Skyhaven1316
Skyhaven1316 is a website dedicated to the documentation of the FAA Part 13 and potential Part 16 Investigation into violations of FAA Assurances associated with the FAA Airport Improvement Program at University of Central Missouri Skyhaven Airport. The initial complaint was submitted on October 14, 2024 and is ongoing.
Flying Club aircraft being towed off-field to receive maintenance due to maintenance shutdown at Skyaven Airport. (See Costs of Part 13 Investigation below.)
AOPA, EAA and NATA Support FAA Part 13 Investigation of Skyhaven
AOPA, EAA and NATA - the biggest voices in general aviation representing over one million pilots and aviation enthusiasts in general aviation today have joined forces and sent a Joint Letter to the FAA over alleged grant assurance violations at University of Central Missouri/Skyhaven Airport (KRCM). They are calling for the FAA to step in and ensure the airport serves all pilots and business, not just the university.
This action is the result of the FAA 14 CFR Part 13 complaint filed by local pilots October 14, 2024 and the ensuing June 2, 2025 FAA letter "Non-Compliance with Federal Grant Assurances – Urgent Follow-Up to Part 13 Determination and Corrective Action Plan Request, Skyhaven Airport" which detailed the non-compliance issues, directed a "Zero-Pay" status for federal AIP grants and required a Corrective Action Plan be submitted to the FAA. Click on .pdf below to view letter.
Aviation Articles
One Might Ask:
1. If a university offers bachelors and masters degrees in "Airport Management" and owns their own airport why would that airport be found in violation of FAA AIP grant assurances?
2. If a university has a school of aviation with bachelors and masters degrees in "Airport Management" why would they engage a very expensive law firm and spend over $68,000 to attempt to beat the FAA assurances instead of simply using their school of School of Aviation/Airport Management experts to ensure FAA AIP Grant Assurance compliance?
3. After receiving millions of dollars of taxpayer money to develop the airport why would an airport sponsor not serve the public/community who paid the tax dollars to begin with?
FAA Grants Extension for Corrective Action Plan to Address Alleged Non-Compliance with FAA Assurances by UCM/Skyhaven Airport.
Previously, in a letter from FAA Mr. Rodney Joel to the University of Central Missouri (UCM)/Skyhaven Airport dated June 3, 2025 the FAA had given the UCM/Skyhaven Airport until June 13 to submit a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) to resolve remaining issues. UCM/Skyhaven Airport had provided a letter that "while proposing steps toward a Corrective Action Plan (CAP), does not provide concrete actions or revised policies to resolve these issues, nor does it meet the June 13, 2025 deadline for submitting a detailed CAP as requested in our April 15 and June 3 letters." Finally, in Mr Joel's letter he stated, "The FAA continues to request UCM submit a comprehensive Corrective Action Plan no later than Tuesday, June 24, 2025. The FAA will not provide additional extensions."
To recap, the original Notice of Potential Noncompliance and Request for Corrective Action was issued by the FAA on April 15, 2025 and the deadline for a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) and Resolution Plan was May 15,2025. Instead of responding with a CAP the University of Central Missouri/Skyhaven Airport responded with a letter stating "UCM is pleased no violation were found". On June 3, 2025 Mr Rodney Joel (FAA) responded clarifying that UCM/Skyhaven Airport was, in fact, NOT in compliance and they were given a deadline of Jun 13, 2025 to respond. As stated in the paragraph above, UCM again failed to meet the deadline and now has been given a final deadline of June 24, 2025.
Specific open items per Mr Joel's letter are:
(1) the unclear and inconsistent Commercial Operations Vendor Agreement process,
(2) preferential treatment of UCM’s Flight School and Aircraft Maintenance operations –
including students and university personnel, and
(3) unauthorized commercial maintenance activities.
Non-UCM owned aircraft at Skyhaven Airport grounded for maintenance due to maintenance prohibition by UCM/Skyhaven Airport.
The issue of aircraft maintenance was a key issue in the original complaint. On August 5, 2024 UCM/Skyhaven Airport issued new Airport Building License Agreements to non-UCM pilots stating that leased hangars would not be used for commercial aviation activity or commercial aircraft maintenance. Further, aircraft owners leasing hangars were limited to conducting minor maintenance on their aircraft performed by an owner without the benefit of an aircraft mechanic. This new agreement immediately shut down the only non-UCM aircraft mechanic on the airport, Kelly's Flying Service owned by Mr. Kelly Ralston. Kelly's Flying Service had been servicing aircraft at Skyhaven for over 10 years and was the only aircraft repair shop available to non-UCM pilots on the field. Also, UCM mechanics who sometimes provided after hours mechanic services to aircraft owners on the field were prohibited by UCM from working on non-UCM aircraft. Put these prohibitions together and it can easily be seen that as soon as an aircraft broke down and needed the services of an aircraft mechanic there was no way to get that maintenance on the field. The aircraft was grounded! An aircraft owned by the Mighty Mule Flying Club actually had to be towed down a county road to a local farm to complete repairs so it could continue to fly (see picture in heading).
Because UCM/Skyhaven Airport had utilized FAA grant funding under the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) with a total in the millions of dollars (taxpayer money) UCM/Skyhaven Airport is subject to AIP Grant Assurances which are intended to assure that the public's interest in civil aviation will be served. Two specific assurances, Grant Assurance 22 - Economic Nondiscrimination and Grant Assurance 23 - Exclusive Rights, were alleged to be violated. Economic non-discrimination was alleged to be violated in shutting down Kelly's Flying Service, the only aircraft maintenance shop available to non-UCM aircraft owners on the field. The UCM School of Aviation, also technically a tenant on the field, continued to perform aircraft maintenance on UCM aircraft without restriction. Grant Assurance 23 - Exclusive Rights was also alleged to be violated in that UCM employed mechanics continued to work on their personal aircraft and aircraft of others after hours while hangar tenants were not allowed to use aircraft mechanics at all.
Today, 10 months later, Kelly's Flying Service continues to be shut down pending approval of a Commercial Operation Vendor Agreement (created as a result of the complaint) which he has applied for but has not received an approval or disapproval. Local hangar tenants can request a Temporary Maintenance Waiver for one time aircraft mechanic services in their leased hangar or they may lease an open hangar (identical to their own hangar) from UCM and tow their aircraft and carry equipment to work on the plane in the leased hangar. The latter is a cumbersome service and the former is only temporary and must be applied for each time mechanic services are needed. Major repairs requiring shop equipment such as those of Kelly's Flying Service are not available at this time. Hangar tenant aircraft maintenance is still a cumbersome process and major repairs requiring shop services are not available at all. Hopefully, the CAP will resolve these issues.
An update will be provided after June 24, 2025.
FAA Rodney Joel Letter dtd June 17, 2025:
Costs of Part 13 Investigation
Costs as of June 2025 have been significant!
1. Complainants have spent over $45,000 between October 2024 and May 2025 (seven months).
2. The University of Missouri has spent over $68,000 of school money to defend itself in engaging Martin Pringle Attorneys at Law.
3. Kelly's Flying Service has suffered loss of business and overhead expenses in excess of $45,000. It has been shut down since October 15, 2024 because of the restrictions on commercial businesses in the August 5, 2024 Airport Building License Agreement. Hangar rent, insurance and utilities cost approximately $1,500 per month and to date have cost Kelly's Flying Service approximately $10,500. Additional loss is income from services provided at over $5,000 per month adding another $35,000 of cost to Kelly's Flying Service.
4. The Mighty Mule Flying Club has had significant interruption in club member flying due to one aircraft being grounded due to maintenance restrictions and the second aircraft intermittently grounded for maintenance as well. The club has a membership of approximately 15 pilots. One aircraft, a Piper Cherokee 180, was in the process of having a new instrument panel installed by Kelly's Flying Service when Kelly was shut down in October 2024. This aircraft was grounded causing a significant delay and cost to the flying club. The other aircraft, a Piper Cherokee 140 had to be towed off field on a public road to a nearby farm in October 2024 in order to have an inspection and repairs completed because repair by Kelly Ralston was prohibited on Skyhaven Airport.
The issue of commercial activity regarding Kelly's Flying Service and the ability for commercial vendors to receive Commercial Vendor Agreements to operate on Skyhaven Airport (KRCM) is still unresolved as of June 23, 2025.
FAA Issues UCM/Skyhaven Airport Letter of Non-Compliance with Federal Grant Assurances
On June 2, 2025 the FAA Office of Airports Central Region issued a letter of clarification (See 03 Jun 2025 FAA response to RCM.pdf below) to the University of Central Missouri regarding the final determination in the FAA Part 13 informal investigation into alleged violation of assurances by Skyhaven Airport. issued on April 15, 2025 in which the FAA stated that UCM "may" be in violation and requested a Corrective Action Plan (CAP). Attorneys for UCM interpreted the word "may" as meaning that there were no violations and expressed their pleasure at this outcome. However, the June 2nd letter of clarification from the FAA Office of Airports Central Region stated that the determination "did not find Skyhaven Airport in compliance".
The June 2nd clarification identified three specific concerns and requires a Corrective Action Plan. The letter also stated "Further, the failure to submit a Corrective Action Plan in response to the initial determination on April 15, 2025 and failure to correct the identified issues "places Skyhaven Airport in non-compliance with its federal obligations, jeopardizing its eligibility for federal funding." ... "It is imperative that Skyhaven Airport resolve the non-compliance issues outlined in our April 15, 2025, letter immediately to avoid severe funding restrictions."
