Coalinga Municipal Code Ch. 5 Coalinga Municipal Airport Rules and Regulations

This chapter may be referred to as the "Coalinga Airport Rules and Regulations".

(§ 1, Ord. 520, eff. May 3, 1986)

This chapter shall apply equally to every user of the Coalinga Airport.

(§ 1, Ord. 520, eff. May 3, 1986)

(a) Management. It shall be the responsibility of the Manager of the Coalinga Airport to fairly and impartially administer the Coalinga Airport rules and regulations.

(b) Users. It shall be the responsibility of every user of the Coalinga Airport, pilot or other, to become familiar with the Coalinga Airport rules and regulations and to obey such rules and regulations. A copy will be maintained current to reflect any amendments and will be posted in the pilot's ready room. Additional copies will be provided by the Airport Manager to any user of the airport who requests such copy.

(§ 1, Ord. 520, eff. May 3, 1986)

For the purposes of this chapter, unless otherwise apparent from the context, certain words and phrases used in this chapter are defined as follows:

(a) "Air carrier" shall mean any person who undertakes directly, by lease or other arrangement, to engage in the air transportation of persons or things. Air carriers operate, in various categories, under authority or certification by the United States Civil Aeronautics Board and/or the Public Utilities Commission of the State. Categories include certificated route air carriers, trunk carriers, flag carriers, local service carriers, all-cargo carriers, helicopter carriers, commercial air operators, air taxi operators, and charter air carriers.

(b) "Aircraft" shall mean a device which is used, or intended to be used, for flight in the air. "Aircraft" shall include airplanes, helicopters, gliders, and lighter-than-air devices, such as blimps or balloons, but shall not include hang gliders.

(c) "Airport" shall mean the Coalinga Airport, and its buildings and facilities, and all lands owned or leased by the Coalinga Municipal Airport contiguous to the airport, including the airspace above such land and the designated approaches thereto.

(d) "Air traffic" shall mean aircraft operating in the air or on an airport surface, exclusive of loading ramps or parking areas.

(e) "Air traffic clearance" shall mean an authorization issued by air traffic control personnel for an aircraft to proceed under specified traffic conditions within controlled airspace.

(f) "Autorotation" shall mean a rotorcraft flight condition in which the lifting rotor is driven entirely by action of the air when the rotorcraft (helicopter) is in motion.

(g) "Balloon" shall mean a lighter-than-air aircraft which is not engine driven.

(h) "Ceiling" shall mean the height above the earth's surface of the lowest layer of clouds or obscuring phenomena which is reported as "broken", "overcast," or "obscuration" and is not classified "thin" or "partial".

(i) "City" shall mean the City of Coalinga.

(j) "Commercial operator" shall mean any person who, for compensation or hire, engages in the carriage of persons, property, or mail in air commerce or engages in other aerial activity, such as flight instruction, aerial photography, fire fighting, agricultural aviation activities, or traffic surveillance.

(k) "Commercial use" shall mean the use of the Coalinga Airport for revenue producing commercial activities.

(l) "Fixed base operator" shall mean any person who rents, leases, or owns facilities located on the Coalinga Airport and who, by virtue of his specific type of aviation (or aviation related) activity, requires the occupancy of a site with a contiguous aircraft apron and direct access to the aircraft operation area, and who engages in a business activity providing aviation sales or services, including, but not limited to any of the following:

(1) Selling and/or servicing new and used aircraft and component parts;

(2) Aircraft maintenance and repairs;

(3) Sales and/or repairs of avionics;

(4) Aviation training (including ground or flight instruction);

(5) Aerial photography;

(6) Air ambulance services;

(7) Aircraft agricultural operations (crop dusting, spraying, or the application of seed, fertilizers, pesticides, defoliants, and the like); and

(8) Aircraft rentals, charters, or leasing.

(m) "Flight visibility" shall mean the average forward horizontal distance from the cockpit of an aircraft in flight at which prominent unlighted objects may be seen and identified at night.

(n) "Ground visibility" shall mean the prevailing horizontal visibility near the earth's surface.

(o) "Helicopter" shall mean a rotor-driven aircraft (rotorcraft) which, for its horizontal motion, depends primarily on its engine-driven rotors.

(p) "IFR" shall mean the instrument flight rules covering meteorological conditions below the minimums for flight under visual (VFR) conditions.

(q) "Maintenance" shall mean the inspection, overhaul, repair, preservation, and replacement of parts, but shall exclude preventive maintenance.

