OWLS HEAD — Knox County Regional Airport in Owls Head changed a Federal Aviation Administration guideline concerning what it called Flight-line Driving, meaning vehicles that operate inside the perimeter of the airport. Increased emphasis was placed on the three areas designated as “within the fence.” They include nonmovements areas — vehicle parking and aircraft operating areas; aircraft parking ramps and aircraft movement areas; and runways and safety areas (including portions of taxiways).

The review and reemphasis comes in the wake of the Nov. 16 collision between a small aircraft and pickup truck that was on the runway, resulting in the death of three men.  

Individuals and vehicles authorized to operate within the aircraft movement areas will be pre-identified and specifically trained/marked and approved.

According to Airport Manager Jeff Northgraves, “The FAA guidelines already required that a truck be lit, but the FAA only made it a recommendation and not mandatory to be in accordance. Lights were a recommendation at night and during inclement weather. The new rule requires the vehicle to be lit at all times, making it mandatory in order to operate within the airport perimeter.”

Mandatory training is to be used by Downeast Air, Penobscot Island Air, Cape Air and Owls Head Transportation Museum employees. The businesses will certify to the airport manager, annually, each individual trained and authorized in each area and the specific vehicles authorized within the aircraft movement areas.

All other individuals will be trained by the airport manager and recertified annually. Northgraves said that other recommendations made include building a road parallel to Runway 13/31, allowing vehicles to cross the runway at the approach end of Runway 31 (rather than at the taxiway), and installing cameras to monitor the runways. Northgraves said he would need to go to the Knox County Commissioners to ask for the money for those initiatives, but said Homeland Security grant money is an option to be explored.

Northgraves said that with the holidays comes an increase in private plane traffic just before and just after.

“The airport has a voluntary curfew between 10:30 p.m. and 6 a.m.," he said. "It’s not a mandatory curfew, but it’s very rare when a plane lands or takes off during those hours."

Northgraves stressed that the airport’s master plan — think comprehensive plan that a town or city might use — is under review and will be updated.

“The FAA likes it done every 10 years,” said Northgraves. “Public input is a very important part of the process.”

The airport has scheduled a public meeting for citizens to voice their concerns and ask questions at the transportation museum on Jan. 14. No time for the meeting has been set, yet.

“It’s a long process,” said Northgraves. “It needs to be finished by 2014 and we specifically ask for public input. Do we grow, or stay the same size? What are the environmental and safety impacts? What is the airport going to do over the next 10 years?”

Northgraves said he would like to see a perimeter road around the airport, so vehicles would not have to cross the runways at all.

“A road around the airport is a significant cost,” said Northgraves. “There are wetlands to deal with. We need the public’s input on this issue.”

Questions and comments concerning the airport and the master plan can be made through www.knoxcountymaine.gov  and the airport manager at jnorthgraves@knoxcountymaine.gov.