Death Valley airports are in danger of closing: Save Stovepipe Wells

Рет қаралды 5,485

3 жыл бұрын

Death Valley has two paved runways and both of them are in danger of closing to most general aviation airplanes. The National Park Service wants to close Stovepipe Wells airport and turn it into a night sky viewing area. In addition, the poor runway conditions at Furnace Creek airport have made it unsafe for airplanes to land, with no repair in sight.
Can anything be done? In the video I explain how it's not too late to make your voice heard. Pilots and the aviation community must be pro-active in saving our airports. Once they are gone, they are never coming back.
SAVE STOVEPIPE!!!
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE PROPOSALS FOR STOVEPIPE WELLS:
parkplanning.nps.gov/document...
LINK TO UPCOMING DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT:
parkplanning.nps.gov/projectH...
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Photo credits:
Jim Herd
Luis Kuri

Пікірлер: 59

@karlasantaanna5015 3 жыл бұрын

Good call Wolficorn! stars and pilots together ⭐️🤜🤛✈️

@brianeney4856 3 жыл бұрын

My first passion is the night sky and is my degree. As a private pilot in SoCal I getting tried of seeing airports closing. I AGREE there is room for both Astronomers and pilots!!

@Wolficorntv 3 жыл бұрын

Ahh...very cool. I love both things too. Hopefully enough pilots can make their voice heard to convince the NPS that it's worth keeping open for pilots.

@charleslawson6824 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for posting this! Both of these airports are on my bucket list and it is *because* of the stargazing opportunities they provide. There is not nor should there be any conflict between aviators and stargazers. Both of these airports must be saved.

@europeter101 3 жыл бұрын

Save them both! Furnace Creek is an awesome location and even the Death Valley visitor center sits on the airport.

@Wolficorntv 3 жыл бұрын

Agree! Furnace Creek needs some runway improvements to make it truly accessible to all GA planes.

@jmbrownell9 3 жыл бұрын

Yes! Pair the project of a night sky observatory with the money needed for repaving the runway. Stovepipe Wells is more centrally located to the center of Death Valley NP., which is closer than Furnace Creek with its shorter runway. Having an observatory will help bring in more tourists and boost the economy. Since Stovepipe Wells Airport is a day only facility, this will not conflict with the observatory, which will operate at night. The new observatory will bring in more tourists, some of whom may actually use the airport. This is a win/win situation.

@JustPlaneSilly 3 жыл бұрын

Man you fly over some really pretty scenery. Also makes no sense why they would shut down the good airport when the derelict one is already self destructing.

@Wolficorntv 3 жыл бұрын

Come on out and we can go visit them! Yeah my thinking is they envision this as a "package deal" along with the other "upgrades" they want to do in the village. We'll see what happens.

@Pilot_Dad_Adventures 3 жыл бұрын

I'm in for helping, thanks for bringing this to our attention!

@Wolficorntv 3 жыл бұрын

We just need to see what happens when the NPS releases the assessment within the next month or so. After that, there's still a chance to make your opinion known!

@andrewclarke5946 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for bringing this up. This is Important for preservation.

@Wolficorntv 3 жыл бұрын

Thx Andrew. There's still an opportunity to voice an opinion when the draft assessment is released soon.

@andrewclarke5946 3 жыл бұрын

@@Wolficorntv looking forward to it so I can help out.

@WolfPilot 3 жыл бұрын

That looks like a fun place to fly into...

@Wolficorntv 3 жыл бұрын

Stovepipe Wells is a cool out of the way place. I need to bring my tent next time.

@gorgly123 3 жыл бұрын

That's a real bummer. I wanted to fly into Furnace creek as a bucket list thing.

@Wolficorntv 3 жыл бұрын

Furnace Creek is currently still doable...you just need to be very aware of the poor runway condition upon landing. Not worth the risk to me.

@gorgly123 3 жыл бұрын

@@Wolficorntv Not worth the risk to me either, especially if you damage your plane, since there are no services at the airport so you would be royally screwed.

@Wolficorntv 3 жыл бұрын

@@gorgly123 Exactly. It's super remote. I'd be so pi$$ed at myself if I got stuck there.

@AV8OR51 3 жыл бұрын

Loved visiting Death Valley a few years ago and gazed the night sky. I couldn’t fly into Death Valley due to weather. Sad to see they are planning to close the airport.

@Wolficorntv 3 жыл бұрын

It's not a done deal yet! Let's see what happens when they release the assessment.

@cleekmaker00 3 жыл бұрын

Shortsightedness on the NPS' part. Why can't they co-exist, each doing what they enjoy? There's certainly more than enough room for both...

@homertalk 3 жыл бұрын

What the hell, like there isn't enough open desert to look up into the sky. Tear down what's old, that's all today's society is good for. If they do this, I may just travel out there with some light pollution.

@Wolficorntv 3 жыл бұрын

That's the irony...there's unlimited space for stargazing. Hopefully pilots can make enough noise to influence the NPS decision.

@russperkins4054 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for using your platform to bring this to more people's attention. I registered my comment in the first comment period stressing the ability of utility of dual use of the airstrip. I will keep watching so I don't miss the next comment period. Let's hope common sense prevails.

@Wolficorntv 3 жыл бұрын

I commented back in December too. I'll be curious to see what happens when the report becomes public. I'm a natural pessimist but I wanted to make a video to raise awareness. There's still an opportunity to voice an opinion.

@davidduganne5939 3 жыл бұрын

Wow--your Tiger sounds like a Bonanza! 01:25

@Wolficorntv 3 жыл бұрын

Ha...I secretly upgraded my engine. Actually it's because the audio is slightly slowed down there.