(r) "Maximum gross landing weight" shall mean the maximum landing weight stipulated for a particular aircraft by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

(s) "Night" shall mean the time between the end of evening civil twilight and the beginning of morning civil twilight, as published in the American Air Almanac, converted to local time.

(t) "Person" shall mean an individual, firm, partnership, corporation, company, association, joint-stock association, or governmental entity and shall include a trustee, receiver, assignee, or similar representative of any of them.

(u) "Traffic pattern" shall mean the traffic flow prescribed for aircraft landing at, or taking off from, the Coalinga Airport.

(v) "Word construction". The following construction shall apply throughout this chapter:

(1) Words importing the singular shall include the plural.

(2) Words importing the plural shall include the singular.

(3) Words importing the masculine gender shall include the feminine.

(w) "VFR" shall mean the visual flight rules covering meteorological conditions above those requiring flight under IFR conditions.

(§ 1, Ord. 520, eff. May 3, 1986)

This chapter is enacted to protect the health, safety, and peace and to promote the welfare and convenience of the general public using the Coalinga Airport or affected by activities on or related to the airport.

(§ 1, Ord. 520, eff. May 3, 1986)

Any person desiring to store or base his aircraft at the Coalinga Airport shall register his aircraft at the Coalinga Airport Office prior to beginning such storage or operations and at any time a change in ownership occurs. The use of the airport or any of its facilities in any manner shall create an obligation on the part of the user to obey all of the rules and regulations provided in this chapter.

(§ 1, Ord. 520, eff. May 3, 1986)

No person shall utilize the Coalinga Airport for any revenue-producing commercial activity without first obtaining a permit from the Airport Manager for such activities and paying the fees and charges established for such use. The Airport Manager shall establish and maintain available for examination, upon request, a schedule of the fees and charges for the use of the airport and its facilities. Any aircraft owner who fails to pay any fee duly charged for aircraft owned or controlled by him shall have such aircraft subject to impounding until the fees are paid, along with any impounding fees, or until the aircraft is sold for charges.

(§ 1, Ord. 520, eff. May 3, 1986)

Aircraft shall only be stored or parked at places designated by the Airport Manager, and such storage or parking shall be at the sole risk of the owner or operator of the aircraft and without any responsibility of the Coalinga Airport or the City, or any of its officers or employees, for any loss of, or damages to, the aircraft while so stored or parked. The owner or operator of the aircraft shall be responsible for the tying-down and securing of his aircraft. He shall likewise be responsible for any liability arising from or caused by his aircraft or his activities. Transient aircraft shall only be parked in the areas designated by the Airport Manager.

(§ 1, Ord. 520, eff. May 3, 1986)

The Coalinga Airport shall be open for public use at all hours of the day and night, subject to any restrictions imposed by the Airport Manager due to inclement weather, the condition of the landing areas, the presentation of special events, construction or repair activities, or similar causes. The airport shall be attended from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily, and services may be obtained at other times by contacting the Airport Manager at telephone number 935-3586 or 935-1534.

(§ 1, Ord. 520, eff. May 3, 1986)

No aircraft shall be left unattended on the airport unless properly secured or within a hangar. Owners of aircraft left so unattended shall be liable for damages to other aircraft or property resulting from the failure to adequately secure or tie down the aircraft.

(§ 1, Ord. 520, eff. May 3, 1986)

Unless otherwise authorized by the Airport Manager, no aircraft or vehicle maintenance (other than required to remove damaged aircraft from the runways or taxiways or replacing flat tires) shall be performed on the Coalinga Airport except in areas specifically designated by the Airport Manager for such purposes.

(§ 1, Ord. 520, eff. May 3, 1986)

Pilots approaching the Coalinga Airport shall maintain a listening watch on UNICOM 122.8 MHz for traffic advisories. No aircraft equipped with a tail skid shall operate on any paved surface of the Coalinga Airport.

(§ 1, Ord. 520, eff. May 3, 1986)

Every person involved in or witnessing an aircraft accident at the airport shall report promptly the details of such accident to the Airport Manager, to the FAA, and to local law enforcement personnel as required by law. In addition, the pilot or aircraft owner shall report fully to the California Division of Aeronautics the details of any accident in which there is death or injury or in which damage to the property of others exceeds four hundred dollars ($400.00). The owner and/or pilot of an aircraft which is damaged in an accident, or wrecked, shall be responsible for the prompt removal of the aircraft as directed by the Airport Manager. Where the pilot or owner is unable to arrange for the removal of such disabled or wrecked aircraft, the Airport Manager shall have the authority to move, or arrange the removal of, the aircraft when released (if applicable) by the FAA or the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). No liability shall be incurred by the Airport Manager or others for damages aggravated by, or resulting from, such removal.