UCM has been given until June 13, 2025 to submit a detailed Corrective Action Plan, provide evidence of implemented corrective measures and submit copies of all temporary and permanent commercial licenses issued by Skyhaven Airport. Status will be updated as more information becomes available.
FAA Issues Final Determination in Part 13 Investigation
On October 14, 2024 four pilots at Skyhaven filed an FAA Part 13 complaint (see attached "Part 13 Complaint - Skyhaven Tenant Group - 10.14.24 Update" in Downloads Available below) with the FAA Central Regional Airports Division in Kansas City, MO alleging con-compliance of multiple violations of the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) State Block Grant Assurance program under Order 5100.38D Airport Improvement Program Handbook (“Order 5100.38D”), Order 5190.6B Airport Compliance Manual (“Order 5190.6B”), and 14 C.F.R. 156.7 by the University of Central Missouri (“UCM”) as the airport owner and manager of Skyhaven. The FAA Regional Office then initiated a Part 13 informal investigation into the alleged violations.
Recently, on April 15, 2025 the FAA Office of Airports Central Region office released a final determination on this informal investigation as a Notice of Potential Noncompliance and Request for Corrective Action "(see attached "FINAL RCM Part 13 Final Determination with CAP requirement.pdf" in Downloads Available below). In the bottom line found in this document the FAA stated:
"Based on the facts presented in this investigation, the University of Central Missouri may be in violation of:
Grant Assurance 22. Economic Nondiscrimination. –
a. It will make the airport available as an airport for public use on reasonable terms and without unjust discrimination to all types, kinds and classes of aeronautical activities, including commercial aeronautical activities offering services to the public at the airport.
Grant Assurance 23. Exclusive Rights. –
It will permit no exclusive right for the use of the airport by any person providing, or intending to provide, aeronautical services to the public.
Grant Assurance 24. Fee and Rental Structure. –
It will maintain a fee and rental structure for the facilities and services at the airport which will make the airport as self-sustaining as possible under the circumstances existing at the particular airport, taking into account such factors as the volume of traffic and economy of collection. No part of the Federal share of an airport development, airport planning or noise compatibility project for Airport Sponsor which a Grant is made under Title 49, United States Code, the Airport and Airway Improvement Act of 1982, the Federal Airport Act or the Airport and Airway Development Act of 1970 shall be included in the rate basis in establishing fees, rates, and charges for users of that airport.
We request the University of Central Missouri develop a corrective action plan which addresses each of our conclusions listed above.
Your corrective action plan should be completed and submitted to the Central Region Office of Airports for approval within thirty (30) days from the date of this letter. Once the corrective action plan is approved by our office, please update the Central Region of the status of the corrective action plan at two-week intervals prior to completion. Failure to take corrective action could result in the initiation of FAA enforcement action through the issuance of a notice of investigation under 14 CFR part 16, subpart D, Special Rules Applicable to Proceedings Initiated by the FAA."
Updates will be posted as available.
Part 13 Complaint Background
On August 5, 2024 new "Airport Building License Agreements were issued to pilots leasing hangars at Skyhaven (See "New Hangar Lease Aug 5 24.pdf" in Available Downloads below).
Article 4 of the agreement, "Use of Premises", in paragraph 4 stated: "The LICENSEE covenants and agrees not to use said premises for commercial aviation activity or any part of said premises for commercial aircraft maintenance. This includes the operation of commercial businesses on the Premises. LICENSEE will be permitted to conduct minor maintenance on LICENSEE'S aircraft as would normally be performed by an aircraft owner without the benefit of an aircraft mechanic." Pilots were given until October 15, 2024 to sign the agreement and comply with the terms.
As a result, as of October 15, 2024 the only public mechanic shop at Skyhaven Airport (KRCM), Kelly's Flying Service, was shut down. With the agreement prohibiting the use of a certified mechanic in public hangars this left pilots in a situation where if their aircraft required A&P or IA services in order to fly they were just grounded because those services were prohibited in personal hangars and Kelly's Flying Service was shut down.
The prohibition of a business operating at Skyhaven to serve the public violated FAA Assurance 22a Economic Nondiscrimination , FAA Assurance 22f Aircraft Owner/Operator Right to Self Service, and FAA Assurance 23 Exclusive Rights. As a result several pilots at Skyhaven elected to engage Cooling and Herbers P.C. to submit a 14 C.F.R. Part 13 Informal Complaint against the University of Central Missouri Skyhaven Airport (See Part 13 Complaint.pdf in Available Downloads below.