The 6,000 feet should be able to handle most corporate operators, Goetz said. He estimated UPS probably needs 7,000-8,000 feet of runway before they can return to Boeing Field. That s not a slam on Paine Field, but the reality of being located north of Seattle. On the other hand, Goetz said Paine Field is just as convenient as Boeing Field for corporate jets unless the ultimate destination is downtown Seattle. I ve heard a lot of corporate pilots compliment us on the ease of getting in and out of Paine Field, Goetz said.
Pilots love it because they don t have to sit and wait.
However, it s not like the pilots didn t already recognize the attraction of using Paine Field. I ve heard that before, but a lot of times it s not what the pilot says but what the owner wants, Goetz said. For some owners, part of the allure of owning a jet is the prestige it implies, so they want to be seen with their jets and Boeing Field has more people to do the seeing than Paine Field. Mayor Don Doran, for one, hopes the pilots don t convince the owners. Likewise, he doesn t want UPS or any other cargo carrier to program Paine Field into their schedules.