(§ 1, Ord. 520, eff. May 3, 1986)

No person shall operate any aircraft in flight or on the ground in such a manner as to cause unnecessary noise as determined by applicable Federal, State, or local laws and regulations.

(§ 1, Ord. 520, eff. May 3, 1986)

No person shall enter any restricted area which is posted or closed to the public except: (a) persons duly authorized by the Airport Manager; or (b) law enforcement or fire-fighting personnel.

(§ 1, Ord. 520, eff. May 3, 1986)

No person shall wilfully and knowingly permit any animal owned, possessed, or harbored by him to enter the airport unless the animal is leashed or restricted in such a manner as to be under control, or is in a shipping container, or is otherwise under physical restraint. No person shall permit such animal, except a seeing eye dog, to enter any airport building.

(§ 1, Ord. 520, eff. May 3, 1986)

No person shall enter upon any runway, or runway enclosure, of the Coalinga Airport, except in an aircraft, without the express consent of the Airport Manager or his designated representative.

(§ 1, Ord. 520, eff. May 3, 1986)

No person shall start any aircraft engine on the Coalinga Airport:

(a) Unless a competent operator is at the controls; and

(b) Unless the aircraft is equipped with adequate brakes fully applied or the wheels are securely blocked with blocks or chocks which can be removed safely; and/or

(c) When the aircraft is in such a position that the propeller slipstream or jet blast can cause damages to, or interfere with the operation of, other aircraft, vehicles, mobile equipment, hangars, shops, or other buildings or can cause injuries to passengers, spectators, or other personnel.

(§ 1, Ord. 520, eff. May 3, 1986)

No person shall taxi any aircraft into, out of, or within any hangar or other building on or adjacent to the airport. No person shall move any aircraft under its own power on the airport unless he is in full control of such aircraft and has assured himself that there is no danger of collision with other aircraft, vehicles, equipment, buildings, or other obstacles. Aircraft shall be taxied at a safe speed, not to exceed fifteen (15) miles per hour.

(§ 1, Ord. 520, eff. May 3, 1986)

No person shall place, deposit, or dump any garbage, cans, bottles, papers, ashes, sewage, carcass of any dead animal, offal, trash, rubbish, debris, or any other refuse in any location on the airport, except in containers plainly marked for such purpose.

(§ 1, Ord. 520, eff. May 3, 1986)

No person shall shoot any projectile from a firearm or other device into, on, or across any portion of the airport, nor have in his possession, or under his control, any firearm which is not unloaded and securely wrapped and boxed for shipment, or any explosive or explosive device; provided, however, this section shall not apply to peace officers or military personnel who are acting in the performance of their duties as such.

(§ 1, Ord. 520, eff. May 3, 1986)

Except where the Airport Manager has delegated authority for air traffic control to FAA Air Traffic Control personnel, every aircraft before landing and after takeoff shall be flown in accordance with the traffic pattern illustrated on the diagram attached to Ordinance No. 520, on file in the Office of the City Clerk, as Exhibit A. Aircraft traveling faster than one hundred twenty-five (125) miles per hour shall be flown using the outside pattern shown on Exhibit A.

(§ 1, Ord. 520, eff. May 3, 1986)

(a) No aeronautical activity shall be conducted at the Coalinga Airport (or within the airport traffic area) except in conformance with current Federal air regulations, State laws and regulations, and this chapter.

(b) All initial takeoffs shall commence at the end of the runway (unless cleared by the Airport Manager or by ATC if authorized by the Airport Manager).

(c) Touch-and-go landings shall be permitted only after the pilot has received approval from the Airport Manager (or from FAA ATC if delegated by the Airport Manager to approve touch-and-go landings).

(d) No hang glider or ultra light aircraft may operate at the Coalinga Airport without the approval of the Airport Manager.

(§ 1, Ord. 520, eff. May 3, 1986)

(a) No aircraft shall be fueled or defueled while the aircraft engine is running (or while the aircraft is in a hangar or other enclosed space).

