Heritage Flight Museum at loggerheads with KBLI

[The Inspector]

A report on this mornings local TV news says that Bill Anders Heritage Flight Museum @ KBLI is in a dispute with the Port of Bellingham, WA. over raising rents and the Port attempting to push smaller tennants out. Anders may be looking to relocate the museum

[StudeDave]

Anders may be looking to relocate the museum

I had heard (not long ago) that he was hoping to build a new place on the west side of the runway. Only funding and wetland mitagation stood in their way at the time.
Maybe now that plan is out of the picture, eh?


Say- let me in on what local news you saw that on.
My faith in the Bellingham Hearld isn't what it used to be...

[Warbirdnerd]

Greg was on an AM790 radio show a couple of hours ago, you might be able to podcast the interview from the station's website.

[StudeDave]

Greg was on an AM790 radio show a couple of hours ago, you might be able to podcast the interview from the station's website.

Yes- good call.
I had forgotten the leasson I learned this past weekend about how KGMI AM790 is THE source for news in Whatcom County. Last weekend a truck damaged a major bridge up here, and the Herald couldn't seem to get a picture. KGMI had four!!! The detour makes traffic in Ferndale an even bigger nightmare then normal.

Anyway- I did find this short blurb on KGMI's website~

http://kgmi.com/Port-Says-Museum-Not-Being-Pushed-Out/14978629

I'm still looking for a podcast...

ooops- just found it~
http://www.kgmi.com/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=6149816

[The Inspector]

Greg was on an AM790 radio show a couple of hours ago, you might be able to podcast the interview from the station's website.

Yes- good call.
I had forgotten the leasson I learned this past weekend about how KGMI AM790 is THE source for news in Whatcom County. Last weekend a truck damaged a major bridge up here, and the Herald couldn't seem to get a picture. KGMI had four!!! The detour makes traffic in Ferndale an even bigger nightmare then normal.

Anyway- I did find this short blurb on KGMI's website~

http://kgmi.com/Port-Says-Museum-Not-Being-Pushed-Out/14978629

I'm still looking for a podcast...

ooops- just found it~
http://www.kgmi.com/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=6149816

You guys were all over that like a Robert Hall suit! Nice job and thnx

[StudeDave]

Greg has been making lots of comments on FaceBook this past week.

It sounds like there might be alot of 'bad blood' between the museum and the Port.
He doesn't actually say it, but I wouldn't be surprised to see them leave BLI in the near future.


And a sad sad day it'll be...

[The Inspector]

Greg has been making lots of comments on FaceBook this past week.

It sounds like there might be alot of 'bad blood' between the museum and the Port.
He doesn't actually say it, but I wouldn't be surprised to see them leave BLI in the near future.


And a sad sad day it'll be...

Can I put in a vote for KBVS? I'd love to wake up to more than the very occasional T-6 sound track early on Sunday mornings in the Summer when I have the bedroom windows open.

[StudeDave]

from a post on FaceBook today~

Friends and fans: We promised to keep you in the loop with any news. Below is the meat of a press release that we issued this morning.
Interesting times here at HFM now and in the year ahead. We look forward to having your support as we determine our next steps... Stay tuned!

HERITAGE FLIGHT MUSEUM PURCHASES SKAGIT HANGAR
Museum preserving option to relocate to Skagit, no immediate move planned

... Bellingham, WA – March 28 – The Heritage Flight Museum, located at Bellingham International Airport, has announced that it has purchased a large hangar at Skagit Regional Airport.

“We had been looking at Skagit Regional as an option for relocation” said HFM Executive Director Greg Anders, “This facility came on the market and was seeing a lot of interest. In order to preserve the option to get into a ready-made building that meets all of our space and operational needs, the Board of Directors decided to take action and not lose the opportunity.”

The museum is continuing its relocation search, and anticipates holding Warbird Weekend in June at the museum’s current facilities at Bellingham International Airport. For the most current information, as it is released, please see the museum website at http://www.heritageflight.org.



Gee, I wonder what they are planning to do now...?

[The Inspector]

BEYOND COOL!!! KBVS is seriously underused and is a very nice, modern facility (GOOGLE EARTH it West of Mt. Vernon, WA), plus it's 20 minutes from my front door (the track is PACCAR/Kenworths test facility). KBLI is getting busier and now does a number of commercial flights every day so now I would assume that HFM is viewed as a negative by the dollar rakers who run the airport. Bellingham has always been an oddball, 'we don't want you here' town.

[StudeDave]

BEYOND COOL!!! KBVS is seriously underused and is a very nice, modern facility (GOOGLE EARTH it West of Mt. Vernon, WA), plus it's 20 minutes from my front door (the track is PACCAR/Kenworths test facility). KBLI is getting busier and now does a number of commercial flights every day so now I would assume that HFM is viewed as a negative by the dollar rakers who run the airport. Bellingham has always been an oddball, 'we don't want you here' town.

But if they move- they won't be 20 minutes from MY front door anymore!!!
So much for the low-level flyovers.
The kicker about all those commercial flights? Parking. Just last week the PoB asked locals to get rides or use other means.
I have always wondered why they didn't build a multi-level garage instead of leveling all the trees...

Yup- that PACCAR track is pretty awesome. I've never been, but from the pictures I have seen- it's quite a place.
The stories my brother's step son tells re-enforce that~ he 'works' there!!! But really- testing trucks is work?


So now the question is- which hanger did they buy, and when do the U-Haul trucks start to roll?

[The Inspector]

I'm always seeing 53 footers in gloss white with PACCAR logos getting on and off @ George Hopper Rd./exit Hwy 20 and once in a great while a tractor that looks a bit 'different'. I'm thinking they might be on the South road and the East-West smaller runway.

I'd send out feelers but they made me get rid of the weirdos (blatant steal from a very old 'Wizard of Id' strip).

I look at it as compensation for me moving away from KPAE and FHC/HFF/ MoF restoration now I have a destination for nice day motorcycle rides.

Want a track? Sky Valley still runs every Friday and Saturday 360's/410's on 1/3 mi. clay

[StudeDave]

Not really 'new' news, but here's a bit more information then we had before~

http://www.goskagit.com/all_access/cleared-for-landing/article_8107303c-934e-5364-abe8-cb941f87e0b8.html

Notice that PAE is mentioned as also being 'in the running' for relocation...

[The Inspector]

After decades of 'nothin' much' happening on KPAE, room is starting to get tight with Boeings new CDC building and the DREAMLIFTER maintenance structure as well as ALIEGENT AIR and ALASKA/HORIZONTAL gates. ATS is opening a facility in the old JAL/Boeing 747 hangers @ Moses Hole (Grant County) Having sold their newer Hanger 3 to Boeing for use as a mod center for 787's and completion center for the KC-46A, to possibly do long term executive 747/767/77 private interior mods.

I've wondered for some time why KBVS hasn't been used as a fly-in site, nice paved runways and light traffic

[StudeDave]

It's official!!! The HFM move begins in a few weeks...

http://www.heritageflight.org/content/visit/on-the-move/

Not too much of a shock, though.
Thanks for nothing PoB.

[Sasquatch]

Good news for me, as this brings HFM closer to where I live. What happened to them in Bellingham is why we fight against the start-up of commercial airlines encroaching on Paine Field. We'd much rather have warbirds than noisy tubes!

-Tom