SFO News from the frontlines

[geohaye]

A few bits of news regarding the ongoing struggle to stop San Francisco International Airport from ruining windsurfing in San Francisco Bay--

1. SFO PILEDRIVING - 16 HOURS PER DAY FOR 3 YEARS
BAARA -- Bay Area Alliance for Responsible Airports (of which SFBA is a member) activist Linda McKay spoke with SFO engineer Peg Devine
about building the runways on pilings in the Bay. Ms. Devine reports that the bedrock is 320 feet deep and if SFO uses pilings, it will require 16 hours of pile driving per day... for 3 years. It will
have to be day drilling because night drilling will be untenable.
Just a thought: wouldnt day drilling also be untenable? SFBA will continue to work to prevent the runways, whether SF & SFO hope to
build them by Bay fill, or by pilings.

2. SFBAS PETER THORNER AND WILLIE BROWN ON KGO TV
BY SFBA VICE PRESIDENT PETER THORNER:
I did a short live spot on KGO 7 at SFO yesterday [Dec 4] on the
heels of Willie Brown. Willie got about four minutes and I had about
one, so I couldnt counter all of his points, but here is what the San Francisco Mayor had to say about the Bay: There is nothing
natural about the bay. The bay has been rearranged so many times and on many occasions for the worse. The implication seems to be that it is unreasonable to oppose the degradation of the Bay given the damage
already done. This is a good argument for destroying all natural
areas that have suffered some loss. Once you start cutting trees in
the woods, why stop until youve gotten to the other side?

3. Almost all of the candidates endorsed by San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown were defeated in yesterdays runoff elections --
thus breaking Willies complete domination of the Board of
Supervisors. Several candidates who won have stated that they are
opposed to filling the Bay for new runways.

~George Haye
iWindsurf.com

[windsurfer7]

Keep up the good work, George!!! Hey, I was wondering if they were going to consider windsurfing access off of the other side of the runways, if they do end up getting put in. Maybe off the coyote point harbor or something. Im not supporting the runways but if that were to happen there wouldnt be a windhole at coyote anymore.

[geohaye]

Howdy, and Thanks.

Well, that idea has been suggested and it doesnt seem altogether unreasonable. But the thing is that its hard to believe SFO would allow hordes of windsurfing vehicles and windsurfers out onto their runways. Im sure they would cite several FAA regulations and general safety concerns.

Also, note that SFO closed down access to the old, classic Flying Tigers launch during the Gulf War - citing a security threat from terrorists. They have yet to re-allow access even though there is clearly no reason to continue to leave the area closed to windsurfers. As far as terrorists are concerned, they obviously could launch rockets or anything else from all kinds of vantage points around SFO.

Terrorists dont require Flying Tigers access. But we do.

SFBA has mentioned this to them many times and there have been several attempts to get the access back at Tigers. No luck. Thats one reason why I think an SFO runway launch would be very unlikely to work out for us.

~George

[ethanford]

Dude, first of all I just want to say that I totally support your point of view. The bay has been filled in way too much already, but my parents live out in West Marin and I live in Boston so I fly home a couple times a year and I must say SFO is way over crowded. Something has to be done to relieve airport congestion and I dont think people are going to be willing to fly less. I kind of like my globe trotting lifestyle. My question is what is the solution? Everybody wants to fly but no one wants the airports (especially the rich hypocrites from Marin). I wish you guys the best of luck and hope you guys continue to enhance the windsurfing expeirence in the Bay Area for when I return in a few years.