Written by 
Renton’s long-time general aviation service provider, Pro-Flight, has been sold to a company with an express plan to transition it to servicing Jet Aircraft, to relieve Boeing Field. An enhanced fueling station (a gas station for jets) appears to be part of their plan.
Renton just approved a lease with a new tenant that plans to provide fuel and maintenance services to jet aircraft as it’s primary future business focus. I just learned this. And even though we have a Renton Airport Advisory Committee (RAAC) chartered to manage this issue, they were not even told this was coming. (RAAC has not been fully utilized lately).
I’m not referring to new Boeing jets, which are the latest technology, and take-off lightly-loaded over the lake once or twice per day. I’m talking about 30-year-old Learjets price-shopping for fuel, and landing at all hours of day and night.
Excerpt from Dark Horse business plan
Industry pressure to cater to jets in Renton has existed for decades, but we resisted this pressure during the 28 years I was on Renton City Council. Jets are typically 2-3 times louder than the propeller-driven counterparts, and Renton neighborhoods are already barely tolerating airport noise as it is.
In addition, private jets are not as available to residents. With smaller propellor planes, a Renton resident wishing to learn how to fly can go to Renton airport and take lessons. Similarly, a Renton photographer can charter a plane for a photo-shoot. Other Renton residents have joined flight clubs at our airport, or even keep their private airplane here.
Our airport is currently a Renton Community Airport (that also launches new Boeing aircraft once or twice per day). If we’re going to switch the airport’s focus to relieving Boeing Field Jet traffic, this was worthy of a discussion by our Renton Airport Advisory Committee. The greater Renton community also should have been notified. While few noticed as the city extended this lease, everyone will notice when jets begin refueling regularly in Renton in the future.
Our community had a heated episode with a proposed Jet Center seventeen years ago, when our Council was presented with a proposal, and residents living from Benson Hill to Mercer Island formed an organized opposition. The “NoJets.org” group used every bit of leverage they could to defeat the proposal. This was not easy because FAA does not give cities any real say in what airplanes use our airport. Our city can only partially manage the airport activity by the choice of tenants we lease to, and by the length of our runway.
I do not blame the new Leaseholder, Dark Horse Aviation LLC, as they have been completely up-front with their intentions. They sent a letter to Renton’s Public Works Administrator back in November spelling out exactly how they would use the property if a lease was extended. I just wish our RAAC and Renton community had been notified.
The letter of introduction. The words “Renton’s outstanding future to be the legitimate first-class corporate reliever for light and midsize jets in the region,” ideally would have prompted airport management to consult RAAC and the greater Renton community for advice.
Here is the 85-page Transportation Committee Package, with the Dark Horse Lease and related correspondence. This lease has now been approved.
Renton airport may become a gas station for jets. Noisier older model jets, that burn more fuel and have owners that are more price-sensitive, may be Renton’s likely customer base.
This excerpt from the business plan shows the new lease will extend Pro-Flight’s current daytime prop-plane operation to 24/7 jet landings and takeoffs. This will be of interest to residents living within a few thousand feet of the airport. The RAAC has representatives from every neighborhood specifically to advise on topics like this.
This noise comparison published by Purdue University includes a Jet Airplane flyover at 1000 feet at 103 dB, and a propeller flyover at 1000 feet at 88 dB. Because of the logarithmic scale, the Jet is 2-3 times louder. This is due primarily to the greater flow of air at higher speed in a jet engine.
How ironic that RAAC (Renton Airport Advisory Committee) was founded in 2001 due to Community outrage & push back over a proposed “jet center” at the Renton Airport. 20+ years later, the City Administration approves a business even worse than proposed all those years ago, with no public input or knowledge it is being considered. A 24/7 jet fueling station at Renton Airport. What do you want to bet not one of the Dark Horse principals live in Renton? Does the Public Works Administrator that negotiated this lease live in Renton to experience the impacts 24/7? Oh Renton, here we are, “Jet City”, and that doesn’t mean our Boeing jets. Just more noise, disruption and NO BENEFIT to the Renton residents. It will be interesting to see if the Mercer Island community rises up again…
Marcie Palmer
Renton Council Member 2004-2015
I would be interested in who we can contact to object to this usage and promote further inquiries.
