Los Banos Municipal Code Ch. 1 Airport

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

"Airport"

shall mean the Los Banos Municipal Airport.

"Airport Manager"

shall mean the person duly appointed by the City Manager to the position of Airport Manager.

"Based aircraft"

shall mean any aircraft assigned a reserved parking space or tie-down or hangar space, whether or not such assignment is made under a written lease with the City.

"Local aircraft"

shall mean an aircraft which has on file in the office of the City Manager a complete standard form of registration for permanent storage.

"Maintain aircraft"

shall mean any form of service to, or maintenance or repair of, aircraft.

"Operate aircraft"

shall mean the self-propelled, pushed, or towed movement of aircraft on the ground or the movement of aircraft in flight.

"Other hangar facilities"

shall mean the main hangar, the shop building due west of Group 1 of the T hangars, and the hangar between Groups 1 and 2 of the T hangars.

"Person"

shall mean any individual, corporate entity, or public agency.

"T hangars"

shall mean the hangars constructed by the City for the purpose of aircraft storage.

"Transient aircraft"

shall mean an aircraft not qualified as a local aircraft.

(§ 1, Ord. 385)

No person shall use the airport in any manner whatsoever for any commercial, profit, gainful, or revenue producing purpose, including, without limitation, flight instruction or mechanical work, without the written approval of the City. No person shall distribute, post, or display any commercial or noncommercial sign, circular, handbill, or advertisement on the airport without the consent of the Airport Manager. No person shall solicit funds for any purpose on the airport.

(§ 2 (a), Ord. 385)

Any person causing any damage to the airport or any airport property shall be responsible for the cost of repairs or replacements. No person shall destroy or damage any building, structure, facility, sign, marker, tree, flower, shrub, lawn, or other property on the airport. All damages shall be promptly reported to the Airport Manager.

(§ 4 (f) and (h), Ord. 385)

No person shall operate any vehicle or travel on the airport in any manner except on the roads, walks, paths, and areas provided for the particular means of travel. No obstructions shall be permitted on any road, walk, or path without the prior permission of the Airport Manager.

(§ 4 (i), Ord. 385)

No person, except peace officers, authorized Federal, State, and County employees, or members of the armed forces of the United States on official duty, shall carry any firearm or explosive on the airport without the prior permission of the Airport Manager. No person shall hunt, conduct target practices, or discharge firearms on the airport.

(§ 4 (j), Ord. 385)

The City shall be the sole distributor of aviation fuel at the airport or shall provide by contract for the manner of distribution of aviation fuel. All sales of aviation fuel shall be for cash or by approved credit card and shall be paid for or charged at the time of the delivery of the fuel into the aircraft.

(§ 4 (k), Ord. 385)

No person shall occupy or use a T hangar at the airport without first registering in the office of the City Manager his aircraft for permanent storage.

(§ 3 (a), Ord. 385)

Tenancy in T hangars shall not be transferred or sublet to any third party for any purpose without the written consent of the Airport Manager and/or the City Manager.

(§ 3 (c), Ord. 385)

No person shall be permitted to use a T hangar for parking or the storage of miscellaneous vehicles or materials unrelated to aviation so long as there shall be applicants for the rental of such hangars for aviation purposes. Any authorized tenancy for other than aviation uses shall be considered temporary and shall be subject to cancellation by the Airport Manager and/or the City Manager upon 30 days' written notice.

(§ 3 (b), Ord. 385)

(a) T hangars shall not be used for painting, spraying, or other treatment of aircraft, vehicles, or articles.

(b) No power tools (other than hand-held polishers, wrenches, drills, or electrical motors of less than five-eighths (5/8) horsepower) shall be used in T hangars or be connected to the electrical distribution system at any time.

(c) No alterations shall be made in T hangars without the prior written approval of the City Manager.

(d) No pull-up slings or other lifting devices shall be attached to the building frame, supports, or other structural members of a T hangar for the purpose of engine removal, aircraft support, or the suspension of weight at any time.

(e) Individual aircraft owners, partnerships, formally organized aviation clubs, and hired company pilots may work on privately owned, aviation club owned, or company owned aircraft in the performance of routine and minor maintenance and inspection, but no tenant shall engage or hire outside help or mechanical service other than those persons specifically authorized and possessing a valid permit to perform such work on the airport.

(f) Tenants may park personal vehicles within T hangars while absent on trips or flights, but no vehicle may be parked in or around the paved surfaces of the T hangar area unless the owner of such vehicle is in constant and adjacent attendance.

(g) No aircraft may be parked and left unattended on the pavement adjacent to T hangars.

(h) No spillage of oil, drainage of fuel, use of solvents and detergents, aircraft washing, paint removal, or other acts leading to unsightliness or damages to pavement shall be permitted in the T hangar area other than on wash racks or other specifically designated locations. Accidental spillage shall be immediately washed down or otherwise neutralized.

(i) All T hangar tenants shall be responsible for hangar damages caused by their tenancy, other than proven vandalism or acts of God. Such damages refer particularly to rough use or misuse of hangar doors by tenants or visitors.

(j) Each tenant shall be liable for damages caused to other aircraft by accidental or careless movements or by the operation of the tenant's vehicle or aircraft in the T hangar area.

(k) No aircraft engine may be operated inside a T hangar at any time, and no aircraft engine shall be run up to high-power settings in or about T hangars unless the aircraft engine is moved and tailed to unobstructed and non-dust-producing areas.

(l) No private or independent fueling system shall be permitted in or about T hangars, and no refueling shall be done by other than authorized fuel dispensers using standard refueling safety precautions. No storage of highly volatile liquids or explosives shall be permitted within T hangars.

(m) No unattended children shall be permitted within any airport hangar, and no unescorted children shall be permitted at any time to loiter about, play on, or otherwise occupy the T hangar pavement or other aircraft parking or movement areas of the airport.

(n) An existing commercial operation carried on within a T hangar prior to the adoption of the Airport Master Plan may be continued by the owner of such operation for a period of three years, beginning on June 15, 1977, or thereafter, subject to Council approval.

(§ 3 (d), Ord. 358, as amended by § 1, Ord. 530, eff. August 20, 1975, §§ 1 and 2, Ord. 573, eff. August 5, 1977, and § 1, Ord. 657, eff. April 18, 1980)

No person shall operate or maintain any aircraft at the airport, except in strict conformity with all laws, rules, and regulations of the City and the regulations of the Federal Aviation Agency. All aircraft shall be operated in accordance with air traffic patterns established by the City and the Federal Aviation Agency. All operators of aircraft shall be responsible for a complete knowledge of all laws, rules, and regulations relating to the operation of aircraft. Unusual performance tests of aircraft may be conducted only upon the prior permission of the Airport Manager and only upon such conditions as the Airport Manager shall impose.

(§ 4 (a), Ord. 385)

All aircraft shall land and take off only on designated runways unless specifically authorized by the Airport Manager to use other areas of the airport. All takeoffs shall commence at the extreme end of the runway or area authorized for use. No person shall land on or take off from the airport unless the aircraft is equipped with properly functioning brakes or other positive means to assure adequate ground control. "Touch and go" landings may be conducted only upon the prior permission of the Airport Manager and only upon such conditions as the Airport Manager shall impose.

(§ 4 (b), Ord. 385)

No aircraft engine shall be started or run up in any hangar or when the aircraft is tailed toward hangar doors or positioned in such a manner as to constitute a danger to persons or property. All engine runups and tests shall be performed only in such areas and at such times as shall be designated by the Airport Manager. No engine affixed to an aircraft shall be started or operated unless a competent aircraft operator is in the aircraft attending to the controls and the parking brakes are set or the wheels properly blocked to prevent movement.

(§ 4 (c), Ord. 385)

Aircraft shall be taxied at all times at a slow and reasonable speed, in a safe manner, and under the control of a competent aircraft operator. Except as may be specifically directed otherwise, all aircraft operators shall taxi at their own discretion.

(§ 4 (d), Ord. 385)

No passengers or freight shall be loaded or unloaded from any aircraft until all engines on the aircraft have come to a complete stop.

(§ 4 (e), Ord. 385)

No person shall park any aircraft in any area not designated for such purpose without the prior consent of the Airport Manager. Parked aircraft shall have parking brakes set or wheels properly blocked to prevent movement and shall be firmly secured to the ground by ropes or other appropriate means when left unattended. No aircraft shall be taxied under its own power into or out of any hangar. Aircraft shall be halted and all engines stopped a minimum of twenty-five (25′) feet before entering any hangar or building.

(§ 2 (b), Ord. 385)

(a) The monthly charges for parking an aircraft in the approved tie-down area or the T hangars shall be determined by the City Manager and approved by the Council.

(b) Other hangar facilities shall be leased at a rental determined by the City Manager and approved by the Council for a term to be approved by the Council.

(§ 2 (c), Ord. 385)

Payments for monthly reserved aircraft parking spaces shall be due and payable in advance for each calendar month. The charges for commencing or terminating the use of parking spaces other than on the first day of any calendar month shall be prorated for that month.

(§ 2 (d), Ord. 385)

Witnesses to and participants in any accident or damages to aircraft occurring at the airport shall promptly make a full report of such damages or accidents to the nearest Federal Aviation Agency Safety Officer and to the Airport Manager. Aircraft operators, owners, or their agents shall be responsible for, and shall cooperate and assist in, the prompt removal of damaged aircraft, parts, property, or debris resulting from any accident; provided, however, the Airport Manager or officials of the Federal Aviation Agency may prohibit the movement or removal of any damaged aircraft or property.

(§ 4 (g), Ord. 385)

The privileges of using the airport and its facilities shall be conditioned upon the assumption of full responsibility, liability, and risk by the user thereof, and the City and its agents and employees shall not be liable for any loss, damage, or injury to persons or property arising out of any accident of any nature whatsoever, or from any cause whatsoever, including, but not limited to, fire, theft, vandalism, wind, flood, earthquake, collision, or act of God.

(§ 5 (a), Ord. 385)

Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be punishable as set forth in Chapter 2 of Title 1 of this Code.

(§ 6, Ord. 385)