Visalia Municipal Airport Rules and Regulations

Section I - Definitions

A. "Airport" means the Visalia Municipal Airport and all of the area, buildings, facilities and improvements within the exterior boundaries of such airport as it now exists or as it may hereafter be extended or enlarged.

B. "Airport Manager" means the Airport Manager or his designees for the City of Visalia.

C. "City Council" means the City Council of the City of Visalia.

D. "City Manager" means the chief executive officer of the City of Visalia.

E. "Airport Committee" means the Airport Advisory Committee of the City of Visalia.

F. "City" means the City of Visalia, Tulare County, California.

G. "D.O.T." means the Department of Transportation.

H. "F.A.A." means the Federal Aviation Administration.

I. "Person" means any individual, firm partnership, corporation, company, association, joint-stock association or body politic, and includes any trustee, receiver, assignee or other similar representative thereof.

Section 2 - Airport Manager

The Airport Manager shall at all times have authority to take such action as may be necessary for handling, policing, protecting and safeguarding the public while present at the airport and to regulate vehicular traffic on the airport. The Airport Manager may suspend or restrict any or all operations without regard to weather conditions whenever such action is deemed necessary in the interests of safety, subject to the review of such action by the City.

Section 3 - Rules and Regulations

All aeronautical activities at the airport, all operation and flying of aircraft at the Visalia Municipal Airport and all business and other activities on the airport shall be conducted in conformity with these rules and regulations, and all amendments, supplements, changes and additions hereto which may hereafter be adopted by the City Council, and further in conformity with all pertinent rules, regulations, orders and rulings of the D.O.T. and the F.A.A., which are made a part of these rules by this reference. Provided, however, nothing herein contained shall affect or impair any existing agreements. In the event of any conflict between these rules and regulations and any law, rule, regulations or order of the D.O.T., the F.A.A., or other governmental agency exercising the same or similar jurisdiction, the latter shall prevail.

Section 4 - Special Events

All events requiring the general use of the airport, other than normal or routine airport traffic, shall be held only upon the prior approval of the Airport Manager and on such dates, in such areas and upon such terms and conditions as shall be specified.

Section 5 - Public Use

The airport shall be open for public use at all hours of the day, subject to regulations or restriction due to weather, the conditions of the landing area, the presentation of special events and like causes, as may be determined by the Airport Manager and revocation of the right to use for violation of these rules and regulations as herein provided.

Section 6 - Common Use Areas

All runways for landing and takeoff, all runway, markers, guidance, signal, and beacon lights used to guide aircraft operations; all apparatus or equipment for disseminating weather and wind information, for signaling, for radio-directional finding, or for radio or other electrical communication and any other structure, equipment or mechanism having a similar purpose for guiding or controlling flight in the air or the landing and take-off of aircraft; and together with such aprons, ramps, turn-offs, tie-down area, taxiways and improvements are designated as common use and cannot be restricted in any manner without the prior approval of the Airport Manager. No signs or advertising shall be permitted if in the Airport Manager's opinion, it is undesirable, unnecessary, or in any way creates a safety hazard.

Section 7 - Acceptance of Rules by Use

The use of the airport or any of its facilities in any manner shall constitute an assumption by the user of these rules and regulations and shall create an obligation on the part of the user to abide by and obey these rules and regulations. Flight instructors shall have the duty to fully acquaint their students with these rules and shall be responsible for the conduct of students under their direction. When a student is flying solo, it shall be his responsibility to comply with all applicable rules.

Section 8 - Availability of Rules

All persons licensed to do business on or conducting operations of any kind on the airport shall keep a current copy of these rules and regulations in its office or place of business and make it available to all persons.

