Mono County Municipal Code Ch. 21.02 County Airport Rules and Regulations

The ordinance codified in this chapter may be referred to as the Mono County airport rules and regulations. It may be amended by a majority vote of the board of supervisors.

(Ord. 80-489 § 1 (part), 1980.)

This chapter applies equally to every user of the Bryant Field, Lee Vining and Mammoth-June Lakes airports.

(Ord. 80-489 § 1 (part), 1980.)

A. Management. It shall be the responsibility of the airports manager to fairly and impartially administer the airport rules and regulations.

B. Users. It shall be the responsibility of every user of the county's airports, pilot or other, to become familiar with the airport rules and regulations and to obey those rules and regulations. A current copy will be maintained to reflect any amendments and will be posted in the airport terminal buildings or public facilities. Additional copies will be provided by the airports manager to any user of the airports who requests such copy.

(Ord. 88-489-B (part), 1988; Ord. 80-489 § 1 (part), 1980.)

For the purposes of this chapter, the following definitions and meanings shall apply unless otherwise specified:

1. "Air carrier" means any person who undertakes directly, by lease or other arrangement, to engage in air transportation of persons or things. They operate in various categories under authority or certification by the U.S. Civil Aeronautics Board and/or the California Public Utilities Commission. 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;

2. "Aircraft" means a device that is used, or intended to be used, for flight in the air. It includes airplanes, helicopters and gliders and lighter-than-air devices such as blimps or balloons, but does not include hang gliders;

3. "Airport" means the Mono County airports, its buildings and facilities, all lands owned or leased by the county contiguous to the airports, including airspace above such land and the designated approaches thereto;

4. "Air traffic" means aircraft operating in the air or on an airport surface exclusive of loading ramps or parking areas;

5. "Authorized persons" means only those persons who have lawful legitimate business relating to the operation, care and maintenance of aircraft, including passengers, either commercial or private, to the operation, use and maintenance of the aircraft;

6. "Autoration" means a rotorcraft flight condition in which the lifting rotor is driven entirely by action of the air when the rotorcraft (helicopter) is in motion;

7. "Balloon" means a lighter-than-air aircraft which is not engine-driven;

8. "Ceiling" means the height above the earth's surface of the lowest layer of clouds or obscuring phenomena that is reported as broken, overcast, or obscuration and is not classified thin or partial;

9. "Commercial operator" means 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, traffic surveillance, etc.;

10. "Commercial use" means use of the county airports for revenue-producing commercial activities;

11. "County" means the county of Mono and "board of supervisors" means the board of supervisors of the county;

12. "Fixed-base operator" means any person who rents, leases or owns facilities located on the airport who, by virtue of his/her specific type of aviation or aviation-related activity, requires the occupancy of a site with 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, the following:

a. Selling and/or servicing new and used aircraft and component parts,

b. Aircraft maintenance and repairs,

c. Sales and/or repair of avionics,

d. Aviation training including ground or flight instruction,

e. Aerial photography,

f. Air ambulance service,

g. Aircraft agricultural operations such as crop dusting, spraying or the application of seed, fertilizers, pesticides, defoliants, etc.,

h. Aircraft rental, charter, and/or leasing,

i. Other concessions as may be permitted by the county;

13. "Flight visibility" means the average forward horizontal distance from the cockpit of an aircraft in flight at which prominent unlighted objects may be seen and identified by day and prominent lighted objects may be seen and identified by night;

14. "Ground visibility" means prevailing horizontal visibility near the earth's surface;

15. "Helicopter" means a rotor-driven aircraft (rotorcraft) that, for its horizontal motion, depends primarily on its engine-driven rotors. "Helicopter" also means autogyro;

16. "IFR" means instrument flight rules covering meteorological conditions below the minimums for flight under visual (VFR) conditions;

17. "Maintenance" means inspection, overhaul, repair, preservation and the replacement of parts but excludes preventive maintenance;

18. "Maximum gross landing weight" means the maximum landing weight stipulated for a particular aircraft by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA);

19. "Night" means 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;

20. "Person" means an individual, firm, partnership, corporation, company, association, joint-stock association or governmental entity and includes a trustee, receiver, assignee, or similar representative of any of them;

21. "Traffic pattern" means the traffic flow that is prescribed for aircraft landing at or taking off from the county airports;

22. "VFR" means visual flight rules covering meteorological conditions above those requiring flight under IFR conditions;

23. "Word construction," as follows, applies throughout this chapter:

a. Words importing the singular include the plural,

b. Words importing the plural include the singular.

