Bethpage-Tribune_1975-04-17

              EEi.ilAGZ, N. Y. 11714
BETHB4GE
8 T R 8
BETHPAGE LI8
47 POWELL AV
BETHPAGE NY I 1714
OLDBETHPGE
also serving ISLAND TREES
PLAINVIEW PLAINEDGE SEAFORD
VOL. 9 NO, 21 Thursday, April 17, 1975 10 cents per copy
Bethpage Reacts Open Bethpage Airport
Bethpage In Uproar Over to limited general aviation'
Grumman Proposal Reprinted - Plane News, April 11,1975
"Over my dead body
will there be a general
aviation airport in Beth­page",
shouted Charles
Perricone of 167 Broad­way.
His dramatic and to-the-
point remark summed
up the sentiments of the
several hundred residents
who crowded into the
skate room at the Beth­page
Community Park on
Saturday, April 12, 1975.
TOB Councilman
Salvatore Mosca, also a
resident of Bethpage
called the meeting which
followed the Flight
Demonstration by
Grumman. Despite the
friendly letter to all
residents within a mile
radius, the publicity
releases, the explanation
by Board Chairman Joe
Gavin and the Flight
Demonstration and film,
Grumman struck out as a
"good neighbor". The
residents were not buying
the deal.
Mosca told the
emotionally charged
residents that he would
take their message to the
Town Board and they
would get prompt action.
"The people are up in
arms and have made it
known they will not
tolerate an expansion of
the present facilities
beyond what Grumman is
now using. Grumman is
seeking to expand in order
to service outside aircraft
in a commercial venture
so that they can reduce
their operating expenses
does not make sense to the
homeowners who are
concerned with the health*
and safety of their
families." stated a
spokesman for a local
civic association.
Shouts of "an airport
will downgrade our
homes...who will buy them
in the future...the noise
will interfer with the
quality of life in our
community... etc. etc.
were heard as the meeting
with Councilman Mosca
continued.
In response to a question
as to what other venture
could Grumman take to
reduce their operating,
costs, Mosca stated
"Grumman should bring
in more manufacturing
and employment con­sistent
with the com­munity
and its life style".
Councilman Sal Mosca
listened to their com­plaints
for nearly three
hours and announced the
Town Board would meet
on Tuesday, April 15, 1975
and they would be able to
speak up then.
Mosca Calls On Grumman
To Abandon Airport
On Wednesday, April 2, Board
Chairman Joe Gavin announced
that Grumman Aerospace will be
opening its private airport at
Bethpage to limited general
aviation operations.
Gavin said the plan was part of
Grumman Aerospace's con­tinuing
effort to reduce costs,
stabilize employment and
compete favorably with other
major aerospace manufacturers.
The announcement to broaden
the use of the existing airport by
sharing the facility with
operators of small business
aircraft was sent out to the press
and by letter to all Long Island
Grummanites and members of
the nearby community.
Under study for almost two
years by the Product and
Systems Planning group, the
project has been developed with
consideration for all interested
parties - employees, customers,
near-by community, and Long
Island in general - and, according
to project head John Pereira,
reflects the thinking of top
aviation experts in the region as
well.
"We are all well aware of the
current financial .pressures upon
Grumman Aerospace due to
inflation and DOD budget con­straints.
It is imperative that we
reduce operating costs wherever
possible in order to remain viable
as a major aerospace producer,"
wrote Gavin in his letter to Long
Island Grummanites.
In existence since 1937,
Bethpage Airport is company-owned
and costs the company
more than $600,000 annually to
maintain and operate.
All of Grumman's competitors
enjoy an edge in their operating
overhead which Grumman does
not - they have their manufac­turing
facilities located at air­ports
which are publicly sup­ported.
Grumman is the only
major aircraft manufacturer in
the United States today which
supports its own airport out of
company revenues and pays,
taxes on the land which the
airport occupies. Gavin pointed
out that when Grumman
Aerospace competes for
government contracts, it must
take into account the additional
costs of maintaining Bethpage
Airport.
Reduces operating burden
Gavin stated that looking into
the long-term future, the com­pany
needs this airport and must
seek ways to continue use of the
airport while reducing its
operating burden.
Bethpage Airport will be
shared with locally-owned
business-type light aircraft, most
of which weigh less than 10,000
pounds; for example: Grumman
American Travellers and Tiger,
Cessna Skywagons, and Beech
King Airs. Primary student
training will be prohibited, and
only small private / corporate
aircraft with a low-noise profile
will be allowed use of the facility.
Aircraft using the 120-acre
airport will approach the 6,600
foot airstrip using a "displaced
threshold" of 2,000 feet - over­flying
part of the runway before
landing on the remaining 4,600
feet. This will virtually eliminate
the noise perceptible in the.
residential area to the southeast.
Flight control tower, fuel,
maintenance, and repair
facilities will be offered to the
aircraft owners. The Grumman
airport has been operating for
over 38 years and has
(Continued on Page 6V
Gavin Tells Airport Story
Supervisor John Burke
told the residents of Beth­page
who attended the
Board meeting that he had
directed the Town At­torney
to research the files
and determine if at any
time in the past the Board
of Zoning had given
permission to the
Grumman Corporation for
use of their property as a
General Aviation facility.
He stated that the Board
unanimously looks on the
proposal with reservation
and supports the public's
concern for any action that
could downgrade the
quality of life in Bethpage,
Island Trees and
Hicksville...the com­munities
neighboring the
Grumman complex.
Salvatore Mosca called
on Grumman to be a real
g o o d n e i g h -
bor... reconsider their
(Continued on Page 6)
I
ANNOUNCEMENT
Bethpage PTA Council
INVITES ALL RESIDENTS \
Joseph G. Gavin, Jr., Chairman of the Board of Grumman
Aerospace Coporation, addressing audience at the Company's
presentation on plans to broaden the use of the existing Bethpage
airport by sharing the facility with certain types of small business
aircraft. To Gavin's left is John B. Rettaliata, Vice President - Public
Affairs of Grumman Corporation. The Grumman Corporation in­vited
the following Community leaders, legislators and residents to a
flight demonstration on April 12,1975 at the field;
OPEN PUBLIC
MEETING
REGARDING
I GRUMMAN'S GENERAL!
AVIATION AIRPORT j
MONDAY, APRIL 21,1975 i
8 PM
BETHPAGE H.S.
AUDITORIUM
Cherry Lane, Bethpa»ggee 1
Assemblyman Lewis J. Yevoli
Martin Gach, Director, Nassau
County Office of Public Tran­sportation
Councilman Kenneth Diamond
Councilman Howard T. Hogan,
Jr.
Councilman Salvatore R.
Mosca
Councilman G. Carman
Henry E. Prew, Assistant
Director, Nassau County Office
of Public Transportation
Frank D'Andrea, Hempstead
Bank
Buddy Mazzara
Florence Cullem, Bethpage
Tribune
Stuart K. Levine
Walter Schott, Police Boys Club
Basil Karpaik, President,
Library Board
Linda Han, President, League
of Women Voters
Leo E. Schottland, President,
Friends of the Library
Clifford Daley
Robert McDonald
Henry Porzio, President,
Bloomingdale Property Owners
Assn.
Frank Behrik, President, Pine
Brook Civic Association
Harold Resnik, School Board
Member
Michael Verderosa, School
Board Member
Roper F. Larsen, Superin-
(Continued on Page 6)