Hillsboro Airport: Monument to Special Privilege

HIO Eighth in Nation in Lead Emissions

June 26, 2020

This is an updated version of testimony and flight tracks submitted by Miki and David Barnes to Oregon's Washington County Board of Commissioners on 6/23/2020 voicing opposition to the negative impacts generated by users of the Hillsboro Airport and other airports in Washington County. The slides included in this presentation provide examples of the excessive, disruptive and toxic level of aviation activity in this jurisdiction. Hillsboro Airport (HIO), which is primarily a flight training facility, ranks 8th in the nation out of 21,000 U.S. airports in lead pollution. It is the number one source of airborne lead in Oregon. HIO releases 1.5 tons of lead, likely more, into the environment every year. The negative health impacts of this pernicious toxin disproportionately affect children and people of color.

The profits generated by aviation activity at HIO accrue primarily to the Port of Portland (Port) and out-of-state corporations, businesses and investors.

Port Governance Lacks Democratic Process

Residents of Washington County are routinely denied a voice in the process. Policies regarding the airport are made by non-elected Port of Portland Board Commissioners, only two of whom reside in Washington County. Their decisions put their institutionalized lack of concern for the livability of local residents, the environment and public health on full display. In addition, the Port historically exhibits an urban-centric approach that exploits, degrades and diminishes the quality of life of rural residents.

HIO Serves One-fourth of One Percent of Oregon's Population

According to FAA estimates, there were 9,997 active certified pilots in Oregon in 2019. This small fraction represents less than one-quarter of one percent of Oregon’s population. Of that number 2,876 (29%) were student pilots and 1,728 were flight instructors (17%). Thus 46% of pilots, one-tenth of one percent of Oregon’s population, are responsible for pumping multiple tons of lead, relentless noise, PM2.5 and a host of other toxic pollutants into the environment each year.

This data clearly reveals that the Hillsboro Airport is essentially a monument to special privilege. It primarily serves affluent and self entitled flight school owners who profit by exploiting this community. The worst offender is Hillsboro Aero Academy. ATP, Hagele Aviation, and Christiansen Aviation are also major contributors to the noise and pollution.

 

Hillsboro Aero Academy Cessna Skyhawk
6/19/20 at 14:46

This Cessna Skyhawk, registered to Hillsboro Aero Academy, flew repeatedly over and in the vicinity of our home. The aircraft had been in the air for nearly an hour when this screenshot was taken. We are routinely subjected to these types of repetitive overflights despite filing multiple complaints to the Port of Portland Noise office, Hillsboro Aero Academy and Portland Community College.

 

Hillsboro Aero Academy Cessna 152
6/22/20 at 10:06

This Cessna, registered to Hillsboro Aero Academy, had been in flight for over an hour when this screenshot was captured. The lead released during flight falls to the ground and settles into the soil and water where it can be absorbed by human, animal, and plant life. Training patterns of this nature often occur over this area multiple times per day, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year.

 

Hillsboro Aero Academy Piper Seminole
6/18/20 at 09:32

This screenshot shows an extremely loud and polluting twin engine Piper Seminole. It is registered to Hillsboro Aero Academy. Multi-engine aircraft release more lead and other pollutants and are also louder than single engine aircraft. Notice the numerous other smaller aircraft in flight at the same time. Most are piston-engine aircraft that are releasing lead and other pollutants into the air as well as frequent noise disruptions over homes, neighborhoods, schools, day care centers, prime farmland, waterways, and recreational areas. The aircraft had been in the air for over an hour when this picture was taken.

 

Hillsboro Aero Academy Cessna 152
6/01/20 at 19:15

This Hillsboro Aero Academy flight had been in the air crisscrossing and circling the area for close to an hour and a half when this 06-01-2020 screenshot was taken. These types of noisy, intrusive, toxic training activities occur multiple times per day in the skies over Washington County.

 

ATP Piper Seminole
6/19/20 at 10:25

This twin-engine Piper Seminole is registered to ATP, an international flight training school that also trains out of HIO. Like Hillsboro Aero Academy it is operated by out-of-state owners. This aircraft engaged in touch-and-go training patterns at the Scappoose Airpark then looped over rural Washington County residents before returning to HIO. Please note there are at least 12 other aircraft flying over Washington County at the time this picture was taken.

 

Hagele Aviation Cessna Skyhawk
6/25/20 at 14:42

This Cessna is registered to Hagele Aviation, another flight school operating out of the Hillsboro Airport. The owner, Chuck Hagele, also serves as the Director of Maintenance for Hillsboro Aero Academy. He was appointed by the Port of Portland to serve on the Hillsboro Airport Master Planning Committee. His wife, Leah Perkins-Hagele, was appointed to represent Washington County on the Hillsboro Advisory committee. This seems to be a serious conflict of interest given that the Hageles profit by exploiting local residents.

The Numbers

US Population: 328,200,000

US Pilots: 664,565 (0.2% of US Population) (8% of these are women)

Oregon Population: 4,218,000

Oregon Pilots: 9,997 (1/4 of 1% of OR Population)

Oregon Student Pilots/Flight Instructors: 2,876 / 1,728

Oregon Total Flight-Training Pilots: 4,604 (1/10 of 1% of OR Population)

* Sources: US Census and FAA, June 2020
** Flight tracks are screen captures from FlightRadar24.com

Conclusion

Our message to the Washington County Board of Commissioners: Please take immediate action to address the noise, pollution, environmental degradation, and public health risks generated by the Hillsboro Airport and other airports impacting this region.

Respectfully,
Miki and David Barnes