Mayo r

an d councilor s describe da s th e mos t publi c inpu t

the y hav e ha do n an y issu e i n an y o f thei r individua l tenure s o n th e Council . The y admitte dthat thi s publi c inpu t

wa s virtuall y al l i n favo r o f USAir/Pinnacle/Colga n (hereafte r referre dt o a s USAir ) retainin g it s servic e t o th e Stat e Airport . I n addition , publi c commen t submitte dt o Augusta' s newspaper , th e Kennebe c Journa l (onlin e version : K J OnLine ) o n tw o occasion s ra n 8 0 t o 9 0 pe r cen t i n favo r o f retainin g USAir . So , first , I as k

tha t yo u conside r

th e opinio n o f

th e August aare apubli c i n thi s an dunderstan dthat th e Cit y Council' s recommendatio n doe s not reflec t th e opinio n o f

eve n it s ow n constituenc y (populatio n 18,440) , muc h les s th e airport-usin g communit y o f th e surroundin g regio n outsid e th e Cit y o f August a(Kennebe c an dFrankli n Countie s alone , minu s Augusta , hav e apopulatio n o f 132,000) . Th e overwhelmin g majority o f th e publi c wh o car e abou t

thi s issu e wan t

USAi r t o stay . Second , I as k

that yo u conside r

th e Airport

Committee , it s proces s leadin g t o thi s recommendation , an dit s qualification s t o b e th e foundatio n upo n whic h aconvincin g recommendatio n t o yo u an dth e USDO T i s poorl y 1supported . Th e proces s a t n o tim e aske dth e August aAirpor t users , beyon dth e pilot s an doccasiona l commercia l flyer s o n th e Airport Committee , for

input . Th e publi c wa s no t invite dno r

welcom e t o atten dth e Augus t 11t h presentation s o f

th e tw o carrier s competin g fo r th e contrac t

i n orde r t o as k question s an djudg e fo r themselve s th e relativ e merit s o f th e proposals . Durin g th e Augus t

11t h presentations , th e Committe e aske dfor specifi c response s fro mUSAi r an dagree dthat USAi r coul dge t bac k t o the mwith answer s (e.g . on e o n revisin g price s downward. . .whic h it sinc e ha s no t

onl y answere dbut

implemented) . Th e Counci l almos t mad e it s decisio n o n thi s issu e durin g it s informationa l meetin g o n Augus t

12th , withou t

benefi t o f th e answer s th e Airport

Committe e sough t

an dwithou t

mentio n b y th e Committe e chair , aCounci l member . Th e Counci l a t th e urgin g o f

th e publi c attendin g tha t thi s issu e wa s to o importan t

t o g o withou t

a n opportunit y for

publi c input , se t

th e specia l Counci l meetin g for Augus t 19t h instead . S o b y happenstance , an dnot with th e follow-throug h o f th e Airpor t

Committe e o n it s obligatio n t o USAir , th e carrie r

responde dt o thes e questions . A t th e Augus t

11t h USAi r presentation , aCommitte e membe r aske dwhethe r

th e carrie r

woul dhangar

it s plan e i n Augusta . It

wa s explaine dtha t

it woul dnot , havin g t o see k thi s amongs t

mean s t o lowe r

it s cos t t o mee t th e EA S cap a s i t

ha dcommitte dto . Give n th e Rocklan dmodel , an dconfirme dat th e Augus t

19t h Counci l meetin g b y Cap e Air' s state dinten t t o hous e aplan e an dpilo t i n Augusta , I questio n th e objectivit y with whic h th e tw o Airport Committe e member s wh o ar e employe db y th e logica l candidat e t o hangar an dfuel th e Cap e Ai r

plan e mad e thei r

decision s t o support

thi s recommendation . Anothe r Committe e membe r

testifie da

t th e 19t h Counci l meetin g that

USAi r supporter s ha d"mislabeled " aphot o b y showin g aSAA B 34 0 for us e i n August ai n USAi r livery . Th e fac t

that th e SAAB s use dno w i n August aactuall y us e thi s livery , a s wel l a s som e with Colga n Ai r livery , demonstrate s thi s member' s lac k o f touc h wit

h August aAirport

commercia l flyin g operations . In fact , I a mno t awar e o f an y frequen t

busines s traveler s o n thi s Committee . Bot h th e Committe e an dth e Counci l repeatedl y belittle dth e need s o f th e busines s communit y i n favo r o f potentia l leisur e flyers , an dfelt the y woul db e bette r

serve db y Cap e Air . Fo r th e sak e o f

aleisur e flyer

gettin g discounte dticket s o n th e occasiona l tri p with Cap e Ai r an dJe t Blue , the y ignore dth e August abusines s flyer wit h dozen s o f

enplanement s eac h year

wh o depend s o n th e mor e robus t USAi r syste mfro mAugust at o b e abl e t o earn alivin g i n Centra l Maine . Finally , I as k

that yo u conside r

th e followin g whic h obviousl y ar e pushe dasid e i n Federa l EAS/ai r regulation s t o accommodat e th e like s o f Cap e Air . Main e Stat e governmen t an dth e Federa l government , respectively , shoul dno t

(for th e sak e o f

cheap flights ) support

awardin g o r

actuall y awar dacontrac t t o acarrie r

which : • Admit s havin g n o ability t o accommodat e th e handicappe dwh o canno t mak e it o n thei r ow n u p int o th e aircraft . • Utilize s aircraf

t withou t secur e fligh t

decks . • Utilize s aircraf

t with on e pilot , whe n on e pilot' s medica l emergenc y o r orientatio n proble mo r

psychologica l issu e can doo maflight

withou t secon dpilo t

back-u p (a s occurre di n 2008' s fatal Cap e Ai r cras h du e t o spatia l disorientation) . A n AOP A articl e support s th e notio n tha t on e pilo t i n atwi n engin e craf

t certifie dfor

on e pilo t i s 150 % mor e likel y t o hav e a n acciden t

tha n tw o pilot s i n th e sam e craf t (http://www.aopa.org/pilot/turbine/safetv0810.html) . • Allow s passenger s t o si t a t th e control s i n th e co-pilot' s seat durin g commercia l passenge r flights . I t i s tim e for

th e Departmen t

o f Transportatio n t o break

th e mol do f

givin g s o muc h weigh t

t o apolitica l entity , lik e th e August aCit y Council , whe n tha t bod y no t onl y doe s not

represen t airport users fro msurroundin g communities , but

fail s t o represen t

th e wil l o f

thos e i n it s ow n constituency . Kevi n McGinni s 5 7 Centra l Stree t Hallowell , Main e 0434 7 Question s - Nanc y & Kevi n McGinnis , 512-097 5 THAN K YOU !