(b) No smoking shall be permitted within fifty (50) feet of the aircraft or fuel truck while the aircraft is being fueled or defueled.

(c) During fuel handling, no passenger shall be permitted in or on the aircraft (unless a cabin attendant is stationed at or near the cabin door).

(d) All hoses, funnels, and appurtenances used in fueling or defueling activities shall be equipped properly with a grounding device to prevent the possible static ignition of volatile liquids. Such grounding devices shall be used during all fueling and defueling activities.

(e) During fuel handling activities, no person shall operate any radio transmitter or receiver, nor switch electrical appliances on or off in such aircraft or in the immediate vicinity (fifty (50) feet) thereof.

(f) Every person engaged in aircraft fuel handling shall exercise due care to prevent the overflow or spilling of fuel.

(g) During fuel handling, no person shall use any material or device which is likely to cause a static spark within fifty (50) feet of such aircraft or fuel truck.

(h) Where there has been a fuel spill or leak, no person shall start the engine of any aircraft in close proximity until the spill or leak has been washed away. In the event of such spills or leaks, the Airport Manager shall be notified.

(i) Fuel hoses and draining or defueling equipment shall be maintained in a safe, sound, and nonleaking condition.

(§ 1, Ord. 520, eff. May 3, 1986)

(a) No person shall travel on any portion of the airport, except upon the roads, walks, or places provided for the particular class of traffic, nor occupy the roads or walks in such a manner as to hinder or obstruct their proper use.

(b) Motor vehicle traffic shall yield the right-of-way to aircraft.

(c) Every vehicle operating within, in, or on the runways, taxiways, ramps, or aircraft parking or tie-down areas shall be painted, marked, or lighted as directed by the Airport Manager and shall display an orange and white checkered flag not less than three (3) feet square.

(d) Any accident involving a motor vehicle which results in a fatality or injury or in property damage shall be reported by the driver to the Airport Manager.

(e) No person shall operate any motor vehicle on the airport in excess of twenty (20) miles per hour (except emergency vehicles responding to an emergency situation). On passenger loading ramps, in aircraft parking lots, and in areas immediately adjacent to hangars, speed shall not exceed ten (10) miles per hour. The speed limit on the airport access road from a highway or street shall be twenty-five (25) miles per hour.

(f) Vehicles shall not be parked on the airport other than in the manner and locations indicated by posted traffic signs and markings.

(g) Vehicles which are to be left unattended may be parked only in designated airport vehicle parking lots.

(h) Vehicles parked other than as set forth in subsections (f) and (g) of this section may be moved by airport personnel, and in such event a towing charge will be levied prior to releasing the vehicle from impound. No liability for damages sustained by such vehicles during such movement will be assumed by the City or any of its officers or employees.

(i) Motor vehicles shall not be driven on or across runways or other portions of aircraft operating areas without clearance from the Airport Manager or from ATC to do so. Except where adequate controls may be maintained by light signals, two-way radio communications shall be required between the ATC tower and such vehicles. Exceptions may be granted during maintenance activities so long as two-way communications control is maintained with at least one (1) vehicle controlling the activity.

(j) Motor vehicles shall not be driven or parked upon or within fifty (50) feet of aircraft parking areas, ramp areas, or aprons without the express approval of the Airport Manager. Exceptions: Airport maintenance or emergency vehicles or fuel or service vehicles.

(k) No person may operate a motor vehicle or aircraft in or on any portion of the airport while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs.

(§ 1, Ord. 520, eff. May 3, 1986)

(a) No person shall light or smoke any cigarette, cigar, pipe, or similar object in the following airport areas:

(1) Within any hangar or fuel handling or storage area;

(2) Within or upon any aircraft parking area or ramp;

(3) Inside any aircraft (whether or not such aircraft is parked or stored) or within fifty (50) feet thereof; and

(4) Within fifty (50) feet of any "No Smoking" sign posted.

(b) No person may use flammable liquids, solvents, or substances to clean any aircraft, engine, or part, or accessory thereof, within any hangar or building except a building especially designed for such purpose and approved in writing by the Airport Manager. Such approval shall only be granted when the Airport Manager approves the ventilation, fireproofing, and fire-extinguishing equipment.

(c) No person shall light or use any open flame for any purpose in any hangar or other building at the airport without the prior written consent of the Airport Manager.

(d) No person shall operate any electric or gas welding or cutting equipment anywhere on the airport without the prior written approval of the Airport Manager.

