FAQ

1. Is the Ocean Ridge Airport Association a non-profit? Can I deduct my donations from my taxes?

Since the airport is privately owned, an IRS exempt status cannot be obtained because the funds would effectively improve John Bower’s private property.  All bookkeeping is maintained by John Bower’s office staff and funds will be accrued and spent from the ORAA bank account.

2. What, if anything, will happen if the fundraising goal is not met by the September 2014 deadline? 

If the fundraising goal is not met by the September 2014 deadline, then all collected donations will be saved and fundraising efforts will continue until we have enough to complete the resealing project. ORAA does not view the CalTrans deadline as the end of the road. Our goal is to keep the airport open to the public no matter what. We will have the resealing done as soon as financially possible. We are hopeful that CalTrans will work with us on the deadline if needed, if we can show ‘good faith effort’ for fundraising and plans for the repair work.

The CalTrans inspection prompted the formation of ORAA not only to address the immediate repair issues, but also to address the need for long-term airport management. With the changing economic times, it has become impossible for the owner to continue with ‘business as usual,’ which historically was 100% personal financial support. This is why we have reached out to the pilot community for support.

CalTrans has explained that it does not want to revoke the public use permit if possible, but safety is the top priority and it may lead to that. Pilot safety is also the primary concern for ORAA so it is working to remedy the immediate issues as well as formulate perpetual management processes.

3. What if ORAA raises more than the necessary $60,000 required for the slurry resealing of the runway?

If we are lucky enough to receive more than $60,000 then any additional funds will be used for the associated work to bring the airport up to CalTrans compliance and other regular maintenance tasks as they arise. This includes thing like repainting the runway markings with reflective traffic paint, sweeping the tie down area, repairing the taxiway, weed removal, etc.