Even though the initial lease is already signed, there would still be value in briefing the Renton Airport Advisory Committee on the plan and getting their ideas and feedback. (This would have been far more effective two months ago). The RAAC, made up of neighborhood representatives and other airport tenants, would have the best mix of expertise and representation available to suggest any next steps, if appropriate.
In order for RAAC to review this, it would need to be referred to them by Renton City Council. We used to do this routinely with airport issues when I was on council, but it does not seem to be done very much these days.
To ask council to refer this matter to the RAAC, you can email them a jsubia@rentonwa.gov. You can also copy cityclerk@rentonwa.gov to get your email distributed more widely.
Thanks for the heads-up Randy. I emailed those two addresses with the below message. I would have liked to have included the RAAC but I could not find an email address for them.
===================
Subject: Jet Center: Refer lease to Renton Airport Advisory Committee for their feedback.
I am asking you to refer the Jet Center lease to the Renton Airport Advisory Committee for their feedback on the plan.
Having a Jet Center in our city does not serve me as a city resident. I am sorry to see the lack of public process in a measure that will so negatively affect the quality of life for those of us who live in Renton.
Thanks Karen. The Renton website provides the names of the RAAC members, but does not give contact information for them.
So I think you’ve taken the correct steps so far. You could consider sending a note addressed to the RAAC to cityclerk@rentonwa.gov, and it’s possible (depending on policy) that it would go to the members. I’m not sure if this would work.
Here are the members of the committee as listed on the RAAC website. The website seems out-of-date in some areas, so I’m not sure if this is completely current:
Airport-at-Large
Shane Carlson – Primary (5/7/22)
Vacant – Primary (5/7/24)
Chuck Kegley – Alternate (5/7/23)
James Young – Alternate (5/7/22)
Airport Leaseholders
Gordon Alvord – Primary (5/7/22)
Kurt Boswell – Primary (5/7/23)
Robert Ingersoll – Alternate (5/7/23)
Vacant – Alternate (5/7/22)
Aircraft Owner’s & Pilot’s Associations
Robert Spitzer – Primary (5/7/24)
Karen Stemwell – Alternate (5/7/24)
The Boeing Company
Ryan Tomasich (N/A)*
*Determined by Boeing.
WA Pilot’s Association
Alfred Banholzer – Primary (5/7/24)
Charles Pepka – Alternate (5/7/23)
Mercer Island
Salim Nice (N/A)*
*Determined by Mercer Island.
Highlands Neighborhood
Harold “KC” Jones – Primary (5/7/22)
Vincent Nguyen – Alternate (5/7/23)
Kennydale Neighborhood
Jeanne DeMund – Primary (5/7/24)
Marcie Palmer – Alternate (5/7/23)
North Renton Neighborhood
Lee Chicoine – Primary (5/7/22)
Ben Johnson – Alternate (5/7/22)
Renton Hill/Monterey Terrace
Melody Kroeger – Primary (5/7/24)
Bojana Gugulevska – Alternate (5/7/23)
South Renton Neighborhood
Jeff Dineen – Primary (5/7/23)
Vacant – Alternate (TBD)
Talbot Hill
Matthew Devine – Primary (5/7/23)
Sarah Reagan – Alternate (5/7/23)
Benson Hill
Robert Rovai – Primary (5/7/22)
Abhijit Patil – Alternate (5/7/24)
West Hill
Vacant – Primary (5/7/24)
Vacant – Alternate (TBD)
If you look at the dates in () , that’s the person’s expiration date. Most of the seats are vacant.
That seems to be the plan. If you have no members there is no relevant committee. If you have no agenda, or a selective one, then you do not want neighborhood or aviation community input.
Thank you Renton Airport Advisory Committee for your time.
The tree members of the Renton city council who are on the airport/transportation probably are a bit richer now.
To the commenter talking about the transportation committee being richer …. be assertive enough if you make an comment like that to at least leave your name. Taking a shot like that behind an “anonymous” post is pretty low and cheap. The majority of the council does not have the history as Randy Corman on council to know the deep history of RAAC or the previous fights with the jets – at least not personally from a council perspective. Another option, rather than taking cheap shots from behind a computer would be to reach out to those committee members and ask them their thought process behind their decision. Communication can lead to understandings – novel concept from behind the safety of a keyboard, I get it. But give it a shot some time rather than taking shots like this. Not cool to even cast a shade of doubt a direction like that for people on our council – I don’t care if we agree with them or not.
