East Haven local and state officials deliberately mislead on the HVN future.

East Haven Administration, East Haven State Representative Joe Zullo & anyone who claims Tweed-New Haven Airport is about to “expand”:

On numerous occasions, both under Public Record and personal conversation, I have expressed my disagreement with the term “expansion” directly to the Tweed-New Haven Airport Authority and to that of Andrew King of Avports/HVN. In doing so, I offered not just my own view as a citizen, but as a Professional Aviator of twenty seven years.

As I offered my critique to them, I offer my professional criticism to you.

Rest assured, I am not only objective when it comes to Tweed…but objectively critical of all things aviation. My bias is in furtherance of avaition safety and that of serving the flying public properly with regard to airports and upholding aviation policy as a whole. What follows is an objective description:

To call the runway extension (all being done on airport property) , as you have countless times, and the replacement of the outdated passenger Terminal (also on current airport grounds) is testament to the foolishness of the entire “expansion” discussion and your absolute lack of pertinent knowledge (or unwillingness to express such). As elected officials, you are viewed by me as the “center stage”of the ensuing circus opened up on the East Shore.

My polite and professional critique to aforementioned parties is substantiated by knowledge pertinent to the subject.

By no means an expert on all matters related to Tweed-New Haven Airport (I'm afraid I cant say the same of Tweed's critics), civil engineering, the environment and aviation itself, I am confident that as the Tweed discussion continues, that the level of expertise needed to understand the various projects at Tweed is entirely lacking. What’s troubling more so is the ease of understanding of the actual projects at hand. As elected officials, you ought to be able to grasp simple matters at hand.

But alas, as elected officials, you campaign against Tweed in such a way as to cast yourselves as the appointed ring-leaders of all that is anti-Tweed rhetoric. You are Mission Control.

Simple FACT: Runway 14-32 has been closed for many, many years. I don’t recall any East Haven official, resident or citizen watchdog group trumpeting this FACT when it happened. Closing of an airport runway not only reduces airport utility, but reduces the impact of an airport. In time, I will detail with great technical accuracy how this represents a contraction of Tweed and an airport in general to the entire region. Something, I might add, that should have been done by you.

The stage is set.

Interestingly, the closure of Runway 14-32 represents the future “expansion” of Tweed that you and your constituents are so alarmed about. Of all things, HVN Airport had intended to improve itself with little to fanfare toward the community by future use of the now defunct runway and taxiway complex.

It is true, that every square foot of the East Side Terminal project is to be built on this closed runway and its related taxiway system. Further, much of the recent enhancement (in correlation with recent service by both Avelo and Breeze) to Tweed Airport has come about again on the closed runway 14-32 complex. Did you know this or is it something you would simply rather not talk about?

Do you and your constituency even realize that cars now park where aircraft once did? It seems to me not.

As of recent.

The entirety of recent landside infrastructure improvements that have taken place at HVN have also occurred entirely on current airfield property, ie on the approach end of runway 14 and a sizable portion of the West Ramp parking apron. These were already airport property and still are such. Did you know that? To characterize (or allow others like 10,000 Hawks and local media to do so) these changes to Tweed as “paving of wetlands” is atrocious. You are either not minding the proverbial store or deliberately turning a blind eye toward such as a means to your ends. This is abominable. As servants to your citizens, you should be ashamed.