(Ord. 88-489-B (part), 1988; Ord. 80-489 § 1 (part), 1980.)

This chapter is enacted to protect the health, safety and peace and to promote the welfare and convenience of the general public using the county airports or affected by activities related to the airports by providing for the orderly conduct of activities on or related to the airports.

(Ord. 80-489 § 1 (part), 1980.)

Any person desiring to store or base his/her aircraft or vehicle at county airports shall register the aircraft at the airport office if there is such an office or at the county department of public works, if no office exists, prior to beginning such storage or operation and at any time that a change in ownership occurs. The use of the airports or any of their 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.

(Ord. 80-489 § 1 (part), 1980.)

No person shall utilize the airport for any revenue-producing commercial activities without first obtaining a permit from the airports manager or his designee, approved by the board of supervisors, for such activities and paying the fees and charges established for such use. The airports manager shall establish, subject to the board of supervisors approval, and maintain available for examination upon request, a schedule of fees and charges for the use of the airports and their facilities. Any aircraft owner who fails to pay any fee duly charged for aircraft owned or controlled by him/her shall have such aircraft subject to impounding until the fees are paid along with any impound fees or until the aircraft is sold for charges.

(Ord. 88-489-B (part), 1988; Ord. 80-489 § 1 (part), 1980.)

Aircraft shall only be stored or parked at places designated by the airports 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 county airports, the county or any of its officers or employees for any loss of or damage 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/her aircraft. The owner shall likewise be responsible for any liability arising from or caused by the aircraft of his/her activities. Transient aircraft shall only be parked in the area designated by the airports manager.

(Ord. 88-489-B (part), 1988; Ord. 80-489 § 1 (part), 1980.)

The county airports shall be open for public use at all hours of the day and night subject to any restrictions imposed by the airports manager due to inclement weather, the condition of the landing area, the presentation of special events, construction or repair activities or similar causes. The airports shall be attended in accordance with standards, rules, regulations and hours established from time to time by the board of supervisors.

(Ord. 88-489-B (part), 1988; Ord. 80-489 § 1 (part), 1980.)

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 damage to other aircraft or property resulting from the failure to adequately secure or tie down the aircraft.

(Ord. 80-489 § 1 (part), 1980.)

Unless otherwise authorized by the airports manager, no aircraft or vehicle maintenance, other than required to remove damaged aircraft from the runway(s) or taxiway(s) or replacing a flat tire, shall be performed on the airport except in areas specifically designated by the airports manager for that purpose. Engine run-ups not incidental to takeoff or landing shall not be conducted between the hours of eight p.m. to seven a.m.

(Ord. 88-489-B (part), 1988; Ord. 80-489 § 1 (part), 1980.)

Pilots approaching the airport shall maintain a listening watch on UNICOM for traffic advisories. Aircraft with no radio or with inoperative communication equipment or aircraft approaching a county airport without UNICOM shall first fly over the airport traffic area above two thousand feet AGL to determine traffic direction and density prior to entering traffic pattern. Aircraft with radio equipment shall announce takeoffs and landings.

(Ord. 80-489 § 1 (part), 1980.)

Every person involved in or witnessing an aircraft accident on the airport shall report promptly the details of such accident to the airports manager or to the sheriff's office at times the airport is unattended. In addition, the pilot or aircraft owner shall report fully to the National Transportation Safety Board the details on any accident in which there is death or injury or in which damage to the property of others exceeds four hundred dollars. 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 airports manager or his designee. Where the pilot or owner is unable to arrange for removal of such disabled or wrecked aircraft, the airports 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 county or the airports manager or others for damage aggravated by or resulting from such removal.

(Ord. 88-489-B (part), 1988; Ord. 80-489 § 1 (part), 1980.)

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.

(Ord. 80-489 § 1 (part), 1980.)

No person shall enter any restricted area which is posted or closed to the public except persons duly authorized by the airports manager or law enforcement or firefighting personnel.

(Ord. 88-489-B (part), 1988; Ord. 80-489 § 1 (part), 1980.)