CHAPTER II - AIRPORT OPERATIONS AND AIRPORT TRAFFIC

Section I - General

A. So long as the Visalia Airport is an uncontrolled airport, all pilots of aircraft having radio equipment permitting 2-way communications should attempt to contact the Unicom at the Visalia Airport to obtain airport advisory information when they are within the vicinity of the airport. Pilots having radios permitting reception only should attempt to maintain a listening watch on the appropriate Unicom frequency at the Visalia Airport when they are within the vicinity of the airport.

B. The standard traffic pattern, as published in the most current Airmen's Information Manual, "Shall be used by every person operating an aircraft at the Visalia Airport."

C. In the event any aircraft is wrecked or damaged to the extent that it cannot be moved under its own power, the Airport Manager shall be immediately notified by the first person having cognizance of it. Subject to governmental investigations and inspection of the wreckage, the owner or pilot of the wrecked or damaged aircraft, or the owner's agent or legal representative shall, as soon as reasonably possible, obtain the necessary permission for removal of the aircraft and thereupon shall promptly remove such aircraft from all landing areas, taxi strips, ramps, tie-down areas, and all other traffic areas and placed or store where designated by the Airport Manager. No such wrecked or damaged aircraft shall be permitted to remain exposed to the general public on the Visalia Airport. In the event the owner of the aircraft fails for any reason to remove the wrecked or damaged aircraft from the Visalia Airport, as may be requested by the Airport Manager, or to remove it from the traffic areas as herein indicated, the Airport Manager may cause the removal and storage, or disposal of such wrecked or damaged aircraft at the expense of the aircraft owner.

Section 2 - Ground Rules

A. No person shall park, store, tie-down or leave any aircraft on any areas of the airport other than that prescribed by the Airport Manager.

B. No aircraft shall be parked or stored on the Visalia Airport unless it is properly tied down and secured. It shall be the sole responsibility of the owner or pilot of such aircraft to tie down or secure the aircraft at all times as required by these rules and regulations or by weather or other conditions on the Visalia Airport. In the case of large aircraft, it shall be the responsibility of the owner or pilot of the aircraft to secure the aircraft in the best manner and to avoid parking the aircraft in such as area or position as to cause damage to other aircraft or buildings on the Visalia Airport in the event of winds or weather. Owners of all aircraft shall be held solely responsible for any damage or loss resulting from the failure of such owner or the pilot of such aircraft to comply with this rule.

C. All repairs to aircraft or engines shall be made in the spaces or areas designated for this purpose by the Airport Manager.

D. All engines shall be started, warmed up, and run up only in places designated for such purposes by the Airport manager. No aircraft engine shall be started, run or run up unless the aircraft is in such position that the propeller blast clears all hangars, shops, other buildings, persons, other aircraft, automobiles, or vehicles in the area, and the flight path of landing aircraft.

Section 3 - Taxiing

All aircraft shall be taxied at a low and reasonable speed.

Section 4 - Fire Regulations - T-Hangars

A. No aircraft shall be fueled or drained while its engine is running, or while in a hangar or other enclosed place. Fueling shall be done in such a manner and with such equipment that adequate connections for grounding of electricity shall be continuously maintained during such time.

B. No fueling shall be done from drums, small containers or similar items.

C. The cleaning of motors or other parts of aircraft shall not be carried on in any this purpose, the operation shall be carried on in the open air.

D. All persons using in any way the airport area or the facilities of the airport shall exercise the utmost care to guard against fire and injury to persons or property.

E. All hangar and shop floors shall be kept clean and free from oil, fuel and other flammable substances. No volatile flammable solvent shall be used for cleaning floors. No rag soiled with flammable substances shall be kept or stored in any building on the airport unless stored in approved containers.

F. No person shall smoke or ignite any matches, flares, lighters, or other objects which produce an open flame anywhere within a hangar, shop building or structure in which any aircraft is or may be stored, or in which any fuel, oil or flammable substance is stored, or within 50 feet of any aircraft or any fueling facilities.

G. Building Aircraft - The use of a T-Hangar for building aircraft is acceptable. The tenant must comply with the Fire Code.