Two spent tens of thousands of dollars on their campaigns, and one was funded entirely by the MBA for his campaign.
I’m supposed to believe they sold out Renton because they’re idiots?
Evaluate the idea, not the speaker.
By ordinance, the RAAC is supposed to have one member from the Council Transportation Committee. The council really should be familiar with RAAC, like they are with the Planning Commission and Parks Commision. If the Council had not appointed a council member to RAAC because of lack of familiarity with the process, it should have been up to the Airport Manager or Public Works Administrator to teach them about RAAC. The RAAC has worked hard for Renton, with many volunteers giving countless hours of time for decades. Here is another article I wrote about their work five years ago, pre-pandemic. https://www.randycorman.com/?p=8863
Here’s a link to the business plan overview and lease proposal Presented to City of Renton, Mr. Martin Pastucha, November 28, 2023 https://renton.civicweb.net/FileStorage/9DFBD6878EF145DF88C99B984D19726E-Request%20for%20Lease%20Assignment%20for%20Renton%20Gateway.pdf
Randy –
Please fill us in and summarize a little more on the process here.
So Pro-Flight sold out to Dark Horse?
That required a new lease?
What was the flow of that lease through gov’t?
Starting with airport staff, Council members (committee and/or full council), mayor?
Who all signed off on it at the various stages?
Please name names, and provide email addresses, so we can give them a piece of our mind.
Lastly, the city should have a law that no airport lease is signed without a public notice and process, and meeting with the RAAC (at least going forward), so this type of thing is not slipped by the public again.
Hi Mark,
The Public Works Administrator recieved a proposal in November. I’m not sure what actions he took between November and February. On February 12 he formally presented Dark Horse’s Business Pln with a lease proposal to the Council Transportation Committee. This committee is Chaired by Councilmember Ryan McIrvin and includes Councilmembers Kim-Khanh Van and Carmen Rivera. The Committee approved the report, but the meeting was not recorded and minutes were not taken, so I don’t have more details.
That evening the report was presented to Renton City Council, and Ryan McIrvin moved approval of it. Kim-Khanh Van seconded, and the whole Council appeared to vote “yes.” There was no discussion on it.
The youtube video of the vote is here; this vote can be found at 24 minutes into the meeting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJp2P-n6_ec&t=1468s
By process the Mayor would have signed the lease, along with Dark Horse, sometime soon after that. I have not been able to find the signed lease online, but I’ve been told by people working at the airport that ownership of Pro-flight transferred in mid-March.
I think it is an excellent idea to pass a rule requiring these leases to go through RAAC. I think we never thought to do that in the past because the long-serving Airport Manager did that routinely.
So Renton is going to be woken up at all hours of the night by 1970’s era business jets that sound like Soviet era flying garbage.
Thanks Transportation committee on the Renton City Council for not valuing your fellow citizens. At all.
They be woke, now you’re woke. At night at least.
Note that the Renton Airport Advisory Committee (RAAC) is, in FAA parlance, a “Community Roundtable.” The FAA supports our RAAC Roundtable with an FAA representative. The FAA provides a solid endorsement of such organizations, and will work collaboratively with these roundtables to implement their recommendations when possible. Leaving the RAAC out of key decisions forfeits one of our primary means of managing airport noise. Read the FAA information sheet on roundtables by clicking here.
________________________________
Per FAA:
“How can a Roundtable help?
• A roundtable brings together airport, community, and airline industry representatives to collaboratively identify and discuss issues of concern and possible resolutions at the same time.
• A roundtable may elect to make recommendations, including possible changes in operations, which could address community noise or other concerns. Ideally, applicable recommendations are first coordinated through the airport who will then, as appropriate, forward them to the applicable entity (e.g., the FAA, airlines, or zoning authority).
• A roundtable can assist and advise the FAA on community outreach or information needs, and help the FAA understand community priorities….”
“In the FAA’s experience, the most effective roundtable recommendations reflect consensus among its membership – which includes considering issues and inputs from all potentially affected communities. Consensus recommendations tend to result in long-term, satisfactory solutions and often reflect the need to balance competing interests.”
