Miramar the only sensible airport site

By: MARY WARREN | Friday, July 29, 2005 10:10 PM PDT ∞

On May 28, Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, R-Escondido, replied to my missive of May 19, where I wrote: "Miramar remains the logical choice for a new (San Diego) airport." It is unfortunate, however, that Duke would mislead the people about the suitability of Miramar in order to protect his turf and imagined prestige.

The Base Realignment and Closure list aside, and it is not final, the runways at Miramar are compatible for commercial aircraft. Runway "6 left/24 right" is 12,000 feet long. Runway "6 right/24 left" is 8,400 feet and Runway 28 is 2,800 feet. With a minimum of expense "24 left" could be extended to 12,000 feet and "28" could be realigned as a third runway if needed. John Wayne Airport serves Orange County just fine with one 5,700-foot runway. KC-10s (heavy lift tankers), Air Force One and in some very rare instances, commercial jets (due to low visibility at Lindbergh Field) have used Miramar. So where is the incompatibility, Duke?

The Miramar area is the last large, flat site with several miles of unobstructed (housing-free) approach. It is centrally located in San Diego County, surrounded on three sides with already-existing freeways and a fourth commercial side for terminals.

Studies by the Site Selection Committee states passengers will travel only about 50 to 60 minutes to any new airport. This fact further enhances Miramar's central location. In addition, the fuel line that supplies the tank farm at Qualcomm Stadium passes by the east end of Miramar. If a fuel feed line is not already in place to the air station, a simple upgrade could be installed to cover any future commercial operations.

According to Cunningham, MCAS Yuma is "far from the carriers, amphibious bases and offshore ranges where Miramar helicopters and jet pilots train." Must I remind the congressman that most of the Miramar jets travel to Yuma for "close air support" training at the Barry Goldwater Range?

As for Naval Air Station North Island, ever since the Navy reduced its air presence in San Diego, with the transfer of "Top Gun" to Fallon, Nev., there is little aircraft activity at North Island. My pilot co-workers state that the flight deck instruments and avionics on Marine and Navy F-18s are virtually identical. Administratively, the Marines and the Navy are in the same department of the Department of Defense. Hence, Marines should be able to split the difference between Yuma and North Island effectively ---- Yuma for desert training and North Island for over-water training.

Some have suggested March Air National Guard Base as a new airport site. Already upgraded Los Angeles-Ontario Airport would negate any benefits March could bring. Besides, March has mountain problems on its departure side and Interstate 15 is too congested to drive.

Rep. Bob Filner, D-San Diego, wants the new airport in the desert, his district, which would be served by, as he says, a "bullet train." Again I ask: How to bring millions of gallons of "jet fuel A" to an airport miles from nowhere that must be constructed from the ground up, not to mention supplying water, power and employees?

Engineers estimate to construct Filner's "bullet train" over the Laguna Mountains, elevation 6,000 feet, would cost about $140 million per mile. If the airport is 75 miles distant, the cost of the train alone would be $10.5 billion.

In the final analysis, Miramar remains the only logical site for San Diego County's new airport in spite of Mr. Cunningham's lack of truthfulness with the people and Mr. Filner's adventures into the policy fringe.

For the military retirees, leave the commissary where it is.

Mary Warren lives in Carlsbad.