Word-of-mouth among pilots is what gets him students, and the student has to have access to an airplane. When they’re able to catch an airplane to visit their sister, their friends, have fun, they’re looking forward to doing that,” said Murillo. Current Weather Forecast. Reporting a Learjet 60 with landing gear issues. If Fountaine provided one, he’d be acting as a school. Once revised, the entire set of new rules regarding instruction would go to public comment before heading to the Santa Barbara City Council for enactment. SBA - Santa Barbara Municipal Airport Current Conditions. The clubs came out in force to the Airport Commission meeting on December 16. In a written statement to the Independent, Shawn Sullivan made the case for Above All’s economic issue: “Aviation is a challenging business environment, both from the standpoint of regulatory complexity as well as financially. Santa Barbara Airport. Mike Fountaine is applying. “This news couldn’t come at a better time,” said Murillo. In November, the airport added a flight to the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport also through Allegiant. Airport observers speculated it was chiefly a means for Chinese pilots to practice English and that Spitfire had been a shell company for several years. Above All had complained to airport authorities since 2016 about competition and economic discrimination from the new flying club. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Latest News; Community News; Routes Magazine; Routes Aviation Podcast; More. Hotels near Santa Barbara Municipal Airport, Santa Barbara on Tripadvisor: Find 17,112 traveller reviews, 17,371 candid photos, and prices for 99 hotels near Santa Barbara Municipal Airport in Santa Barbara… A wrecked plane and the body of its pilot have been raised from the ocean floor nearly a week after it crashed off the Southern California coast. The airline said Wednesday it … Saying he wanted the airport to resolve the issue — and prevent FAA investigation and action — Aiken reminded SBA of the need to avoid unjust discrimination among its tenants, organizations, and persons “authorized by the airport sponsor to engage in commercial aeronautical activities at the airport, but who are not actual lessees at the airport with leased facilities.”. Airport observers speculated it was chiefly a means for Chinese pilots to practice English and that Spitfire had been a shell company for several years. A third flight school listed at SBA’s website, Santa Barbara Aviation, no longer offers instruction and is a charter service. “Are you going to take flight lessons from someone who pulls up in a car?” he asked. Jason Lee explained to the commissioners that he’d started flying a year ago “when I found the pursuit of flight was within the grasp of a person of modest income.” He’d visited Above All, but online pilot blogs advised trying different instructors. Southwest Airlines will begin offering flights in and out of Santa Barbara starting some time in the new year, giving the region an economic boost. December 18, 2020, 10:54 AM . Ground Transportation. Lompoc Health First to Offer Public Vaccinations, Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics Prepares to Vaccinate Its 22,000 Patients, California Legislature to Vote on Tenant Protections, COVID Hits Record Highs in Santa Barbara County, Vaccine Rollout in Santa Barbara County Moves Faster Than State, Santa Barbara County COVID Cases Continue to Soar at Unprecedented Levels, Vaccination Plans Being Outlined in Santa Barbara County, Jeannine’s Closes Its Downtown Santa Barbara Location, By the Numbers: Santa Barbara’s Third and Worst COVID-19 Wave, Art Meets Science: Charcoal & Watercolor Seahorses, Adult Studio Art Workshop (via Zoom): Drawing, Please note this login is to submit events or press releases. While the airport could limit flight instruction at a club, that felt like a heavy-handed tactic, she said, because too much instruction was not typically an issue on airfields, which are highly interested in safety. Use this page here to login for your Independent subscription. Santa Maria Airport has seen steady growth in flight offerings over the last year. Santa Barbara Airport as a Marine Base. JetPhotos.com is the biggest database of aviation photographs with over 4 million screened photos online! 10 miles. (stock photo) By edhat staff After less than a year of non-stop service to Salt Lake City, Delta is pulling out of Santa Barbara Airport. After a record-breaking 2019, Santa Barbara Airport is ending twenty at a near stand still, but a big lift is coming. Battle over Instruction Erupts at Santa Barbara Airport. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), https://www.independent.com/2021/01/08/from-flight-club-to-fight-club/, Get the top stories in your inbox by signing up for our daily newsletter, Indy Today, Amazon Building Sells to London-Based Investors, Unsurprisingly, Santa Barbara Tax Revenue Is Down, Automatic License Plate Readers Will Replace Downtown ‘Kioskateers’. Fountaine asserts it holds 85-90 percent of the flight instruction at the airport. Bob Rice, S.B. The Sullivans made a verbal complaint to the FAA in 2018, which resulted in a letter from George Aiken, the airports compliance program manager for the FAA’s Western-Pacific Region. Southwest announced Wednesday that starting in the second quarter of 2021, it intends to serve the Santa Barbara Airport. VIEW SBA ARRIVALS. Guest speakers include: Board of Supervisors Chairman-Gregg Hart, Santa Barbara County Executive Officer-Mona Miyasato, Santa Barbara Assistant County Executive Officer-Nancy Anderson, and UC Santa Barbara Economic … Now there’s a way to directly enable these efforts. David Williams is on the boards of both the Santa Barbara and Channel City clubs. Constitutional rights were invoked by another speaker. Airport Department; News & Facts. For most pilots in an urban area like Santa Barbara, the thrill of flying starts with instruction, and the person who teaches you to fly matters. Aiken’s letter clearly linked a resolution of the conflict to the airport’s continuing eligibility for Airport Improvement Program (AIP) money — SBA gets about $3 million a year in AIP grants for maintenance and other necessary work. That's good news for air travel and the South Coast economy. Santa Barbara Airport expects economic boom with Southwest Airlines’ arrival More From KSBY Santa Barbara-San Luis Obispo, CA UP NEXT Flying’s president, argued the airport administrator was trying to change the rules “so that we would not be able to use the instructors of our choice. Deanna Zachrisson, business development manager for the airport, said the offer itself pointed to the problem. SANTA BARBARA, CA – In a move that City of Santa Barbara Mayor Cathy Murillo calls a “game changer for our entire region,” Southwest Airlines announced today its ‘intent to serve’ Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) beginning in the 2 nd quarter of 2021. Three million dollars in federal grant money could hang in the balance. “Given the risks involved in flying,” Lee explained, “choosing an instructor is not to be done lightly.” He went on to say, “The ability of the instructor can mean the difference between life and death” and asked the commissioners not to curtail his ability to choose an instructor. Destinations and flight schedules have yet to be determined, but Southwest is expected to release those after the 1st of the year. He’d taught flying at the airport for 26 years in various capacities, including through his own flight school Fountaine Aviation from 1996 to 2003. “The purpose of a flying club is not to teach people how to fly.”. … As the cost of operating a flight school (which is built into the regulatory requirements) is a significant factor in the challenges Above All faces in keeping our doors open, any unfair advantage that other providers enjoy must necessarily be opposed if we are to continue to provide for the community.” She added that she welcomed healthy competition. Defying gravity tends to have life-ending consequences, and for student pilots, choosing an instructor is not only a matter of knowledge but even more a matter of trust. Trew Knowledge. Among the speakers was one of Channel City’s student pilots. Accessibility; Terms and Conditions; Social Media; Welcome to . Santa Barbara received what some may consider an early Christmas present on Wednesday when Southwest Airlines announced it will begin serving the Santa Barbara Airport … This week Delta Air Lines announced the suspension of service to 11 U.S. cities following a big blow to the airline industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic. By Scanner Andrew City and county firefighters are responding to an Alert 2, aircraft emergency, at the Santa Barbara Airport. The back and forth between the airport and the flying club consumed so much of staff’s time this past year that Thompson told the airport commissioners in December that they were “done with it.” Channel City was sent a cease-and-desist letter advising the club to “transfer” its students or its leases would be revoked by the end of 2020. Airport Commissioner and long-time community member, Captain Karen M. Kahn received the esteemed Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award on March 3rd in the Historic Terminal of the Santa Barbara Airport. 42°F (6°C) Wind-- kts. News. Santa Barbara Airport. That $300 million estimate includes direct airport spending, the added jobs, and supplementary leisure spending. The new owner, a Chinese company, managed it from Orange County. Republican senators deliver blow to Donald Trump, overriding his veto for the first time. A thermometer at the Santa Barbara Airport reached a record high temperature for Jan. 14 of 84 degrees late Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service. It's Official! “It was like the Dodgers winning the World Series. Williams finished his time with other instructors, including Mike Fountaine. If the group he’s formed wins the contract, Zachrisson hoped they and Above All would begrudgingly find a way to compete against each other. Visibility. Mike’s always flown single-engine aircraft and knows them in and out.”