________________________________
Also, please see this 2023 “Simple Flying” article for a cross-section of business jets that could soon be flying in for a quick fill-up. Loud & Proud: 4 Surprisingly Noisy Private Jets. The RAAC would obviously be the right place to discuss this.
Several hangars have already been advertised for lease; the notional/sizing silhouettes show jets in the hangars, per the Dark Horse business plan (A Gulfstream G150, Learjet LR60, Cessna Citation CJ3, and Cirrus Vision SF50) https://f.tlcollect.com/fr2/824/96909/Renton_Municipal_Airport_BRO_v5.pdf
Would they follow the same flight path??
For those not familiar, the map shows the standard Renton flight pattern for typical propeller-powered, Aircraft using Visual Flight Reference (VFR). Jet Aircraft, which typically use instrument approaches, will tend to land and take-off in more of a straight line. My understanding is they’ll be over Talbot Hill to the South and above Island Crest Way on Mercer Island to the north (at between 1000 and 2000 feet).
With regard to holding, Jet Aircraft will not use the holding pattern shown on this map. They will typically be managed by regional traffic control such that they don’t have to hold when turned over to the Renton tower. But if they do have to hold, the tower will give them their own pattern, likely over East Renton.
Even though jets are capable of fast climb-outs, they’ll have a ceiling imposed by Boeing Field and Seatac patterns, that unfortunately will keep them lower, closer to houses for longer than at some other airports.
Here is a link to pilot information for Renton Airport from Renton’s website, which is the source of the map above.
Honestly, I suspect Renton citizens are too chicken-shit to do anything about this. Our only hope is to tell the folks in Mercer Island, and they’ll find the lawsuits for not following our laws. Of course, they’ll need a Renton citizen who has standing.
I nominate that weirdo in North Renton who has a dragon fetish.
Update:
The Airport Layout Plan update that was adopted in 2022 was recently added to the city website (within the past few days). No changes in the mix of airplanes using the airport are assumed in the Airport Layout Plan. It seems out of step with this plan to promote a new focus on becoming a premier reliever of business jet traffic from Boeing Field.
Here is an excerpt from page 33:
______________________________________________
“Assumptions
There are several fundamental reasoning assumptions that are driving this planning process and influence the basis for the recommended development program for the Airport. Consideration factors associated with these assumptions are the roles of RNT, the RAAC, and stakeholders providing input during the planning process. Development alternatives for the RNT seaplane base were a primary consideration in this ALP Update, as the ramp and docks need to be replaced or reconstructed in the near term. Seven assumptions have been established to direct the alternatives analysis the landside concepts.
Assumption One: The aircraft fleet mix is not expected to change. RNT will continue to serve as a reliever airport accommodating primarily general aviation (GA) activity, in addition to military activity, Boeing 737 manufacturing-related activity (primarily 737 departures) and seaplane aircraft operations. ”
_____________________________________________
Here is the full Airport Layout Plan: http://www.randycorman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/2022-Renton-ALP-Update-Final-Report.pdf
Thanks Carmen Rivera for selling out Renton so millionaires can fly their jets out of our airport. Millionaires are better people and they deserved it.
I don’t know why progressive members of our city council rolled out the red carpet for private jets. These jets create over ten times as much carbon as other forms of travel.
In contrast, Boeing airliners are essentially busses in the sky, that create less carbon than driving. Even carpools of two or three drivers sharing one car can create more carbon than if they ride on a Boeing airliner to their destination.
But private jets are worse than any other form of travel. They are major polluters and also don’t pay a fair share of FAA expenses, accounting for about 15% of all trips while paying about 2% of FAA expenses. They also get huge tax breaks, and can be used by their owners for leisure travel while they still get tax breaks for them.
The average private jet owner has about $150 million dollars. Renton replaced a community-focussed small-airplane business owned by local residents with a private-jet business owned by investors in Texas, California, and Oregon.
For years we held the line on these jets in Renton, preferring to favor more fuel efficient airliners and small airplanes that Renton residents could enjoy.
Now that we have people claiming to be strong progressives on the council, they are courting private jets? It makes no sense. And nearby residents, and youth attending Renton High, will pay the price.
We live near the Renton airport. I can tell when a private jet is taking off and often when one is landing just by the sound. They have a distinctive roaring sound more like a fighter jet (though not as noisy) and are noisier than the 737s.
I am not in favor of a 24hr jet fueling terminal at Renton field. It does not serve the community.