H. Drip Pans - Drip pans must be used. They must be metal and an appropriate size and number for the aircraft. They must be kept clean.

I. Electrical - Any proposed modifications to the hangar electrical system must be processed through the Airport Manager. The Airport will provide legal fluorescent fixtures for each hangar. Extension cords must be of the grounded type and are for temporary use only. Multi-plug adapters must have circuit breakers and are for temporary use only. Electric space heaters may be used in the hangars.

J. Fire Extinguishers - The Airport will maintain fire extinguishers at strategic locations on the exterior of all T-Hangar rows. Tenants may provide additional fire extinguishers in the hangars.

K. Housekeeping - The hangars must be kept neat and clean at all times.

L. Maintenance Materials - Trash containers must be metal and have a lid. Up to 9 gallons or 3 cases of oil may be stored in a hangar. Up to one gallon of fuel may be kept in a hangar in an approved container (contact Fire Department for specific approvals). Tools for performing minor maintenance on the aircraft may be kept in the hangar. Metal or wood ladders for aircraft inspection (cleaning, waxing) are approved. Small electrical tools (drills, buffers) are acceptable. Welding and welding equipment is prohibited. Except for properly secured aviation oxygen tanks, no compressed gases may be kept in the hangars. No painting may be done in hangar with the exception of minor touch-up (one spray can per color may be kept in hangar).

M. Smoking - Smoking is prohibited in T-Hangars.

CHAPTER III - AIRPORT OPERATORS, LEASES, AND CONCESSIONS

Section 1 - Business Activities

Business activities are subject to applicable orders, certificates or permits of the D.O.T., or the F.A.A., or their successors, no person shall use the airport, or any portion thereof, or any of its improvements or facilities for revenue producing commercial, business, or aeronautical activities who has not first complied with these rules and regulations and obtained the consent and all appropriate permits and licenses for such activities from the City.

Section 2 - Approval of Construction

No buildings, structure, tie-downs, ramps, paving, taxi areas, or any other improvement or addition on the airport shall be placed or constructed on the airport, or altered or removed without the prior approval of City. In the event of any construction, the City may, in its discretion, require an appropriate bond to guarantee the completion of the construction in accordance with the City’s approval.

Section 3 - Operation Area

No person authorized to operate on or conduct business activities on the airport shall conduct any of its business or activities on any area except those specified by the City.

Section 4- Waiver of Chapter III

The City may in its discretion, waive all or any portion of Chapter III of these rules and regulations and changes or amendments thereto hereafter made for the benefit of any commercial airline, any Government or Governmental Agency, or Department, or person performing non-profit public services to the aircraft industry, or performing air search and rescue operations, or performing fire prevention or fire fighting operations.

Section 5- Airport Master Plan

The City Council may without the knowledge, consent or approval of any operator or other person licensed to do business or use part of the airport, make changes in the Master Plan of the airport and in its planning and policies in connection with the development of the airport.

Section 6 - Penalties

In addition to any penalties otherwise provided by City Ordinance, law, the Civil Air Regulations or the Federal Aviation regulations, and all other rules and regulations of the Department of Transportation, Division of Aeronautics and the Federal Aviation Administration, any person violating these rules or regulations, may be promptly removed or ejected from the airport by or under the authority of the Airport Manager, or upon his order such person may be temporarily grounded or deprived of the further use of the airport and its facilities pending presentation of the matter to the City Manager. Such matters shall be presented to the City Manager as soon as practicable and the violator shall appear before him and show cause, if any, why he/she should not be deprived of further use of the airport and its facilities. Upon the order of the City Manager, such person may be deprived of further use of the airport and its facilities for such length of time as may be deemed necessary by him to insure the safeguarding of the airport, its operations and the public use thereof and the City’s use therein.

Section 7 - Title

The Rules and Regulations may be known as and cited as the Visalia Municipal Airport Rules.