The Sedona Oak Creek Airport Authority Board of Directors met on Monday, Dec. 3, for its annual meeting, which is when officers are elected and other business is approved for the coming year.

The board unanimously re-elected Harold Idell as board president and reaffirmed their selection of current Airport Manager Deborah Abingdon.

The main item of business on Monday’s agenda was the approval or denial of contractor bids for the reconfiguration and paving of the Airport Overlook parking lot. However, before reaching that business, Abingdon announced to the board that the U.S. Forest Service had contacted her to let her know that the many “No Drone Zone” signs at trailheads would be removed due to their inaccuracy in conveying existing federal law.

“They [the Forest Service] are open to other signs as long as they comply with regulation,” Abingdon said, indicating that the airport might be seeking other avenues to curb drone activity in partnership with the USFS.

Under current federal law, neither the Sedona Airport nor the USFS has any legal authority to prohibit drones in Sedona’s Class G airspace.“It’s important to note that the FAA has sole jurisdiction over the nation’s airspace, including airspace immediately around airports, for the purposes of air navigation. Airport operators cannot ban drones,” according to Federal Aviation Administration Pacific Division Communications Manager Ian Gregor.

Airport Overlook

The Sedona Airport rests on Table Top Mountain, often referred to as Airport Mesa. The promontory has views of West Sedona and the surrounding rock formations and is a popular vista on the mountain, attracting crowds year-round. The parking lot for Overlook rests on Yavapai County and managed by the airport.

In 2016, the airport began charging $3 per vehicle to park in the lot. In order to reduce traffic on Airport Drive, attract more visitors and simplify maintenance, Sedona Oak Creek Airport Authority decided to pave and reconfigure the dirt parking lot. Bids for paving and excavation were received from four area contractors and, at the advice of Abingdon, all estimates were declined by the board in a unanimous  vote.

According to Abingdon, the bids were higher than expected due to a misunderstanding in the proposal about rock and earth that would need to be hauled away. The airport would not require the material to be hauled off site, as they have plenty of space to redistribute it. She said this is much cheaper than off-site disposal.

The airport will again be open to quotes on the amended proposal for the excavation and paving planned for next year. Sedona Oak  Creek Airport Authority is a public body funded by government grants, private bonds, revenue from aviation leases on the mesa and airport operations such as fuel sales. It is a quasi-governmental nonprofit corporation that operates under a lease agreement with Yavapai County, which expires in 2050. The Sedona Oak Creek Airport Authority board  appoints its own board members and officers. Board members are not externally elected nor recruited.