Tweed-New Haven Airport: A Rogue State?

To be clear, my views and opinions are that of my own. I do not represent any entity of any kind. My views are expressed from the standpoint of a concerned citizen and professional pilot. This said, these views relate to Tweed-New Haven Airport and the attendant malignancy of anti-airport rhetoric brought about by an agenda-laden group known as “10,000 Hawks”.

To be clear, as a concerned citizen, taxpayer and aviation professional, I attempted a civil and informative discussion with a handful of this group’s figureheads. My interest was to address technical inaccuracies that these individuals were purporting as FACT. Mind you, I am not under the employ of Tweed or any entity related. Simply, I’m just a pilot. Oh, and lest I forget to self-disclose, my crime in this? I am no longer a resident of New Haven. For 25 years, I called New Haven home. I still think of it as such.

If you are a US taxpayer, Passenger on an airplane operated by a US Air Carrier or a Pilot like me, you have a valid and valuable contribution to the Tweed story.

Further, and to back up my technical explanation about airplanes and airports, I have multiple Pilot ratings, Multiple Flight Instructor Ratings and have flown commercially for 22 years with over 15,000 flight hours amassed. As someone certified to teach others to fly, I feel aptly qualified to address aviation issues. Unfortunately, when I chose to take up a discussion with members of the "10,000 Hawks" about Tweed I was not deemed qualified by the Leadership of the mighty citizens action group. At the very least, they were dismissive of my input and more often than not, insulting.

My efforts to correct inaccuracies conveyed by the “10,000 Hawks” were met with close-mindedness, internet blocking, bullying and numerous insults of a personal nature. Some even alleged I receive a payoff from the airline that flies out of Tweed for my information sharing!

To say that my participation in Tweed related topics was stifled would be the understatement of the century. Every effort was and will still be made to defame my simple efforts to accurately and factually discuss a very important topic to the region. A group that portrays freedom of expression certainly did a great job of limiting mine. I guess I should have known. I take responsibility for trying to impart logic on those incapable of such a trait. But I digress…let’s talk Tweed and not about me (after-all, the Hawks will do that).

In all of their excellent and esteemed wisdom, have the “10,000 Hawks” ever heard of:

1. The Environmental Protection Agency. This is the agency that approved the engines on AVELO 737s to be built (and about 5,000 other airplanes). Aircraft and Engine manufacturers have to go through exhaustive measures to have their aircraft and engines certified by the EPA. This might be of interest to the "10,000 Hawks" as they seem rather lax in their recall of the EPA.

2. The Federal Aviation Administration/DOT. This is the body charged with certifying pilots, airplanes and airports. Tweed is one of those airports. How do I know this? It has a CFR 14 Part 139 certificate granted by the Federal Aviation Administration. This means the airport has oversight. Not if you believe the Hawks!

3. Department of Environmental Protection. This agency is responsible for protecting the environment. Along with other environmental agencies, this is the very agency Tweed reports its activities in terms of De-Icing fluids and other agents. Tweed doesn't just go "crop-dusting" because it feels like it only to worry about the consequences later...they actual need and receive permission to do what they do.

Also, this is one of the agencies that handles permitting of projects a Tweed. Thanks for your help Hawks, but your Social Media documenting of APPROVED projects makes you look, well...

4. International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). This agency is party to aviation treaties in International scale that pertain to myriad aviation policies.

From their daily diatribes, I do not think the “10,000 Hawks” have heard of any of these and other agencies!

These are the policy making bodies that dictate a myriad of rules, regulations and policies that pertain to airports. As a non expert, I would casually describe these ( and other ) agencies as the very agencies who dictate every aspect of what is happening at Tweed-New Haven Airport and always have.

The above statement ties in to my reference to Tweed New Haven Airport being likened to a rogue State in this article subtitle. I did so because if you believe the dramatic statements asserted by this group of “concerned citizens”, Tweed would in fact be acting unilaterally in its efforts to enhance and expand its operation. But it isn’t. Further, you would think by listening to the “10,000 Hawks” that Tweed is just a gathering place for Barnstorming villains operating a flying 🎪 circus and all of us are in harms way!

CLASSIFIED: Except it's available to all of us!

The hundreds, if not thousands, of pages of material related to the Airport Master Plan are required (and publicly available I might add…but don’t tell The Hawks!) by the very entities I just referenced. Tweed Airport doesn’t just lay down asphalt on a whim, build runways and terminals without critical oversight of people with actual knowledge to approve or disapprove…frankly, it doesn’t breathe without first abiding by the policies and procedures dictated by these organizations. In fact, that’s the whole reason for the Master Plan in the first place! To me, it seems like a pretty meticulous plan with lots of oversight? I dunno, I could be wrong. Check with the Hawks.

Tweed-New Haven Airport, like any airport, is a highly regulated, scrutinized entity overseen by multiple rule making bodies, that operates with some of the highest levels of safety and environmental regulations in our society. But not if you believe the Hawks!!!

The matter is simple if you ask me…the Hawks don’t like the potential outcome. But to be clear, the outcome is decided by far more people than this gaggle of mis informants would have you believe. The Airport Master Plan process is called a process for a reason…because it is one.

The “10,000 Hawks” ( of which there are probably only about a dozen rabble rousers) are a notorious concoction of individuals well versed in harassment of individual persons and false narratives…and not just about the airport. It’s my understanding that they spearhead a great deal of community angst. Judging by their lack of knowledge about anything airplane or airport, I’m entirely un-surprised by this reputation. What else are they experts in? These are people who literally state that their walls are cracking (proof is not your cracked walls) … that they are left covered in soot by an airplane flying overhead ( do you have an ER bill to prove this) ….that airplanes are dumping fuel as they fly overhead….that airplanes are flying at tree top level. Sensational claims require sensational proof. From their endless posting of videos, I remain unconvinced. How about you?

But alas, not one to take credit away when it is due, these people are certainly opposed to anything airport. And in that there is hope. This is their right. I accept it. Just don’t pretend to be authorities in something you are not. Admit that you are not pleased with how the established, law-abiding process is set up for this kind of issue. And don’t tell people lies about it all. Also, then show all of us your qualifications to authoritatively speak on issues to include:

1. Aeronautics.

2. Engineering.

3. Meteorology.

4. Environmental.

5. Business and economics.

Until such time, your views are just views. Same for me. They are not facts. They are opinions. 🛑 STOP PURPORTING TO BE EXPERTS IN SOMETHING YOU ARE NOT 🛩 The difference I am proud to say, between me and the Hawks is that I have experience and qualifications to speak about the very things they take liberty to explain to others. As a professional Pilot, it is my goal to address EVERY issue that the Tweed Hawks raise with data, explanation and context. Be they future or past rantings, they will topics I tackle.

My plea is that the citizens of New Haven and East Haven…and the region as a whole, be allowed to decipher fact from opinion. My plea is for the numerous stakeholders of this issue to listen and judge for yourselves fact from fiction. I am not a Politician. I am not a Civic Official. Nor am I a business owner. By the way, I didn't attend Yale either. And while all of these figures are valid stakeholders in the Tweed story, they are not me. I'm just a pilot addressing in the best way I know how, blaring inaccuracies about the job I have done (and still do) for 22 years.

This unfolding dialogue in our region will allow you to decide what are sensational, dramatic claims and what are real and valid concerns. I ask you to consider whether this citizen group is worthy of your consideration…is what they are saying even possible? Does it make sense? Is this the Hawk you want to believe?