. Site by Even the airport agrees that the field’s two clubs can allow its members to be instructed in club aircraft; the question is how much, a point the FAA leaves up to airports to determine. He said he was within three hours of completing his student flight time with Above All Aviation when he joined Channel City. On Wednesday morning, Santa Barbara Airport announced Southwest Airlines coming to the airport starting the second quarter of 2021. Above All has been the big dog on the field for many years. The Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce, From Goleta to Carpinteria will host a virtual State of the County for release on Friday, December 11 th, 9 – 10:30AM.. Grid; List; Southwest adds two new California destinations. Cost Calculator. “Above All Aviation is a monopoly, and I think a little healthy competition is good for the consumer,” Fountaine said. Parking. Exciting new arrival is coming to Santa Barbara Airport next year. Public Notices; Environmental Management; Storm Water Resources; Facts; Policies and Terms. Southwest Airlines is on its way and this news channel's Ryan Fisher reports. Kathy Janega-Dykes, Visit Santa Barbara President and CEO, says one of the main reasons Southwest chose Santa Barbara was a change in their business model; the airline is now looking at destinations and regions with a strong leisure and tourism base. I think they’re cooped up. The video conference discussion will take place at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 14th. SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- Santa Barbara Airport will have a new airline providing flights in 2021. Sullivan insisted the economic unfairness was the only reason she filed a complaint to the FAA. VIEW SBA DEPARTURES. The Telegraph. Channel City has lawyered up, hiring Scott Williams, a Thousand Oaks attorney experienced in aircraft law. “We’re hoping by the summer, if we’re able to gather in person, that will add several of the layers we need to bring back our local jobs and the economy.”. “The idea of negotiating over the number of students who can receive flight instruction via a flying club instead of in a flight school is illustrative of the issue,” she said. Hello! Channel City has about 30 members and similar rules and boasts a Piper Comanche with retractable landing gear. Southwest Airlines plans to begin serving Santa Barbara Airport and Fresno Yosemite International Airport next year. “This announcement really increases access to Santa Barbara. The thermometer reached 80 degrees at the Santa Barbara Airport on Tuesday afternoon, tying a 45-year-old record for the date.. Spitfire gave up its lease at Santa Barbara’s airport in October 2020. What differentiates a club from a school is that clubs cannot operate as a for-profit or compete with commercial tenants of the airport in any way, such as offering transportation, photo tours, or instruction to nonmembers. The Santa Barbara Airport has reopened following a 19-hour shutdown due to the crash-landing of a large transport plane… Search Continues For Pilot Of Small Aircraft That Crashed After Leaving Santa Barbara Airport By CBSLA Staff September 27, 2020 at 6:17 pm Filed … Latest Stories. The Goleta area was chosen as a training base for the Marine VMSR 244 Dive Bomber Squadron [2]. “No one expects the first quarter of next year to be very robust, but after that, we feel like business can resume more normally,” said Miller. Select from premium Santa Barbara Airport of the highest quality. “This certainly makes our destination more competitive for all types of travel; visiting friends and family, vacationers, meeting attendees when we’re able to start booking conferences, and business travel.”. The Sullivans kicked him out of the flight school, he said, even though he’d spent $10,000 on lessons with them. The Santa Barbara Airport is bringing one of the most flown airlines in the world to its hangars. Downloads; Careers ; Media Centre; Charity Partnerships; ASM; Aviation Week Network; A message from the President of Aviation Week; Search Search: Close. Fun Fact: I live right across the street from KSBA! Santa Barbara City Mayor calls this a "game changer for our entire region". SBA has two flight clubs. After first denying the club engaged in commercial flight instruction activity, Williams offered to decrease student membership at the club to 33 percent. As a certified flight instructor, Fountaine acknowledged he had almost no overhead compared to Above All, but they have all the credibility an office and a brace of aircraft can offer, he believes. Channel City Flyers was given a reprieve until the end of January to conform to the airport’s new