(e) No person shall clean or degrease any aircraft, or part thereof, except at or in a maintenance station properly equipped for such purpose or in a space designated or authorized by the Airport Manager.

(f) No person shall store or stock any material or substance, or permit such activities at the airport in such a manner or of such nature, as to constitute a fire hazard. No person shall keep, store, or discard any flammable liquid, gas, signal flare, or other flammable material in any hangar, shop, building, room, enclosure, or other place on the airport except in areas specially designated by the Airport Manager for such purposes.

(g) Lessees of hangars, shops, or other airport areas shall provide suitable metal receptacles with hinged lids for the storage of oily wastes, rags, and other similar rubbish. All such materials shall be removed by the lessee at frequent intervals.

(h) Every lessee shall maintain his leased area clean and reasonably free of oil, grease, waste, other flammable materials, and weeds.

(i) Lessees shall provide, and maintain in proper working order, adequate and readily accessible fire extinguishers. Each such extinguisher shall bear a suitable tag which indicates the most recent date of inspection or servicing. Extinguishers shall be approved by the Fire Chief if they meet the requirements of the Fire Chief.

(§ 1, Ord. 520, eff. May 3, 1986)

No person shall deliver aviation fuels or lubricants to, or dispense such fuels from, at, or upon the airport without a permit from the Airport Manager.

(§ 1, Ord. 520, eff. May 3, 1986)

Each aircraft based at the Coalinga Airport shall be covered by bodily injury liability insurance with a minimum limit of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) per person, three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000.00) per incident (or a single limit liability of three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000.00)), and property damage liability with a minimum limit of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00).

(§ 1, Ord. 520, eff. May 3, 1986)

No person shall:

(a) Take or use any aircraft, aircraft part, instrument, or tool pertaining thereto which is owned, controlled, or operated by any person while such aircraft, part, instrument, or tool is stored or otherwise left at the Coalinga Airport, or within its hangars, buildings, or facilities, without the written consent of the owner or operator thereof, except upon satisfactory evidence of the right to do so duly presented to the Airport Manager, or authorized by him, or so ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction;

(b) Land, takeoff, taxi, or otherwise operate any aircraft on, at, or from the Coalinga Airport when he knows such aircraft is not operating properly or is equipped with any part or safety device which is defective or unsafe. Deviations from this restriction shall only be permitted by specific authorization from the Airport Manager or his designated representative. Nor shall any aircraft be operated on or at the airport, or on any runway thereof, when the airport or runway has been closed to traffic by the Airport Manager or other legal authority, and such closure has been indicated by the placement of an "X" at each end of the closed runway;

(c) Operate any aircraft (or vehicle) on, at, or in the vicinity (three (3) statute miles) of the Coalinga Airport in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property, whether his own or that of others;

(d) Engage in the performance of any aerobatics, stunt, or maneuver not necessary to a normal takeoff, landing, normal turn, or level flight of the aircraft over or within one (1) mile of the exterior boundaries of the airport; or

(e) Engage in the sale of any goods, wares, merchandise, or services at or upon the airport without first having secured from the City a business license and paying any required fee for such license.

(§ 1, Ord. 520, eff. May 3, 1986)

The Airport Manager is hereby directed and authorized to close the airport, or portions thereof, or suspend operations related to the landing, takeoff, or taxiing of aircraft during any period in which he determines that such operations, or their continuance, would be hazardous. Causes for such closures could include, but would not be limited to, adverse weather conditions, runway maintenance or repairs, runway obstacles, fire, aircraft, or other accident. Any such closure shall be effective only during such time as there is placed at each end of each runway so closed a letter "X", the arms of which are at least twenty (20) feet long and two (2) feet wide, and so colored as to contrast with the background or other surface. The Airport Manager shall immediately notify the Fresno Flight Service Station (or local FAA facility) and issue a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) advising of the closure.

(§ 1, Ord. 520, eff. May 3, 1986)

Should any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this chapter be held invalid or unconstitutional for any reason, such decision shall not affect the remaining portions of this chapter. The Council hereby declares that it would have adopted this chapter and each section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase, regardless of the fact that any one (1) or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses, or phrases be declared invalid or unconstitutional.

(§ 1, Ord. 520, eff. May 3, 1986)

Any fees contemplated or established by this chapter shall be set by resolution of the Council and may be changed, amended, or eliminated by resolution.

(§ 1, Ord. 520, eff. May 3, 1986)