Application under the 2010 Small Community Air Service Development Grant Program 

Diomede City Cpimcil K^LJ 

P.O. Box 7039 '= ' ;• 'j-:-i=2 

Diomede. Ak 99762 i ^ k - ^ ^ 

907-^R6-307l Telephone —t 'Jji^ g 

907-686-2iq2 Fsuc i O^— ' 

— -T::^S : 

Office oFAviation Analysis ra^Z ! 

Small Community Air Service Development Program y= QO ^ 

Attcntioni Ms. Aloha Ley. Associate Dtrector f^ ^ ^ 

August t6,2010 

To Whom It May Conc«m: 

I am pleased to write to you about the grant propowl the City of Diomede is subtnittlDg to 

the OfEice of Aviation Analysis under the Small Community Air Service Development 

Program (SCASDP). 

The chaUeng Diomede has faced it that they have been without safe, reliable, consistent 

air tranaport since July 2009. Evcrgieen Helicopters, Inc. (Evergreen) provides contracted 

U.S. mail air service for Diomede once per week, weather pcimitting. ID the past 

Eveigreeen Qcw mail on a two engine Bokow-105 (BOIOS) Helicopter irom Nome to 

Dioinede with seat tickets available for purchase as TOMI weight allowed; typically one 

seat to Diomede and four seats nttinving to ^{ome. Evetgnen has provided expensive 

charter flights on demand. In June 2009 the BO-105 bad mechanical probloms and 

Evergreen began flying mail only on a. single-engine. A-star helicopter. While FAA 

regutetions allow psssenger service on a aingle-engiiK helicopter over open-ocean, as a 

policy Evergreen will not fly passengers over open-ocean» eqiecially in the Arctic, on a 

single-engine helicopter. Now Diomede has no passenger service. Their only rnems for 

community access i$ by small boot. 

Tlte need to re-establishing air service will serve to secure safe, reliable, year-roupd air 

tnmsportation for Diomede. This will pvovide basic community access to health services 

and for economic activity thai most other Americans take for granted. SCASDP grant 

funding will accomplish two major goals: 1) establish scheduled weekly air service to 

Diuomede to demonstrate demand level, and 2) provide ioterim air service that will 

provide the neoeswry time for vsious regional partners to negotiate financial 

pn^idpation in tiie Essential Air Service 50% match procnm. which will contlinie air 

service after the SCASDP grnit Amding expires. 

Diomede is seeking financial wpport to re-establish air service to their communis, one 

of the most remote communities in the United States of America. Diomede meets the 

Office of Aviation analysts's priority Tcquirements to be considered as eligible for grant 

Community Pa op '^ 1 of Diomede ^- ^ •' 
Application under the 2010 Small Communitv Air Service Development Grant Program 

ftinding under the SASDP. Due to Diomede'a severe lack of air service or other forms of 

community access, the grant application is requesting a grant in the amount of 1,250,000 

or 417,000 per year for three years to establish air service form Nome to Diomede, Grant 

fijnding based upon a proposal estmiate from Evergreen to Essential Air Services, 

including passenger ticket revenue. This will provide only one roimd-irip flight per week 

with only for seats available on the helicopter, which is the most basic air service. 

Thank you for your support and assistance to the City of Diomede and the community 

residents. We look forward to your consideration of the funding request. Please do not 

hesitate to contact me at 907-<S86-3071. 

Sincerely, 

DomAhkinga 

Mayor of Diomede 

Community of Diomede 

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