rules, though Zachrisson said they were still attempting to find a compromise. Channel City Flyers was started by three pilots, one of them Mike Fountaine, who is also a certified flight instructor. Donald Trump was dealt a stinging rebuke by Republican senators last night as Congress overrode his veto of a sweeping defence bill. Channel City replied they didn’t track that kind of information. Any individual aircraft owner can contract with a federally licensed instructor for the instruction they need, not that some third party says they need.” Darryl Eaton, the secretary for the Santa Barbara Flying Club, said he was actually using the flight simulator at Above All when his club got its audit letter from the airport authorities. The year before forming Channel City, Fountaine walked out of Above All Aviation over a disagreement with the owners, Shawn and Joel Sullivan, about instruction. NEWS RELEASE January 5, 2021 Movie Talk Video Conference The City of Santa Maria Public Library is pleased to announce its next Movie Talk Discussion Group Meeting. A second school, Spitfire Aviation, was caught up in an insurance scheme in 2014 and soon changed hands. Santa Barbara Muni Airport (Santa Barbara, CA) SBA Map & Diagram New Window: ( Normal ) ( Terrain ) ( Satellite ) More FBO and Airport Information Kristen Miller, Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, says the forecast of the local economy, once a sense of normalcy is restored, isn’t all that bad. His instructor, appalled, texted an apology, Williams said. Get the top stories in your inbox by signing up for our daily newsletter, Indy Today. Flying clubs exist under Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules to promote general aviation and pilot safety — but their main purpose is to allow members to share the cost of buying, storing, and maintaining aircraft. Here is a compilation of some spotting I did at my home airport, Santa Barbara Airport. SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- Santa Barbara Airport will have a new airline providing flights in 2021. Current Weather Conditions. Santa Barbara Airport expects economic boom with Southwest Airlines’ arrival. 26-Dec-2020. Posted 18 December 2020 12:21. Every day, the staff of the Santa Barbara Independent works hard to sort out truth from rumor and keep you informed of what’s happening across the entire Santa Barbara community. As a new club, nearly half its members are students trying for their pilot’s license. “People are at home right now. VIEW OTP REPORT. DELAY STATUS LOW. The Santa Barbara Airport is bringing one of the most flown airlines in the world to its hangars. “He’s got 25,000 hours of experience,” Williams said, “The level of instruction was incredible, in every way. The new owner, a Chinese company, managed it from Orange County. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. It drives down the cost of travel to get here,” said Janega-Dykes. Goleta was seen as a reliable site due to the good weather which allowed for year-round non-stop training of pilots and air crew. Copyright 2020 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Spitfire gave up its lease at Santa Barbara’s airport in October 2020. I was like, ‘Woo!’” exclaimed Cathy Murillo, Santa Barbara’s mayor. Broken clouds. For Henry Thompson, the airport’s administrator, even an informal complaint, like the Sullivans’, to the FAA is a serious matter. In order to comply, Thompson’s staff asked both clubs for a membership audit in order to find out just how many student pilots they had. They say flying is the most fun you can have with your pants on — the corollary is that it’s on the ground where the trouble begins. Find the perfect Santa Barbara Airport stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. It’s mostly a grudge match, a fact that even airport staff acknowledges. Murillo has lived in Santa Barbara her entire adult life and says the arrival of Southwest was perfect timing for great news. One, Santa Barbara Flying Club, formed in 1947, has about 60 members — several of whom are student pilots — and charges membership fees and for flight time in its three small aircraft. Book a Flight. Two more cities in California are joining … 500 Fowler Rd., Santa Barbara CA, US 93117----At this airport, it is currently-- -- ----Current Delay Status. The addition of Southwest to SBA is expected to bring an influx of travelers from more destinations, giving the local economy an estimated $300 million annual boost and around 1,200 jobs. Airport spending, the added jobs, and I think a little healthy competition is good for the Airport the!, ” said Janega-Dykes strictly prohibited both the Santa Barbara Independent, Inc. Reproduction of from..., please click here three hours of completing his student flight time with other instructors, including Fountaine! Top stories in your inbox by signing up for our daily newsletter, Today. 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