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Welcome! |
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Community
Airfields Association of San Diego (CAASD) is a non-profit organization
dedicated to providing a voice in support of the two San Diego city
airports, Montgomery Field and Brown Field. Membership is encouraged from airport neighbors, airport users and airport businesses that benefit the community. Please use the Join CAASD link.
CAASD members agreed to four priorities:
- Advocate for affordable aviation services
- Encourage user-friendly airport leasing practices
- Secure the long-term viability of the airfields
- Promote safe and quiet flying
CAASD takes action!
Thanks to the membership and dedicated leaders in the organization,
CAASD has already established momentum for improving aviation at our
San Diego airfields:
- CAASD grew out of the concern and outrage at the City actions not
to renew the lease for Gibbs Flying Service, when over 300 people
attended the City Council Committee meeting.
- CAASD engages the community surrounding
the airports, bringing people into the excitement of flying through the
Young Eagles program, community open house events and an airport
ambassador program
- CAASD works with the Airports Advisory Committee (AAC) to explain the financial state of the Airport Enterprise Fund.
- CAASD leaders also participate in the AAC subcommittee on RFPs
and leasing practices that works with the City to improve the process
for developing our airfields
- CAASD was joined in the lawsuit filed against Sunroad Enterprises by the City of San Diego asked us to become a Real Party in Interest/Indispensible Party as our members would suffer damages
- CAASD hosts this web site as a cost-effective means of communicating to our members and the community.
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A bit of history |
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CAASD was formed to give a voice to aviation users for the two General Aviation airfields owned and operated by the City of San Diego, Montgomery Field and Brown Field.
Tracy Means, Airports Director, speaks about the Gibbs lease issue to an overflow crowd at the AAC meeting on the patio at Casa Machado, Montgomery Field, March 15, 2005 In March 2005, pictured at right, there was a huge public outcry over the City decision not to renew the lease for Gibbs Flying Service at Montgomery Field and in April 2005, over 300 supporters told City Council to overrule the Airports Division and extend the lease. That success lead to other changes and CAASD was formed to ensure that airport users could have a voice. In October 2005, CAASD and EAA co-hosted two forums for mayoral candidates Jerry Sanders and Donna Frye. These forums created substantially different awareness and commitment to general aviation in San Diego.
In January 2006, CAASD President Rick Beach began participating in the Airport Land Use Technical Advisory Group (ATAG) process. ATAG has become a consensus-building effort with pilots, airport operators, cities, developers, their attorneys and community stakeholders to propose more effective land use plans that are compatible with air transportation needs at airports.
In January 2007, CAASD was asked to join the lawsuit against Sunroad Enterprises who built a 12-story office building that the FAA determined was a hazard to air navigation.
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Organizational Details |
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CAASD is a non-profit, public benefit, corporation in the State of California, organized to promote understanding and cooperation between the airport users and the Airports Division of the City of San Diego, who own and operate Montgomery Field and Brown Field.
As of December 2006, CAASD has over 200 voting members who have paid their $10 membership dues. The CAASD board of directors, listed on the right, steer the organization. Please join us through the on-line form at our Join CAASD link.
Volunteers are welcome! Bring good ideas and enthusiasm to any one of the directors and see how to get involved. Check out possibilities on our Contact Us link.
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CAASD and the Airports Advisory Committee |
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CAASD is a membership organization for airport supporters. It operates independently and it takes action!
The Airports Advisory Committee (AAC) is a formal group reporting to the City Manager (soon to change due to the strong mayor initiative), that provides advice from the community about the city-owned airports. AAC members represent each neighborhood community group surrounding the airport, airport tenants at each airport, and several members with special expertise.
Several CAASD leaders also serve on the AAC (Rick Beach, Jerry Blank, Buzz Gibbs, Kevin O'Donnell, Buzz Fink), so there is considerable overlap in concerns and actions.
However, CAASD was created to mobilize airport supporters in the community when additional voices might address city committees, such as the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services committee that heard the Gibbs Flying Service lease issue, or the Land Use and Housing committee that hears development proposals both on the airport and surrounding the airfields.
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President
Richard Beach Vice-President
Larry Rothrock Secretary
Carl Lewis Treasurer
Rich Martindell
Airfield Business Development
Bob Basso Legal Affairs
Ron Cozad Public Relations / Marketing
Fred George Membership Development
Gary Mullen
Webmaster
Derrik Cullison At-Large
James Aldrich
Billy Davis
David Friedmann
Chuck McGill
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