Fort Walton Beach Resolution — 2009-37-Accept Joint Land Use Study — reading text

I I~ I I ~ I I ....... I : t G:: ifl j ' j_: ii i! ~ ~ I.~. t:: 1... c~ g' S i ~v DiM Section 7 - FORT WALTON BEACH TETRA TECH  EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE JOINT LAND USE STUDY ~ JUNE 20091 prescribing flight path area and vertical clearances from In May 2006, the Air Force conducted a Building Height terrain and manmade obstructions. This required open Study for the Southern Region of Okaloosa County to help space is defined both vertically and horizontally, and is de- ensure that there were no navigation problems. Figure 7-4 signed above the airfield imaginary surfaces. The restric- identifies the maximum building heights resulting from this tions prescribed for standard instrument approach and de- study. parture procedures require limitations on the height of build- ings and other structures in the vicinity of airfields in order 7. 2. 5 Lighting to ensure the safety of pilots, aircraft, and individuals and Outdoor lights can cause difficult and unsafe flying condi- structures on the ground ( U. S. Air Force, 1999). These tions when located near airfields or within Military Training procedures are a complex set of specific requirements that Routes used during night hours with night vision equipment. ensure the proper clearances exist for aircraft to safely take Ground lighting can interfere with a pilot' s vision or with off, land, and circle, when required. The requirements for each surface of a TERPS airfield are specified in FAA Or- night vision instrumentation or equipment. Ground lighting may also cause confusion with approach landing patterns. ders 8260.3B, " U. S. Standard for Terminal Instrument Pro- cedures" ( TERPS) ( July 7, 1976) and 8260. 19C, " Flight Examples of ground lighting that can interfere with night vision equipment are residential street lighting, stadium Procedures and Airspace" (September 16, 1993). lighting, amusement parks, golf courses and driving ranges if lit at night), and parking lot lighting. Mobile lights ( from TERPs have been designed for all major airfields on Eglin: sources such as motor vehicles or roaming spotlights) can Eglin' s Main Airfield, Duke Field, Choctaw Field and Hurl- also cause pilot disorientation and difficulty with night vision burt' s Main Airfield. Airfields with instrumented landing equipment. Several airfields, drop zones, and military train- systems ( ILS) are categorized based on aircraft that will use the airfield and conditions available for landing with ing routes occurring on or over Eglin AFB and adjacent lands conduct these types of training, especially those as- instruments. The categories provide minimum altitudes at sociated with Hurlburt' s 1 SOW. which a pilot must be able to see the runway prior to touch- ing down with the aircraft. For example, Category I airfields Also, Eglin is home to the U. S. Army 6th Ranger Training with ILS have a 200- foot above ground minimum altitude at Battalion, and the future home of the 7th Special Forces which the pilot must see the runway. This has a trickle down effect when it comes to heights of objects in the vicin- Group ( Airborne). Training for night operations is mission- essential to these units. Light encroachment can be light ity of airfields. trespass, glare, sky glow or any unintended consequence from artificial lighting. Light trespass is illuminating areas An additional complicating factor in altitudes and tall struc- not intended. Glare results from overly bright lights and tures is weather conditions. As tall structures cause aircraft interferes with vision. Sky glow is the illumination of the sky to fly higher prior to landing, conflicts can arise as a result from artificial sources. Figure 7-5 shows the increase in of cloud ceiling heights and minimum altitudes prescribed artificial lighting that is visible from satellites. It is clearly by instrument approach procedures. If the cloud ceiling evident that the amount of lights is increasing with popula- height changes due to weather and becomes lower than tion. the acceptable altitude at which an aircraft can descend with instruments, the airfield is essentially unusable and no 7. 2. 6 Radio Frequency Interference aircraft can land. The minimum ceiling height of clouds and the minimum visibility an air crew needs to plan for an in- According to the RAICUZ, radio frequency is an additional strument approach is based on the minimum descent alti- element related to land use compatibility. Certain Eglin tude ( MDA) for non- precision approaches or decision height frequency bands are being encroached upon by devices DH) for precision approaches. The MDA and DH are that are either sloppy in their frequency control ( e. g., cord- based on height of obstructions. Past a certain threshold, less phones, cell phones, radio stations, cell towers) or that the higher the obstruction, the higher the MDA or DH re- leak frequency emissions even if they are not designed to quired. The higher the MDA or DH, the higher the minimum transmit ( e. g., radar detectors). Certain frequencies within cloud ceiling needs to be and the greater the visibility needs the radio frequency spectrum are of more concern than to be. This increase in required weather minimums reduces others, since the frequencies can interfere with the safety of the availability of the airfield. test missions. If a test item or aircraft is lost due to fre- quency issues, safety can be compromised beyond what is acceptable. 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