Two men looking to open a skydiving business at Francis S. Gabreski Airport in Westhampton agreed to withdraw their application for a long-term lease following a heated exchange Tuesday afternoon with members of a review board regarding details of their proposal.
Partners Robert Jayne and Andrew Palermo said they will instead resubmit an application that seeks a shorter lease while making their case for the business, called Skydive the Hamptons, in front of the Gabreski Airport Conservation and Assessment Panel. But panel members, who must sign off on the agreement before it is eventually forwarded to the Suffolk County Legislature for final approval, had many questions about the proposed business, and concerns about safety, noise and potential environmental impacts.
Both sides agreed that it would be best for Mr. Jayne and Mr.... more
Partners Robert Jayne and Andrew Palermo said they will instead resubmit an application that seeks a shorter lease while making their case for the business, called Skydive the Hamptons, in front of the Gabreski Airport Conservation and Assessment Panel. But panel members, who must sign off on the agreement before it is eventually forwarded to the Suffolk County Legislature for final approval, had many questions about the proposed business, and concerns about safety, noise and potential environmental impacts.
Both sides agreed that it would be best for Mr. Jayne and Mr.... more
The "parafoil" type ...more of parachute canopy that these skydivers use allows for extreme accuracy in landing and the recreational jumper does not have the added burden of the heavy load of equipment and gear that the highly trained, dedicated para-rescue jumpers (PJ's) of the 106th ANG must bear in terrestrial jumps.
And last, ACAP does not award leases. Our panel is charged with making recommendations to the Suffolk County Council on Environmental Quality who in turn makes recommendations to the Suffolk County Legislature who in their turn actually votes to award (or approve) the lease agreements.