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Randy Walker has stated that "Jean will not close and is compatible with the new IVP Airport".
Randy Walker is not a pilot.
The current uses at Jean are; Glider "ride for hire" Business, two different Parachute Jump Business operations, their landing zone is within the IVP airport boundary, the Soaring Club which has been at Jean for 20 years, flight school training operations from LAS, VGT, HND and 61B airports and the aerobatic box west of the airport. Yes, Maverick, Sundance and others use Jean (0L7) for their training.
The current airspace design under the IVP study puts the Jean airport within the Class D surface area. That means that there can be no operations at Jean without first contacting a control tower 4 miles away. The FAF for landing to the south at IVP will be approximately at the Jean I-15 exit ramp, right over the casino and the Rwy 20R/02L downwind. Estimated altitude at the FAF would be 1500ft AGL and descending. The traffic patterns at Jean are 800-1000 ft AGL. I'm not sure I would want to be on a left downwind to 02L with a heavy on approach to IVP only 500ft or less above me and behind me.
I am sure the new tower at IVP, 4 miles away, would not want to be controlling an airfield within their Class D surface area that they cannot see. An airport that has two runways and at times as many as 6 or seven aircraft in the traffic pattern at the same time or within 2 miles and entering the pattern.
The current airspace designs also include either Class C airspace or Class B expansion. Both airspace expansions would kill all soaring operations within the Ivanpah Valley south of Las Vegas. IAW 91.215 gliders with or without transponders are not authorized within Class C or Class B airspace, and they are not authorized to operate above the airspace and below 10,000ft MSL.
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