Tracy Press

EDITOR,

Like Daniel Wells, who wrote the “Bloody Red Baron is in my sights” commentary on Sept. 21, I live near Tracy Municipal Airport and have seen a low-flying, yellow bi-plane doing numerous low passes with steep-banked turns.

But I realize that I live in an agricultural area, with farms all around that supply me with nutritious fruits and vegetables. I recall the statement in papers that I had to sign when I bought my house about the “right to farm.”

What Wells saw was a crop-duster.

I have lived in Tracy for eight years and have yet to see any general aviation airplane fly lower than 1,000 feet above any home.

I am a pilot, and one of the reasons I moved to this area was to be closer to the airport, hoping the Tracy airport would grow. I’m still waiting. I am growing tired of the complaints about the airport and the confusion between general aviation and commercial crop-dusting operations.

Airplanes and airports are a fact of life, and as Tracy grows, it will need that airport.

• Editor’s note: The single-wing airplane Daniel Wells refers to in his commentary is red and white.

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written by clp , September 30, 2007

The Tracy press never published a story stating Mr. Wells was upset about a white and red single wing airplane. The Press published the story in which Mr. Wells mentioned the yellow biplane.. Wells also wrote about Cessnas, not Pipers, Mooneys, Taylorcrafts, Aeroncas, Silvairs, Beechcrafts or any other make of general aviation aircraft. I guess the Tracy Press recognizes Mr. Wells as an aeronautical expert.

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written by aguyinTracy , September 30, 2007

clp, the Tracy Press has yet to publish a "story" having anything to do with Mr Wells' issue. They published a commentary, which is one persons opinion. They followed up with your letter to the editor, as well as this one from Mr. Jennings.
All I ask is that people reading and writing in the comments here differentiate between items in the Voice section. which are commentaries, editorials, etc, i.e. one persons opinion, and the rest of the newspaper, which is supposed to be "stories"; journalism, the facts and nothing else.

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written by Ubbo Coty , September 30, 2007

The video clip Mr Wells shows on his website is what appears to be a Mooney. Nice aircraft.
At any rate, there clearly has to be a motive to write a commentary on this issue. At first Mr Wells tells us that he is upset with the aircraft flying over his house at a low altitude (he didn't really elaborate on the fact that he livs so close to the landing pattern) and then he mentions safety over the schools. What next? Aircraft flying too low over the proposed sports water park? Then what? Shut down the airport? Many citizens may not see the writing on the wall yet, but I do. This is practically what happened to Amelia Reid Airport in San Jose. I am going to keep repeating this message too. Its important for Tracy's citizens to know that they need this (their) airport more than a water sports park. It may not seem like it now, but future generations will thank us for saving the airport.
Keep on flying!!!

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written by Daniel Wells , October 01, 2007

It is a nice looking aircraft. Sadly - a plane flew over that looked just like it a short time ago well below an appropriate altitude.

What are some of the other planes in the other videos available on the site?