Posts by Andy Wilson
Tighter Rules for Meteorological Towers
MARTINEZ, CA — Contra Costa County looks for clarity on adding lights as part of tighter rules for meteorological towers. Following the state’s lead, Contra Costa County is poised to tighten its rules for marking meteorological towers that might prove hazardous to aircraft.
However, county planning commissioners postponed taking action this week, asking for more information about adding aviation light beacons atop towers 150 feet and taller.
The item will be brought back to the planning commission at its April 23 meeting.
The state approved legislation last fall in response to the January 2011 fatal crash of agricultural pilot Stephen Allen after his airplane struck a 198-foot tower on Webb Tract that he likely did not see. The tower was erected in 2009. Read MoreSan Luis Obispo's Growth Plans Vs Airport Safety Zones
Airport safety zone plan conflicts with San Luis Obispo’s growth plans – The plan could significantly limit the potential of land the city has long seen as critical to future growth. A plan that could expand the safety zones at San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport is raising concerns about the possible limitations it could force on development. The plan could significantly limit the potential of land the city has long seen as critical to future growth.
As the city began updating its own land-use plan, a key blueprint for development, it became increasingly worried that the safety boundaries were not clearly mapped or defined, said Kim Murry, deputy director of long-range planning.
Read MoreHelicopter Noise Relief Act
California Senate OKs Message To Obama, Congress On Helicopter Legislation – Urges President And Congress To Adopt Helicopter Noise Relief Act For The State
The California Senate has passed a resolution offered by state senator Ted W. Lieu (D) urging President Obama and Congress to adopt the Los Angeles Residential Helicopter Noise Relief Act.
Read MoreThird-Class Medical Certificate Exemption On Hold?
FAA Discusses Safety Issues Surrounding Tower Closures
It appears the FAA is backtracking on an earlier directive that forbade at least some of its FAA Safety Team (FAAST) representatives from talking about pending tower closures. On Wednesday the FAAST Safety Team issued a general note of advice about operating at non-towered airports (the FAAST Team doesn’t like the term “uncontrolled”) and touched on all the points covered by myriad other sources on the topic since the closures became a real possibility. (Click here for a PDF of the e-mail.) Closures of 149 towers were supposed to start April 7 but on April 5 the FAA delayed that until at least June 15 citing the spate of legal challenges to the closures. Also on April 5, a regional FAAST assistant manager on the East Coast told his safety team that any discussion of tower closures was off limits. (Click here for the PDF.)
Read More FAA's 149 airport-tower closures
FAA’s 149 airport-tower closures cleared for takeoff – WASHINGTON – The Federal Aviation Administration is moving ahead with plans to close 149 small air-traffic-control towers across the nation as part of mandated spending cuts.
“We don’t have the money to keep them open,” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told the House Appropriations subcommittee on transportation Tuesday.”It’s a big headache for us.”
The FAA on April 5 postponed the closures until June 15. LaHood said was mostly so lawyers could review the decisions and give local governments a chance to find the money to keep them open.
Read MoreQuail Brush Power Plant Update
The California Pilots Association (CalPilots) has been heavily involved with the FAA to address power plant plume issues involving flight safety concerns. We were very pleased when the FAA recently announced it completed a Plume Study of the effects of thermal plumes on fixed wing and rotor aircraft.
In December 2013 – after opposing the location of a proposed power plant project, the California Pilots Association (CalPilots) applied to become Interveners in the California Energy Commission’s (CEC) Quail Brush Generation Project (Quail Brush Genco, LLC, 11-AFC-03 siting proceedings). The CEC agreed and issued order granting CalPilots Petition to Intervene.
Read MoreTehachapi – Pilots Concerned About Airport Viability
Caltrans addresses motel project compatability – Some local pilots are concerned that certain types of development in the Capital Hills area will eventually mean constraints on activity at Tehachapi Airport and long-term threats to the viability of the 75-year-old airport.
And a national organization — the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association — has put the airport on its watch list of 10 airports nationwide that it is most concerned about.
Read MorePresident Obama's Proposed 2014 Budget Will Hurt GA
A section of President Obama’s proposed 2014 budget aims to “reduce the deficit and more equitably share the cost of air traffic services” through a “$100 per flight fee” payable to the FAA, with exceptions. The fee would not apply to piston, military, public, or air ambulance aircraft as detailed on page 43 of the budget. It would also exempt Canada-to-Canada flights and those operating outside of controlled airspace. The user fee is one of two proposed measures that would directly affect general aviation. Aviation interest groups, from AOPA to GAMA to NATA, responded quickly, and negatively, to both proposals.
LAX – Runway Move Under Review
Los Angeles City Council to address Los Angeles International Airport runwayplan in spring – Will Los Angeles International Airport be permitted to move a runway 260 feet closer to Westchester homes and businesses?
That’s now a question for the full, 15-member Los Angeles City Council,which is expected to take it up later this spring.
The project took another step forward earlier this week when two councilcommittees moved jointly to recommend the entire council adopt a LAXproposal to change the configuration of two runways on the north side of theairfield. The Trade, Commerce and Tourism and Planning and Land Use Management committees voted 5-1 in favor of the modernization plan, whichalso includes less controversial items such as an intermodal transportationcenter, a consolidated rental car facility and an automated people mover.
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