On Tue, 25 Apr 2006 11:19:03 -0500, Ross Richardson
wrote in
::

I had a run in with our local mayor years ago
when she said the the local airport is for the towns 18 wealthy people.

That seems to be a popular, albeit shortsighted, view. Unfortunately,
it overlooks the fact that an airport is similar to a freeway on/off
ramp to the National Airspace System, and the convenience a local
airport will provide residents in the future when SATS is implemented.
Then hub airports and their environmental impacts will be moved to
rural areas, and the local airports will provide passengers with
airline access via air taxies.

If the mayor decommissions her local airport, she will be forcing her
municipality's residents to commute to those airports that remain in
other cities. Of course, if the neighboring cities close their
airports too, it's going to a long commute. And this doesn't even
begin to address future airport use by commercial establishments, and
their decision to locate in her city, or not.