No person shall wilfully and knowingly permit any animal owned, possessed or harbored by him/her 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.

(Ord. 80-489 § 1 (part), 1980.)

No person shall start any aircraft engine on the airport:

A. Unless a competent operator is at the controls;

B. Unless the aircraft is equipped with adequate brakes fully applied or the wheels are securely blocked with blocks or chocks that can be removed safely;

C. When the aircraft is in such a position that propeller slip-stream or jet blast can cause damage to or interfere with the operation of other aircraft, vehicles, mobile equipment, hangars, shops, other buildings or can cause injury to passengers, spectators, or other personnel.

(Ord. 80-489 § 1 (part), 1980.)

No person shall taxi any aircraft into, out of, or within any hangar or other building on or adjacent to the airport. Nor shall any person move any aircraft under its own power on the airport unless he/she 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 miles per hour on parking aprons and taxiways.

(Ord. 80-489 § 1 (part), 1980.)

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 for such purposes.

(Ord. 80-489 § 1 (part), 1980.)

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/her possession or under his/her control any firearm which is not unloaded and securely wrapped and boxed for shipment or explosive or explosive device; provided, however, that this section does not apply to peace officers or the airports manager who are acting in the performance of their duties.

(Ord. 88-489-B (part), 1988; Ord. 80-489 § 1 (part), 1980.)

Every aircraft, before landing and after takeoff, shall be flown in accordance with the traffic pattern illustrated on the diagram attached to Ord. No. 80-489 as Exhibits "A", "B", and "C" and made a part of this chapter by reference.

(Ord. 80-489 § 1 (part), 1980.)

A. No aeronautical activity shall be conducted at county airports or within the airport traffic areas except in conformance with current federal air regulations, state of California law and regulations, and this chapter; except air shows and demonstrations approved by the airports manager in conformance with said laws and regulations.

B. All initial takeoffs shall commence at the end of the runway unless cleared by the airports manager.

C. Touch and go landings are authorized.

D. The following aircraft and/or activity are prohibited from operating at the airport except in emergency situations:

1. Aircraft with maximum gross landing weight in excess of those maximum weights established from time to time by resolution of the board of supervisors for each of the respective county airport facilities;

2. No hang gliders or hot air balloons or sport parachute jumping within a five-mile radius of the airport without prior approval of the airports manager.

(Ord. 88-489-B (part), 1988; Ord. 80-489 § 1 (part), 1980.)

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 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 or crew member 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 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 feet) thereof.

F. Every person engaged in aircraft fueling 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 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 airports manager shall be notified.

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

(Ord. 88-489-B (part), 1988; Ord. 80-489 § 1 (part), 1980.)

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 do so only by approval of the airports manager.

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 airports manager.

E. No person shall operate any motor vehicle on the airport in excess of twenty 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 five miles per hour. The speed limit on the airport access road from the highway shall be twenty miles per hour.

F. Vehicles shall not be parked on the airport other than in the areas approved by the airports manager.

G. Vehicles that are to be left unattended may be parked only in designated airport vehicle parking lots. At no time will unattended vehicles be allowed to park on aircraft parking aprons.

H. Vehicles parked other than specified in subsections F and G of this section may be moved by county and/or 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 said movement will be assumed by the county or any of its officers, employees or airport personnel.

I. Motor vehicles shall not be driven on or across runways or other portions of aircraft operating areas or on nonpaved airport areas without clearance from the airports manager.

J. Motor vehicles shall not be driven or parked upon aircraft parking areas, ramp areas or aprons without express approval of the airports manager except 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. Alcoholic beverages will not be consumed within areas designated as ground operating areas for aircraft.

(Ord. 88-489-B (part), 1988; Ord. 80-489 § 1 (part), 1980.)

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 areas;

2. Within or upon any aircraft parking area or ramp;

3. Inside any aircraft, whether or not such aircraft are parked or stored, or within fifty feet thereof;

4. Within fifty feet of any "NO SMOKING" sign posted unless within an approved smoking area such as the airport terminal building.

B. No person may use flammable liquids, solvents, or substances to clean any aircraft, engine, part or accessory thereof within any hangar or building except a building specially designed for that purpose and approved in writing by the airports manager. Such approval shall only be granted when the airports manager approves the ventilation provisions, fireproofing, and fire extinguishing equipment.

