Updates about Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (NWFBIA)

[Ovaltine]

How many ?

Do you know how many runways this airport will have? Will it be like Atlanta or is that too hopeful?

Construction Update - 1/8/09 ? The New PFN

Construction Update - 1/8/09

by NewPFN on January 13, 2009
Construction at the new Panama City-Bay County International Airport continues to run smoothly and is currently about 3 and a half months ahead of schedule. A summary of the contracts underway follows.
Contract 1: Heavy Civil and Airfield Lighting:

• 115 pieces of heavy equipment in operation at any one time with approximately 160 personnel on site.
• 46% of time utilized (360 of 780 days).
• 37% of the 15? concrete paving lanes have been placed on 8,500 linear feet of Runway 16-34.
• On Taxiway D, all lime rock base and the majority of the first 2? lift of P-401 base have been placed.
• 12,902 tons of asphalt base course is in place along the Main Access Road (MRA) and loop road. Curb and lime rock base installation within terminal parking lots now 100% complete. Asphalt base course is in place over 75% of main parking lot.
• 34,888 tons of asphalt base and 20,000 cubic yards of structural concrete have been placed on 8,400 linear feet of Runway 16-34.
• 6,780 tons of asphalt base has been placed on Taxiway D, and the main apron.
• Stormwater drainage pipe installation is now 99% complete.
• Storm sewer installation within the General Aviation Area is now underway.
• Over 5.4 million cubic yards of earth has been moved (98% of total).
• Mass grading within Pond C now 90% complete.

Contract 2: Terminal Building, ATCT and Support Buildings:

• Gulf Power has completed installation of temporary overhead power to the Terminal Building location and site office trailers.
• Installation of reinforcing steel continues along Area?s A and B of the Terminal Building.
• New design of the Air Traffic Control Tower auger cast piles was required due to the original design not meeting the required load test. The original design required 72 piles drilled to a depth of 52 feet. The new design, based on the actual field load tests will require 44 piles drilled to a depth of 70.33 feet and 28 piles drilled to a depth of 80.33 feet.
• Rough-in of electrical and plumbing for the Air Cargo Facility is completed.
• Installation of mat reinforcing steel and dowels for the Air Cargo Facility is completed.
• Installation of the drainage structures for the Airport Maintenance Facility continues.

Contract 3: Utility Contract:

• Contract has been executed and all necessary submittals, insurance and bonds have been received from the Contractor.
• Notice to Proceed is anticipated within the first week of January.

 

[organicmama]

Do you know how many runways this airport will have? Will it be like Atlanta or is that too hopeful?

I hope it's NOT like Atlanta. I've spent too much of my life in that airport to remotely like it. It gives me more of a migraine than that thought of shopping in a busy mall.

 

[Will B]

Do you know how many runways this airport will have? Will it be like Atlanta or is that too hopeful?

Two runways.

Primary is 8,000' long. The secondary is far shorter (only 5,000') and will be a crosswind option for aircraft that cannot use the long runway when the winds are too great. It is too short for larger aircraft and will not have an instrument approach landing system.

I think there is enough overrun on the primary to lengthen it, but without digging it up and relaying it, the runway will not support anything larger than a full A-320 or a very very light 757. Don't plan on seeing either of those for a while, though. The A-320 was only used as the design model for the runway and taxiways and no inferrence should me made from it regarding the aircraft that will serve the new airport...

 

[Will B]

You have a military pass that guarantees that? Eglin is getting that whole new program. :scratch: Of course the military always takes into account the small town airport vs. the new program with thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in spending.

The F-35 program won't have any affect on normal airport operations. Much is being made about the environmental and noise impact, but I don't think either is a factor. The Air Force version of the plane is referred to as a CTOL aircraft which stands for conventional takeoff and landing. Only the Marine version will have vertical capability. In other words, the F-35 will replace the F-16's that fly out of Eglin.

 

[Garner]

Actually, the primary runway is 10,000 feet long which is long enough for most any aircraft.

 

[Will B]

Actually, the primary runway is 10,000 feet long which is long enough for most any aircraft.

