TRPA not banning seaplanes from Lake Tahoe
Publisher’s note as of June 4 at 2:30pm: The stakeholders and Tahoe Regional Planning Agency officials met today. Seaplanes will not be banned from Lake Tahoe.
By EAA
Long a premier destination for seaplanes in the Western United States, local governing bodies threaten to severely restrict seaplane access to Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in the Western Hemisphere. A federally chartered regional planning agency has proposed a noise ordinance that would prohibit any seaplane operations within one mile of the shoreline in a bid to protect the serenity of the lake.
Bisected by the California-Nevada border, Lake Tahoe, often called “The Jewel of the Sierra,” is 6200 feet above sea level, 24 miles long, 12 miles wide and the second deepest lake in North America. Seaplanes have been operating there for at least 75 years since Lake Tahoe Airways started operating Sikorsky S-38 Amphibians on the lake in 1934. Since then, other longtime commercial seaplane airlines and operations have flourished on Lake Tahoe.
Governing the lake is the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) which is a federally chartered bi-state agency created to preserve and enhance the beauty of the Lake Tahoe Basin. Currently, the agency is updating its regional plan for the lake and the proposed noise ordinance would severely restrict private and commercial seaplane operations on the lake.
I attended the flyin at Homewood last weekend. It was a disappointment that while I was there, only 2 seaplanes landed and came to shore. They were quiet and not disturbing at all. However, in the marina someone was working on a 2 engine woody which was obscenely loud. While a beautiful boat, the mechanic set the engines running between 1000 and 2000 rpms and left them that way. I finally left it was so loud.
Haven’t been to the beach in awhile, but there used to be a big ol’ private sea plane that “parked” near Ski Beach below Cascade Estates. Whenever I went to Baldwin Beach I HOPED to see that plane either take off or land. It was so much fun to watch!
The insanity continues. Ban seaplanes is the newest nonsensical cause the enviromental fascists are floating (pun intended) to control our lives and how we live them. With humdreds of seaplanes taking off or landing every day it seems reasonable to ban them before they kill again. Yeah, the destruction and pain they have caused over the years connot be measured.
Thank goodness for the fascist goody two shoes for attempting to prevent an impending seaplane disaster. Not to mention their loud engines drown out the beautiful noise of the quiet jetskis and high powered ski boats.
We owe a lot to these selfless individuals as they steel our God given freedoms.
TRPAZI today, TRPAZI tomorrow, TRPAZI forever.
Personally, the noise concerns are secondary to the potential for introducing invasive mussels.
DANG YOU KAE !
Besides noise, those planes must leak gas and oil into the lake and now of concern are unwanted species. Ban the planes and the helicopter business at the airport, just on noise concerns!
If peace and quiet is what you want, Tahoe is not the right place to be.
Seaplanes don’t actually gas into the lake, any more than a car leaks gas onto the road. Possibly a drip or two of oil, again just like your car. Seaplanes aren’t boats. The engine doesn’t touch the water.