C. No person shall light or use any open flame for any purpose in any hangar or other building on the airport without the prior written consent of the airports manager.

D. No person shall operate any electric or gas welding or cutting equipment anywhere on the airport except in an approved maintenance hangar without prior written approval of the airports manager.

E. No person shall clean or degrease any aircraft or part thereof except at or in a maintenance station properly equipped for such purposes or in a space designated or authorized by the airports manager.

F. No person shall store or stock any material or substance or permit such activities in or on 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 airports manager for such purpose.

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

H. Every lessee shall maintain the leased area clean and reasonably free of oil, grease, waste and 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 district fire chief if they meet the requirements of the county fire warden or other designated official.

(Ord. 88-489-B (part), 1988; Ord. 80-489 § 1 (part), 1980.)

No person shall deliver aviation fuels to or dispense such fuel from, at or upon the airport without a permit from the airports manager. No fuel shall be stored anywhere on the airport except in underground tanks or such other tanks as may be approved by the airports manager.

(Ord. 88-489-B (part), 1988; Ord. 80-489 § 1 (part), 1980.)

Each aircraft based at the county airports must be covered by bodily injury liability insurance with a minimum limit of one hundred thousand dollars per person, three hundred thousand dollars per incident, or a single limit liability of three hundred thousand dollars, and property damage liability with a minimum limit of one hundred thousand dollars, exact limits set by each entity.

(Ord. 80-489 § 1 (part), 1980.)

No person shall:

A. Take or use any aircraft, aircraft parts, instruments or tools pertaining thereto which are owned, controlled or operated by any other person while such aircraft, parts, instruments or tools are stored or otherwise left on the airports or within their hangars, buildings or facilities without the written consent of the owner/operator thereof, except upon satisfactory evidence of the right to do so duly presented to the airports manager or authorized by him or so ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction.

B. Land, except when deemed an emergency, takeoff, taxi or otherwise operate any aircraft on, at or from any 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 airports manager or designated representative. Nor shall any aircraft be operated on or at the airports or on any runway thereof when the airports or runway has been closed to traffic by the airports manager or other legal authority and such closure has been indicated by the placement of appropriate markings at each end of the closed runway.

C. Operate any aircraft on, at or in the vicinity (three statute miles) of the airports in wilful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property, whether his/her own or than 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 mile of the exterior boundaries of the airports, excluding aircraft approved for such flight by the airports manager or his designee for show or demonstration.

E. Engage in the sale of any goods, wares, merchandise, or services at or upon the airport without first having secured from the airport manager a permit therefor and paying any required fees for such permit.

(Ord. 88-489-B (part), 1988: Ord. 80-489 § 1 (part), 1980.)

The airports manager or his designee, is directed and authorized to close the airports 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 of their continuance would be hazardous. Causes for such closure could include, but 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 an appropriate markings. The airports manager shall immediately notify the flight service station and issue a Notice to Airmen. (NOTAM) advising the closure.

(Ord. 88-489-B (part), 1988; Ord. 80-489 § 1 (part), 1980.)

Should any article, 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 the chapter. The county board of supervisors declares that it would have adopted the ordinance codified in this chapter and each article, section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase regardless of the fact that any one or more articles, sections, subsections, sentences, clauses or phrases be declared invalid or unconstitutional.

(Ord. 80-489 § 1 (part), 1980.)

The board of supervisors may establish the Mono County aviation advisory committee as the county-wide agency to advise the board from time to time and to make recommendations to the board on county airport problems and issues.

(Ord. 88-489-A § 1, 1988: Ord. 80-489 § 1 (part), 1980.)

No person shall touch, contact, operate, turn off or on or obstruct the free access to any fire hydrant, as that term is used in this chapter, without a written permit from the appropriate authority having possession, control or ownership of the hydrant.

(Ord. 80-489 § 1 (part), 1980.)

The provisions of this chapter shall be enforced by any law enforcement officer, peace officer, special peace officer, state or district fire chief or other duly authorized fire enforcement individual.

(Ord. 80-489 § 1 (part), 1980.)

Each violation of this chapter constitutes a misdemeanor punishable in accordance with the misdemeanor laws of the state of California.

(Ord. 80-489 § 1 (part), 1980.)