@JamesGood 3 жыл бұрын

Nice video, great message! I flew in and left a comment in the airport log book back in December, and submitted an online comment back then. I'll have a video of that flight out soon...

@Wolficorntv 3 жыл бұрын

Thx James. I commented back in December as well. We'll see what happens when the report is released. BTW...I've enjoyed your ercoupe videos!

@Threegibbers 3 жыл бұрын

Great video

@GabeRamirez15 3 жыл бұрын

Save Stovepipe!!

@bradvaughan9061 3 жыл бұрын

Doesn't the AOPA have a program to defend airport closures? This seems like an important one. It sharing feasible. Assume there are no lights which is why it's day use. If a runway is listed does it have to be available for emergencies, lights or not?

@Wolficorntv 3 жыл бұрын

There are no lights. It would be very difficult to land here at night

@buckbuchanan5849 2 жыл бұрын

Agree, leave the airport, and NOTAM it out for late night star gazing. I'm sure not many fly in in the dark anyway. I used to fly for a skydive club south of San Antonio, we would let the local stargazer group come out after we finished flying. Nice collaboration was had by all!

@stephenmcgeown 3 жыл бұрын

It seems like the cheapest option ("hey, look at all that tarmac! We can use all that!") but singularly fails to consider the impact to another important group of Death Valley visitors. You're right - both needn't be mutually exclusive. Are they worried about stargazers on the runway if a pilot has to land there in an emergency at night? Thanks for bringing it to our attention. Stunning photography as well!

@Wolficorntv 3 жыл бұрын

I honestly can't imagine trying to land there at night. That said, there are legit concerns if the runway is being shared how to manage that. We'll see what happens when the report comes out. Thx for watching!

@aerofart 2 жыл бұрын

The only argument I see for sharing the airport with star gazers is that star parties usually last an entire weekend or more on long holiday weekends. Star gazers or amateur astronomers set up their telescopes and leave them in place for the duration of the event, so this would conflict with daytime use as an airport during those times, or any time really if the airstrip were to be made available for stargazing seven days per week.

@jthrilla9147 3 жыл бұрын

@wolficorn the flying the storytelling the air port stats wolfi bro its like i been on these flights with you an bro your blowing up soon you'll be able to buy one of those airports 💪🏿

@Wolficorntv 3 жыл бұрын

I'm glad you like the stats and info. I think it's fun to learn little bits of info about these random places.

@jthrilla9147 3 жыл бұрын

@@Wolficorntv it makes it personal it's like your giving us all the info that we all want without having to ask you do the history an everything 💪🏿your the goat bro

@joeaverage3657 2 жыл бұрын

When is the public comment window on this impending mess??? Would like to have a chance at chiming in ... Both as a pilot an amateur astronomer.

@Wolficorntv 2 жыл бұрын

You can find the links in the video description. The NPS was supposed to release some compliance documents in the summer with another round of public comments before the final decision is made...but it doesn't seem that they've released that document yet.

@michaelhusar3668 3 жыл бұрын

RIP death valley airports.

@Wolficorntv 3 жыл бұрын

it's not over yet!!

@20EUR20 3 жыл бұрын

💚

@mjhornidge 2 жыл бұрын

How crazy is the turbulence here during the summer?

@Wolficorntv 2 жыл бұрын

you wouldn't catch me in Death Valley during the summer!

@gordonfeliciano4315 3 жыл бұрын

Another "Santa Monica Airport" situation, eh? Sad... I wonder... do Stove Pipe and Furnace Creek qualify for FAA grants for repairs? Probably not since they are in such disrepair. But if they are, I would think the US Department of the interior would be able to apply for funds to repair one, if not both, facilities. It sounds like there's a larger agenda here... one that does not favor an airport. That's sad, because if money were invested in improvements, I believe more folks would come to visit... especially more of us pilots. As the saying goes, "if you build it, they will come". Good luck with your efforts. Here's hoping this one can be saved.

@marcus554 3 жыл бұрын

Hmm,, sounds interesting.

@dutchygirl 3 жыл бұрын

I regularly visit a dark spot at at river bank at night, where a guy brings a huge telescope in a cart behind a moped. Love to watch the moon, stars and planets. I think the stargazers and aviation could co-exist, but the guys can set up their scopes more easy just about anywhere, then planes can land - and it doesn't seem to be a good place to land at night (and have light pollution), so why not share.

@Wolficorntv 3 жыл бұрын

I love looking thru telescopes too but I don't think they need to sacrifice a perfectly good airport for the sake of doing that when there are better options :)

@dutchygirl 3 жыл бұрын

@@Wolficorntv I totally agree on that!

@richardrichard9953 2 жыл бұрын

No light pollution my ass. Vegas looks like the sun is coming up and that's 120 miles away

@Threegibbers 3 жыл бұрын

Wouldn't it be good to keep the runway open during the day and to bring in the star watchwds by air. Win win..

@Wolficorntv 3 жыл бұрын

Logic doesn't always prevail in these situations. Let's see what happens.

@doctaran 2 жыл бұрын

The whole idea that a 3000’ runway is needed fir a few telescopes is ridiculous. A small deck anywhere in the area would suffice. The entire area is flat desert with scarce vegitation and a telescope can be set up anywhere. NO Body ever would walk down a 3000’ runway in the middle of the night to set up a telescope. This should be seen fir what it is…. A feeble attempt at finding a rationalization to stop maintaining the airport.