As you may have seen in the news, legislation has been passed to restore FAA funding and end controller furloughs. Although it contains sufficient funding to keep all 149 contract towers open, it does not specify that the funds must be used for this purpose, so it is still possible the FAA will do something else. Letters from more than 80 members of congress, 40 senators and 70 mayors - including Senator Johnson and Congressman Sensenbrenner - have been sent to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood requesting that the funding be used for the contract towers, which is very helpful. We will advise you if/when we are notified of any change to the Waukesha tower status, but as of now, we are still anticipating that it will close on June 15.  

 

Even if the tower funding is restored now, please keep in mind that this only funds the tower through the end of the fiscal year, which is Sept. 30. We still have a battle to fight in ensuring the tower is funded in the 2014 budget. You can continue to help by contacting your senators and congressmen to convey your support for keeping the Waukesha tower open long term. Here again is their contact information:

 

U.S. Senator Ron Johnson

Milwaukee: 414-276-7282

Oshkosh: 920-230-7250

Washington DC: 202-224-5323  

Website Contact Form  

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin

Milwaukee: 414-297-4451 

Madison: 608-264-5338

Washington DC: 202-224-5653

Website Contact Form

U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner

(airport is in his district)

Brookfield: 262-784-1111

Washington DC: 202-225-5101 

Website Contact Form

Use the link below to locate the member of the U.S. House of Representatives for your home district: 

Find Your U.S. Congressperson 

For those who are paying attention to politics, you may be interested to know that President Obama has nominated Charlotte, N.C. mayor Anthony Foxx to become the next U.S. Secretary of Transportation, replacing Ray LaHood. If he is approved, Foxx will have oversight of all federal transportation infrastructure, including the FAA and NTSB. Read his biography and the AOPA story..

 Airport Website Link

Greetings! 

It's finally May and the airport is buzzing with activity, as aviation events are popping up all over the calendar, and the airport community has come alive with the joy of flying season. In this month's newsletter, we have an interesting array of recent and upcoming events for you to enjoy.

 

I am very pleased to introduce you to A.J. Graff, our new Airport Operations Manager, who is already making a big difference as he takes over responsibility for various maintenance and safety duties that make all of our lives easier. Please welcome A.J. when you see him around the airport. 

 

You may also have seen recent news reports about the federal government's efforts to get the FAA funding restored so that controllers at major airports are no longer furloughed, and the contract towers will not close on June 15 as previously planned. Please note that, while this is definitely a step in the right direction, our tower is not out of danger yet. Read the latest in the article to the left. 

 

As always, if you have any news to share, please feel free to send it to us.  

 

Fly safe,

Introducing A.J. Graff, Airport Operations Mgr.

We recently welcomed Alan "A.J." Graff as the new Airport Operations Manager who is filling Kurt Stanich's former role before he was promoted to Airport Manager.  A.J. brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to us from Dane County Regional Airport where he served as Airport Operations Supervisor for 10 years. 

Taxiway D /F Reconstruction Begins May 28

April showers bring May flowers...and construction projects! That's right, we're ready to tackle reconstruction of Taxiway D/F. This project begins Tuesday, May 28 on Taxiway F. 

From Monday, June 3 to Saturday, June 22, Taxiway D will close, which will cause a short-term inconvenience for all hangars in the area. We will be working directly with these tenants to relocate their aircraft for access during this period. If you have hangar space that you can make available for the displaced aircraft during this time, please let us know in the airport management office.

The project will wrap up with landscaping from June 23 to July 2 and everything will be operational in time for the July 4th holiday. We appreciate your patience during this project.

Wings over Waukesha Announces Headliners

The Wings over Waukesha Air Show will once again feature several amazing aerobatic acts. Gene Soucy and Theresa Stokes Wingwalking will headline the shows each day. Jim "Satan" LaVelle T-6 aerobatics and Mike Vaknin Extra 300 are returning by popular request. In addition, the Trojan Horsemen T-28 Formation Aerobatic Team will ride into town in their inimitable style, and Greg Koontz "Alabama Boys" Comedy Act will entertain the crowds. Bob Davis Sukhoi Aerobatics will also be featured in the fantastic show each afternoon. And don't forget, the EAA is bringing both the B-17 Aluminum Overcast and the Ford Tri-Motor! Mark your calendar for August 24 and 25, and keep an eye on the air show website for all the latest news!

Anzac Day Salute

You may have noticed a crowd of 70 Aussies and New Zealanders at the Betzler hangar last weekend, celebrating Anzac Day.  The annual holiday honors those who fought in the battle of Gallipoli in World War I, shortly after Australia and New Zealand became independent countries. A great story and photos from the event were featured in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article last week. 

Sixty people attended a pilot safety meeting on April 22 in the airport terminal to enhance their understanding of the potential impact and safety concerns if the Waukesha ATC tower is closed on June 15, as currently scheduled.  We would like to thank those who attended and our speakers for the evening, Gavin Leake from Spring City and Dan Dominguez from Stein Aviation.  

If the tower does indeed close on June 15, we will be providing you with more safety information in the next few weeks.  Stay tuned!

Upcoming Events

More than 100 Girl Scouts from Southeastern Wisconsin will descend on the airport Saturday to learn about aviation careers. The 4th and 5th graders will be spending significant time at PlaneSafe, the CAF hangar (aka Steve Betzler's hangar) and the tower to learn about career options that involve science, technology, engineering and math.  

PlaneSafe is hosting its annual customer appreciation event on Cinco de Mayo with a pig roast  beginning at 1 p.m. If you'd like to come, please RSVP on their Facebook page and kindly bring a side dish to pass. They will have Mexican beer on tap, but you can pack a cooler if you prefer something else.  

If you are in the mood for a pancake breakfast, head down to the Rockford Airport on Sunday, May 5, for the annual event hosted by EAA Chapter 22.  

The EAA annual Learn to Fly day is designated for Saturday, May 18.  Consider bringing a friend or two out to the airport to take them flying and let them see what great fun it is at Waukesha County Airport!

The Waukesha County Airport/Crites Field Newsletter is intended to inform airport tenants, visitors and other interested individuals about the latest events, news and services available to them at the airport.  If you would like to see a topic featured in the next newsletter, please contact Kurt Stanich, Airport Manager, at kstanich@waukeshacounty.gov or call 262-521-5250.