Sierraville Airport Remains Open After Runway Inspection

SIERRAVILLE – The Sierraville Dearwater Airport will remain open after its annual runway inspection Thursday, November 5, with the deteriorating surface still rated in “poor” condition, Sierra County Public Works Director Josh Handel told The Mountain Messenger.

Handel had warned the Board of Supervisors on November 3 that the pavement’s condition could force a temporary or indefinite closure. He now says the inspector found no immediate health or safety hazard requiring the airport to close.

The inspection was conducted by Caltrans’ Division of Aeronautics, which oversees airport safety inspections and permitting in California. Handel said the inspector acknowledged that the runway needs substantial work.

The county-owned airport has a 3,093-foot-long, 50-foot-wide runway. Its Federal Aviation Administration master record lists an asphalt-and-dirt surface and warns that the pavement is “crumbling in areas and cracking.”

“It is one inch of asphalt over dirt,” Handel said.

For modern asphalt runway design, the FAA’s current guidance calls for at least three inches of asphalt over six inches of aggregate base when the heaviest aircraft weighs less than 60,000 pounds. That supporting layer of stone or gravel spreads aircraft loads into the soil.

Most of the airport’s traffic comes from pilots training and maintaining their flying hours, Handel said. They practice touch-and-go landings, touching down and taking off again without stopping.

Medical helicopters also use the airport, landing on the apron, the aircraft parking area that has been resurfaced, Handel said. At the board meeting, Handel said that area remained in decent condition and could accommodate Forest Service and firefighting helicopters even if the runway was closed.

Asked whether the county plans to repave the runway, Handel said funding for that purpose is very limited. The airport receives $10,000 a year from the state for maintenance and receives no federal funding, he said.

The county’s transportation plan lists runway reconstruction at an estimated $600,000 among its aviation needs for 2025–2030. The plan calls for pursuing available funding for airport maintenance and improvements.

Handel said Caltrans will continue evaluating the runway annually, while responsibility for the risk of operating the facility rests with Sierra County.