Ah, yup. You are correct. That's a change to the original plan. Looks like they thickened it as well which is the really important part.

Unfortunately, the website has been redesigned and the orginal plans are no longer there that I can see. The ramp area was to be constructed to the A-320 model as well. I can't find anything on the new site that says it has been thickened as well which would be important.

Unfortunately, traffic dictates aircraft so it's going to be a while before anything big shows up. Eglin still kicks PC's butt in passenger traffic which may be why there's a misinformation campaign taking place between the two chambers of commerce.

 

[Kurt]

County passes 5th cent bed tax | cent, 5th, vote - Breaking News - The News Herald

February 17, 2009 11:18:00 AM


Bay County commissioners voted this morning 4-1 to give the TDC its 5th cent bed tax to use for luring in a low-cost air carrier.
The commission needed a 4-1 super majority vote to levy the fifth cent and got the necessary vote from Chairman Jerry Girvin, who joined commissioners Mike Thomas, Mike Nelson and Bill Dozier. Commissioner George Gainer dissented, saying the timing was wrong.
"I don't totally agree with the idea of this tax but I think we would be in error if we did not give it a try," Girvin said immediately prior to casting the deciding vote.
Moments earlier, Girvin said it was a very difficult decision, one that he has wrestled with for the past two weeks.
If nothing else, he said, the issue "suggests to me this is a perfect time to buy a motor vehicle and move to Alaska," referring to the intense pressure the commissioners have received about the issue.
Girvin said he knew his vote, which ever way it went, would disappoint people he respects.
"I would like to say we (the county) could fund this operation, but we can't," Girvin said, pointing to diminishing revenues.
The 5th cent tax will sunset after five years.

 

[Kurt]

Local officials say they are not behind airport rumors - The News Herald

Local airport officials struck back Wednesday at the idea that they are rumor mongers.
Okaloosa County Commissioners threatened legal action Tuesday against proponents of the new Bay County airport for allegedly spreading rumors that the Northwest Florida Regional Airport will close in 2010. Joe Tannehill, the chairman of the Panama City-Bay County International Airport Authority said local officials have not been spreading rumors about their neighbors.
"They need to be worrying about their own business and let us worry about ours," Tannehill said. "They are the ones that seem to be paranoid over our new airport."
He added that Okaloosa officials seem afraid of a little competition.
"I do think they're hearing the footsteps of us getting cranked up over here," Tannehill said. "Time is going to tell how successful we are and how successful they are."

....

 

[DuneLaker]

Local officials say they are not behind airport rumors - The News Herald

....

While these two airports in neighboring counties are duking it out and working very hard to establish seperate name identification, we in SoWal and Walton County would be wise to remember to promote Walton County venues, place names and The Beaches of South Walton as the preferred place that all these travelers really want to come to in the first place. It is "okay" to be better in any number of topics (best beaches, restaurants, resorts, eco-system, history, etc). We can have some group hugs with neighboring counties from time to time, but we always need to remember to first promote our treasures and assets.

 

[Matt J]

Ah, yup. You are correct. That's a change to the original plan. Looks like they thickened it as well which is the really important part.

Unfortunately, the website has been redesigned and the orginal plans are no longer there that I can see. The ramp area was to be constructed to the A-320 model as well. I can't find anything on the new site that says it has been thickened as well which would be important.

Unfortunately, traffic dictates aircraft so it's going to be a while before anything big shows up. Eglin still kicks PC's butt in passenger traffic which may be why there's a misinformation campaign taking place between the two chambers of commerce.

I believe the runway is 15" thick. Just curious how thick the runways are at Hartsfield?

While these two airports in neighboring counties are duking it out and working very hard to establish seperate name identification, we in SoWal and Walton County would be wise to remember to promote Walton County venues, place names and The Beaches of South Walton as the preferred place that all these travelers really want to come to in the first place. It is "okay" to be better in any number of topics (best beaches, restaurants, resorts, eco-system, history, etc). We can have some group hugs with neighboring counties from time to time, but we always need to remember to first promote our treasures and assets.

Luckily we have that Coastal Vision 3000 (pronounced TARP) to promote the area. ;-):funn: