Plumas County 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:

(a) "Airport" shall mean the publicly-owned property and improvements at Chester, Gansner, Indian Valley, and Beckwourth Airports, as more particularly shown on Exhibits A through D, inclusive, on file in the office of the County Clerk.

(b) "Airport Manager" shall mean the County's designated manager at each airport.

(§ 65700, P.C.O.C., added by Ord. 715)

No person shall enter any restricted area posted as being closed to the public except:

(a) Persons assigned to duty thereon;

(b) Persons authorized by the Airport Manager; and

(c) Persons under appropriate supervision entering aprons for the purposes of enplaning and deplaning.

(§ 65701, P.C.O.C., added by Ord. 715)

No person shall engage in any business or commercial activity of any nature on the airport except in conformance with an appropriate agreement, license, lease, or permit and under the terms and conditions for commercial operations as established by the Board by Resolution No. 2202.

(§ 65701, P.C.O.C., added by Ord. 715)

No person shall solicit for any purpose on the airport without the permission of the Airport Manager.

(§ 65701, P.C.O.C., added by Ord. 715)

No person shall post, distribute, or display signs, advertisements, circulars, or printed or written matter at the airport except with the approval and in such a manner as may be prescribed by the Airport Manager.

(§ 65701, P.C.O.C., added by Ord. 715)

(a) No person shall use the roads, walks, landing areas, or restricted areas in such a manner as to hinder or obstruct their proper use without first obtaining permission from the Airport Manager.

(b) No person shall operate any type of vehicle on roads or walks without first obtaining permission from the Airport Manager.

(§ 65701, P.C.O.C., added by Ord. 715)

Animals shall be permitted on the airport only when under the continuous control of their owners.

(§ 65701, P.C.O.C., added by Ord. 715)

The privileges of using the airport and its facilities shall be conditioned upon the assumption of full responsibility and risk by the user of the airport, and the County, and its agents and employees, shall not be liable for losses, damages, or injuries to persons or property arising out of any accident, incident, or mishap of any nature whatsoever or from any cause whatsoever to any individual, aircraft, or property occurring on the airport or in the use of any of the airport facilities.

(§ 65701, P.C.O.C., added by Ord. 715)

(a) Fees: Credit arrangements. Payment or satisfactory credit arrangements shall be made for storage, repairs, supplies, or services rendered at the airport before flight clearance shall be granted. All field fees which are payable to the County shall be payable at the end of each month, or at the termination of a lesser period, for which such fees are payable, and such fees shall be paid to the Auditor for deposit with the Treasurer in the respective airport fund.

(b) Aircraft storage and repairs. Aircraft shall be stored and repairs shall be made in the space designated for such purpose by the Airport Manager and in such space only.

(c) Disabled aircraft. Aircraft owners, and their pilots or agents, shall be responsible for the prompt removal of disabled aircraft and parts of such disabled aircraft. The Airport Manager and/or Federal authorities may delay such action pending an investigation of an accident. If an aircraft is non-airworthy or under construction, the aircraft must show significant signs of progress toward airworthiness every ninety (90) days and a report made to the Airport Manager.

(d) Liability for property damages. Any and all airport property destroyed, injured, or damaged by accident or otherwise shall be paid for by the parties responsible for such destruction, injury, or damage. The hangar must be properly insured as outlined in the lessee's agreement.

(e) Reports of accidents. Persons involved in any accident on the airport shall make a full report thereon to the Airport Manager as soon after the accident as possible.

(f) Unattended aircraft. No aircraft shall be left unattended on the airport unless such aircraft is properly secured or in a hangar. Owners of such aircraft shall be held responsible for any damages resulting from any failure to comply with the provisions of this subsection.

(g) Use of aircraft, parts, instruments, and tools. No person shall take or use any aircraft, parts, instruments, or tools on the airport which are owned, controlled, or operated by any other person while such aircraft, parts, instruments, or tools are stored, housed, or otherwise left on the airport or within its hangars without the written consent of the owner or operator thereof or satisfactory evidence of the right to do so duly presented to the Airport Manager.

(h) Stored aircraft must be airworthy.

(i) Aircraft must be properly registered with the FAA, properly insured, and registered with the Plumas County Tax Assessor. Each hangar owner shall notify the Airport Manager of the aircraft stored in such hangar(s), including FAA N-number, manufacturer, year and model.

(j) Hangars are primarily used for aircraft and aeronautical equipment. Storage of recreational vehicles (i.e. boats, motorhomes, trailers or campers) will not be allowed. Storage of other items shall not impede aircraft ingress and egress. Exit path shall be clear of obstructions.

(k) Building and Fire Code: Fire extinguishers are serviceable and accessible, and combustible material is stored in proper containers and not stock piled in excess and comply with all applicable fire and safety codes. Extension cords should not be used as a permanent source of wiring. Electrical junction boxes must be covered and maintained properly. Portable electric heater must be directly plugged into a permanent receptacle. Storage of non-aeronautical items does not use more than twenty (20%) percent floor space.

(l) Are not used for non-aeronautical commercial purposes (i.e., the tenant is not conducting a non-aeronautical business, events or activities from the hangar including storing inventory).

(m) Constructing amateur-built or kit-built aircraft provided that activities are conducted safely.

(n) Storing aircraft handling equipment, e.g., tow bar, glider tow equipment, workbenches, and tools and materials used to service, maintain, repair or outfit aircraft; items related to ancillary or incidental uses that do not affect the hangars primary use.

(o) Storing materials related to an aeronautical activity, e.g., balloon and skydiving equipment, office equipment, teaching tools, and materials related to, ancillary, or incidental uses that do not affect the hangars' primary use;

(p) If the hanger or any part thereof is subleased, proper documentation and approval, including insurance documentation, of such sublease must be on file with the County as outlined in the Lessee's agreement.

(q) Lessee shall not construct any improvements or make any alterations of any kind (whether permanent or otherwise) on the leased premises without written consent of the Airport Manager. Additionally, all federal, state, and local building regulations must be complied with for any improvement or alteration to buildings or structures on the premises.

(r) Lessee shall provide maintenance, repair and upkeep on any structures situated on the leased premises and grounds around the structures in a good, clean, sanitary and safe condition.

(s) The leased premises shall not be used for residential purposes. Lessee shall not reside on the leased premises or any structure or hangar thereon, nor shall the lessee allow the leased premises or any structure or hangar thereon to be used for living or residential purposes. The determination of whether someone is living or residing on the leased premises or structure shall be made by the County at its sole and absolute discretion.

(t) All other aeronautical businesses that are not considered an aeronautical use under the current FAA Hangar Use policy, must receive advance written approval from the FAA Office of Airports prior to the signing of a lease with the County.

(u) Approved aeronautical businesses must adhere to all other applicable provisions of this policy and will be charged at the same rate as all other aeronautical use leases.

(§ 65701, P.C.O.C., added by Ord. 715; § 1, Ord. 20-1132, adopted August 4, 2020)

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

(b) No smoking shall be permitted within fifty (50') feet of an aircraft being fueled or drained.

(c) No person shall operate any radio transmitter or receiver or switch electrical appliances off or on in an aircraft while such aircraft is being fueled or drained.

(d) During fueling, the aircraft and the fuel dispensing apparatus shall be properly grounded.

(e) Persons engaged in the fueling and draining of aircraft shall exercise due care.

(f) Adequate fire extinguishers shall be within reach of all fueling and draining operations.

(g) No person shall start the engine of any aircraft when there is any excess gasoline on the ground under such aircraft.

(h) Fueling hoses and defueling equipment shall be maintained and operated in a safe and sound condition and shall be equipped with a grounding device to prevent the ignition of volatile liquids.

(i) Aviation fuels and/or lubricants shall not be sold or dispensed into any aircraft or other container on the airport except in such a manner and under such terms and conditions as may be prescribed by the Airport Manager.

(§ 65701, P.C.O.C., added by Ord. 715)

(a) All doping and painting processes shall be conducted with reasonably necessary safety provisions to prevent fires and other damages from such hazardous operations.

(b) Smoking shall be prohibited in certain restricted posted areas.

(c) No person shall use flammable substances having a flash point below 200 degrees Fahrenheit for cleaning floors in any building of the airport.

(d) No person shall keep, store, or discard flammable liquids, gases, signal flares, oily rags, or other combustible materials in the hangars or in any buildings on the airport unless reasonable fire protection safeguards have been taken.

(e) No person shall dump any waste, refuse, or other material on the airport.

(f) Hangar entrances shall be kept clear at all times for the ingress and egress of tenants' aircraft. No person shall use flammable liquids in the cleaning of aircraft, aircraft engines, propellers, and appliances unless such cleaning operations can be done with reasonably necessary safety precautions so as to prevent damages to persons and/or property.

(g) All lessees on the airport shall keep their hangars and areas adjacent to such hangars, leased or used by them respectively, free and clear of waste materials, rubbish, and other flammable materials.

(§ 65701, P.C.O.C., added by Ord. 715)

No person shall destroy, injure, deface, or disturb in any way any building, sign, equipment, marker, or other shrub, tree, flower, lawn, or other property on the airport without the written permission of the owner.

(§ 65701, P.C.O.C., added by Ord. 715)

No person shall commit any obscene, disorderly, indecent or unlawful act or commit any nuisance on the airport.

(§ 65701, P.C.O.C., added by Ord. 715)

No person shall abandon any personal property on the airport.

(§ 65701, P.C.O.C., added by Ord. 715)

(a) Vehicles shall not be parked on the airport other than in the manner and at the locations designated.

(b) No common carrier vehicle or vehicle for hire shall load or unload passengers or stand at the airport at any place other than in the area designated by the Airport Manager.

(c) Motorized equipment shall not be operated on the apron of the airport except by persons assigned to duty thereon or others authorized by the Airport Manager.

(d) No person shall operate any vehicle, including motorcycles, bicycles, and snowmobiles, on any of the landing areas unless authorized to do so by the Airport Manager and then only in such a manner as may be prescribed.

(e) Motor vehicles shall be operated in strict compliance with the speed limits prescribed by the Airport Manager and indicated by posted traffic signs and in no event in excess of twenty (20) miles per hour. The Airport Manager shall have the authority to move vehicles parked in such places and in such a manner as to hinder any approved operation. Such authority shall include the authority to tow away any vehicle parked in such places and in such a manner as to hinder any approved operation.

(§ 65701, P.C.O.C., added by Ord. 715)

No aeronautical activity shall be conducted at the airport except in conformance with the current Federal Aviation Administration Regulations.

(a) Low flying shall be prohibited within the confines of the traffic pattern except in emergencies or when necessary to climb to the designated pattern altitude or descend to a landing.

(b) Aircraft shall be taxied in a safe and reasonable manner and at a sufficient distance from buildings and other aircraft to preclude the casting of loose dirt and gravel on such facilities. No aircraft shall take off or land except in conformance with the then approved traffic pattern; provided, however, emergency landings shall be excepted from such provision.

(c) Aircraft shall not cross any runway until the pilot has made certain by visual inspection that there is no danger of collision with any person or object.

(d) Taxiing in and out of hangars shall be prohibited.

(e) The Airport Manager may delay any flight or other operation at the airport for any reason he can justify in the interests of safety.

(f) Initial takeoffs shall be made at the ends of the runways only.

(g) Formation flying shall be prohibited in the traffic pattern on takeoffs and landings.

(h) Engines shall be stopped while passengers are being enplaned or deplaned.

(i) The Airport Manager may regulate practice touch and go landings whenever the traffic volume is such that such regulation is necessary for the safe and orderly operation of the airport.

(j) No aircraft shall remain on any landing or takeoff area for the purpose of instructing students between flights.

(§ 65701, P.C.O.C., added by Ord. 715)

(a) Any person operating or handling any aircraft, vehicle, equipment, or apparatus or using the airport or any of its facilities in violation of the provisions of this chapter or refusing to comply with such provisions, may be promptly removed from the airport. For due cause, any person may be deprived of and refused the further use of the airport and its facilities by the Airport Manager upon the order of his superior authority, or upon his own initiative, for such length of time as may be required to insure the safeguarding of the airport and the public and its interests therein. The Airport Manager shall exercise discretion in such matters. If unnecessary hardships result, appeals may be made to the Board.

(b) Any person who shall violate or refuse to abide by any of the provisions of this chapter or any of the provisions of law incorporated in this chapter by reference, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punishable as set forth in Chapter 2 of Title 1 of this Code.

(§ 65701, P.C.O.C., added by Ord. 715)