New Napa Appointee Watching What Flies Overhead In Busy Wine Country Airspace

NAPA VALLEY, CA — Retired Navy aviator and San Francisco real estate executive Milton Gaines will join Napa County’s Airport Land Use Commission, filling a vital aviation oversight role amid growing development and increasing air traffic around county airports.

The appointment restores one of two aviation expert seats required under California law after a commissioner resigned earlier this year, leaving the seven-member panel shorthanded for months.

County officials received only one application. Airport Land Use Commission Executive Officer Dana Morrison recommended Gaines, citing his military aviation experience and longtime interest in airport safety issues near residential neighborhoods.

Gaines, a former U.S. Naval aviator who flew A-4 Skyhawks during the Vietnam War, holds degrees from Yale and Stanford, according to his application.

After the military, Gaines entered San Francisco real estate, helping develop projects like The Winfield, and later moved to Napa County eight years ago. Before that, he lived in Orinda from 1971 onward.

In his application, Gaines cited aircraft crashes near Moffett Federal Airfield as a defining influence on his views on airport land-use planning.

“Witness to aircraft incidents near Moffett Field involving nearby dwellings — fatalities to both homeowners and pilots,” Gaines wrote. “Wishing to assure safety as Napa Airport traffic grows in future years.”

The Airport Land Use Commission holds significant influence over development decisions near airports but often operates outside public attention. State law requires the commission to review projects proposed near airport flight paths and determine whether they create conflicts involving safety, noise exposure, overflight impacts, or protected airspace.

Napa County meets California’s aviation expertise requirement by combining its five-member Planning Commission with two at-large aviation appointees selected by county supervisors.

The Napa County Airport has evolved into a growing corporate and general aviation hub between Napa and Vallejo. County officials say the airport attracts pilots visiting Napa Valley wine country and handles everything from experimental home-built aircraft to large corporate jets.

Major events, including the Napa Valley Wine Auction and races at Sonoma Raceway, regularly drive spikes in arrivals and departures. Officials say demand for aircraft hangar space has surged alongside increased business jet traffic.

In his recommendation letter, Morrison wrote that Gaines “qualifies as a person having an expertise in aviation” under California law governing airport land-use commissions.

The commission meets quarterly to review projects proposed within airport influence zones under the Napa County Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan.