Janice Crawford, Executive Director
Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce
Dear Janice,
As a longtime resident of Conway, NH
and an active pilot I would like to take this moment to express to
the Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce the value that Eastern
Slopes Regional Airport provides to me both professionally and as
well, personally.
Back in my earlier life I had the
opportunity to work at the former White Mountain Airport as a pilot
providing scenic flights to many folks who came to the valley for
their vacation. The airport was vibrant to the community and was one
of the main attractions that brought many of these vacationers to the
valley and it was the primary reason I decided to make Conway NH my
permanent residence.
Sadly when the airport closed in the
80’s, the alternative airport for tourist and business folks alike
was Eastern Slopes Regional Airport located in Fryeburg
Maine which thankfully remains in operation today.
For the past 15 years my aircraft has
been based at Fryeburg airport. Even though the Fryeburg airport is
not as central as was the former White Mountain airport I find the
Fryeburg airport vital to the success in my business and as well as
to the surrounding community. For example, being employed for a
Concord NH based company the airport has provided me the opportunity
to maintain my residence in Conway, NH. I have frequently commuted to
my employment by plane from the Fryeburg airport to Concord NH
airport saving valuable time and convenience and more importantly
allowing me to maintain my residence in Conway, NH vs. moving out of
the area I love! The airport has also provided the opportunity to
fly many of my friends and their families to the valley to share the
same experience that I do living in the valley!
During the past
15 years I had the opportunity to talk with many of the folks who
have flown into the Fryeburg airport. Many of the pilots/families I
chatted with tell me the reason they fly into the Fryeburg airport is
because of the airport's location to North Conway. It’s convenient
for a day for shopping, dining or simply enjoying the beauty of the
valley at various resorts etc. Also, many families have vacation
property in the area and the airport provides a convenient means to
get to their vacation home.
In addition, not only individuals and
or families with personal aircraft fly into the Fryeburg airport but
also corporate aircraft and or charter flights frequently fly into
the airport. For example, the owners of Mount Cranmore (who also own
Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort) frequently fly into the airport from
their corporate offices located in western MA and as you know will be
investing over $7 million dollars in expansion this year at Cranmore.
Many of these public-use airports and the business and recreational activities they support serve as a vital link to the word for small and remote communities like Conway and are rapidly disappearing! I’m in hopes that this will never happen with the Eastern Slopes Regional Airport! We need the support from the town of Conway and other surrounding towns in making sure that the Eastern Slopes Regional Airport does not become another statistic!
Many of these public-use airports and the business and recreational activities they support serve as a vital link to the word for small and remote communities like Conway and are rapidly disappearing! I’m in hopes that this will never happen with the Eastern Slopes Regional Airport! We need the support from the town of Conway and other surrounding towns in making sure that the Eastern Slopes Regional Airport does not become another statistic!
Yours truly,
Michael Maciak
December 28, 2013
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