Well is is discouraging…living on the Southend of Mercer Island this new flight pattern for small jets will go right over our home at a low level. The lake amplifies the sound of the aircraft. We were concerned about the air traffic before we purchased the home but we were assured that there was minimal times when the jets fly in an out to the airport. I am now thinking that this will effect property values everywhere from Mercer Island to Renton and beyond. Property taxes will need to go down and unfortunatly so will the value of our homes. What action can we now take to either stop this from happening or at least limit the times of arrivals and departures? I see many sleepless nights in the future.
Trey, thanks for your comment. Unfortunately you are correct that airport noise correlates to a reduction in property value. For those under a jet flight path, their houses will lose value. For those not under the flight path, their city will raise their taxes to compensate for tax losses from homes under the flight path.
(1) While this lease is already in place, it would still be of value to have the RAAC look at it and evaluate whether any mitigations are still possible. (There is a Mercer Island rep on the RAAC) (2) We should push back against any further expansion of the “jet center” concept as the future of Renton airport. There is currently eviction activity on the south-east corner of the airport that many think is an effort to open the corner to even larger aircraft i.e. large private jets.
The request for RAAC review and push-back on expansion of the jet center should both be addressed to Renton City Council. They can be reached at jsubia@rentonwa.gov, with copies to cityclerk@rentonwa.gov.
We live near the Renton airport. I can tell when a private jet is taking off and often when one is landing just by the sound. They have a distinctive roaring sound more like a fighter jet (though not as noisy) and are noisier than the 737s.
I am not in favor of a 24hr jet fueling terminal at Renton field. It does not serve the community.
For those not familiar with the DNL standard that FAA uses for noise, the agency uses a day-night averaging system to determine a DNL noise exposure for a neighborhood. It slightly penalizes night flights in the calculation, but does not prohibit them.
Using this averaging method, 10 flyovers per day of 104.4 dB, with noise that averaged between a rock band and a subway train arrival, would be considered an acceptable 65 DNL in a neighborhood.
A hundred events per day at 94.4dB ranging between a subway train arrival and a 40 MPH diesel truck at 50 feet would alternatively be considered okay.
Here are some diagrams from this FAA paper on the topic.
From Here: https://www.mi-reporter.com/news/renton-wants-more-air-traffic-promises-quieter-planes/
Tiscornia and others at the meeting expressed fear that the increase in jet traffic will be a never-ending noise problem, a permanent situation similar to the two-week jet jump in jet traffic last August, which resulted from a runway shutdown at Boeing Field that shifted traffic to the Renton Airport. During those two weeks of increased jet traffic, Island residents from the South end and in Renton complained that noisy jets flew right over their homes every two hours around the clock.
“It was awful, those two weeks,” Tiscornia said. “There were at least two planes an hour, day and night. There are no time restrictions, so the jets just kept coming and the strobe lights off the wings light up my house when they fly that close.”
What is the Renton Airport used for? For Airplane traffic. Remember the Airport was here long before anyone who is complaining. I remember the Airport during WWll, when prop fighters and bombers used the airport.
I know things change, but remember the Airport was there first.
I also remember when Seattle International Raceway (Kent) was restricted because of noise levels, even though the Raceway was there since the 1950’s.
It seems people have too much time on their hands, and too much time to complain.
Worked at Boeing for 33 years (engineer) from 1959-1993.
Renton airport belongs to the people of Renton, and should benefit the city broadly. Out of town investors using us us to fly outdated and noisy business jets doesn’t benefit our city at all.
And yes, you have too much time on your hands to be meta complaining.
I’m getting confecting answers:
Some people say that you can’t land jets when the Renton tower is closed.
Others say the jet gets IFR clearance from Boeing Field tower, switches over to the local radio channel, lands. Then then notify Boeing Field that they made it.
I think jets can be landed at any hour, whether the Renton tower is staffed or not. As you mention, when the tower is closed a combination of regional traffic control and special pilot communication protocols safely manage the airspace. Most jets will be flying IFR most of the time, and night flying is as easy as day flying for them. The Dark Horse Aviation business plan includes 24-hour rental cars, and an unspecified extension of the pro-flight operating hours.
This topic has generated a large number of comments on Nextdoor, with many commenters wanting to see this issue reviewed by RAAC.