CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

PLANNING BACKGROUND

The overall objective of an master plan update is to provide a framework for long-term development that encourages the future growth of aviation in the community. It is important the plan considers safety, economic efficiency, and environmental responsibility while meeting this overall objective.

The Commission understands the importance of maintaining a current master plan and directed the preparation of this update. To satisfy the community’s need for a comprehensive planning effort, the Commission established the following planning objectives for this master plan:

 Formulate a clear understanding of the airport’s role and the types of aircraft and aviation activities it is expected to serve.

 Identify and document issues the proposed development will address.

 Justify the proposed development through the technical, economic, and environmental investigation of concepts and alternatives.

 Establish a realistic schedule for the implementation of the development proposed in the plan, particularly the short-term capital improvement program.

 Propose an achievable financial plan to support the implementation schedule.

 Identify subsequent environmental evaluations that may be required before a proposed project is approved.

 Provide an Airport Layout Plan identifying existing and proposed airport development.

PLANNING METHOD

Planning and operating Frank Wiley Field (MLS) substantially affects the community. For that reason, airport development must be a grassroots effort, involving the area’s citizens to the greatest extent possible in the planning process.

Community involvement also has the positive effect of building consensus for the growth of aviation and support of efforts to further develop Frank Wiley Field. Airport development often involves the commitment of extensive community resources and is critical to the successful implementation of the Master Plan Update.

The Miles City Airport Commission recognizes the need for community involvement and support in the preparation of this Master Plan Update. To that end, the Commission chose to include a body of community representatives to assist in the planning process. The community representatives are known as the Technical Advisory Committee.

The Miles City Airport Commission also has provided public outreach through the following efforts:

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1. Draft chapters will be placed on the Miles City Chamber of Commerce/City of Miles City website. 2. Business and user surveys will be circulated through several outlets (electronic and paper format). 3. Public meetings 4. Radio, newspaper and other media outlets

PLANNING SCOPE

The planning scope of work includes the following major tasks:

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this task is to gather relevant data in order to formulate profiles of the community and airport.

FACILITIES INVENTORY

The purpose of this task is to collect and map baseline data regarding airport facilities and aviation activity. This data provides benchmarks to measure against aviation forecasts and airport facility requirements prepared in subsequent tasks.

FORECASTS

The purpose of this task is to project short, medium, and long-term critical aviation activity (enplanements, based aircraft, operations, etc.) The forecasts are used to identify the airport’s future facility requirements.

FACILITY REQUIREMENTS

The purpose of this task is to determine the airport’s future facilities requirements based on forecast aviation activity.

CONCEPTS

Based upon the facility requirements identified, alternatives to meet future demand will be developed and evaluated. Selection of a preferred alternative will be based on several factors including functionality, ease of implementation, potential environmental impacts, and development cost.

IMPLEMENTATION

The purpose of this task is to formulate realistic implementation strategies and funding mechanisms for the capital improvements.

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW

The purpose of this task is to briefly review the proposed capital improvements for potential environmental consequences in order to determine what type of environmental clearance may be required.

RECYCLING & SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN

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The purpose of this task is to develop a plan for recycling and minimizing the generation of airport solid waste.

AIRPORT LAYOUT PLAN (ALP)

The purpose of this task is to prepare a graphic presentation of existing and future airport facilities as identified by the planning process. The ALP serves as a public record and is subject to the approval of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in its review of proposed development projects. Airport development not shown on a FAA approved ALP is generally not eligible for federal funding.

AIRPORT PROFILE

Frank Wiley Field is located two miles northwest of Miles City along State Highway 22. The airport owns approximately 1,650 acres of land that is primarily surrounded by privately owned agricultural land. A sand, gravel, and concrete quarry, and other industrial businesses border the southeastern side of airport property.

MLS has two runways. 4-22 is 5,680 feet long and 75 feet wide. Runway 12-30 is 5,628 feet long and 100 feet wide. Twenty aircraft are currently based at the airport and approximately 11,000 operations (takeoffs or landings) occur at Frank Wiley Field each year.

In the US, there are over 5,200 public use . MLS and more than 3,300 other airports are designated by the FAA to be of significant interest to the national air transportation system and eligible to receive federal grants for airport improvements. The FAA’s National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) defines the roles of these airports. MLS is classified as a general aviation facility and its role is further segmented into the “local” category. As defined by the FAA, an airport in this

Source: http://www.faa.gov/airports/planning_capacity/npias/

3 | Introduction category “…supplements local communities by providing access to local and regional markets. These airports have moderate levels of activity with some multiengine propeller aircraft. These airports average about 33-based propeller-driven aircraft and no jets.”

Other NPIAS airports in the vicinity of MLS are shown below in TABLE 1-1. Tillitt Field (Forsyth, MT) and Terry Airport (Terry, MT) are the only NPIAS airports within an hour’s drive of Frank Wiley Field.

Table 1-1: Airports Near Miles City Airport NPIAS Classification Approximate Drive Time to MLS Billings Logan International Primary 120 minutes Terry Airport General Aviation 40 minutes Tillitt Field General Aviation 40 minutes General Aviation 80 minutes General Aviation 80 minutes Colstrip Airport General Aviation 80 minutes

HISTORY

The City of Miles City purchased the land that the existing airport is located on in 1948. The original airport consisted of two turf runways by the fairgrounds.

The airport was named after Frank Wiley, a Miles City pilot born in 1900. Frank got his pilot license in 1919, and was operating commercially by 1920. During World War II, he enlisted in the Army. After the war, Frank Wiley was the director of the State Aeronautics Commission for 16 years and wrote a book on aviation history in Montana called "Montana and the Sky," which was published by the State Historical Society in 1962.

Today, Frank Wiley Field plays an important role in the social and economic well-being of Miles City. The airport serves the region with emergency medical air service, cargo service, charters, and general aviation facilities.

ORGANIZATION

MLS has an Airport Commission which guides operation and development of the airport, establishes any rules, regulations, agreements and fees/charges deemed necessary for that purpose.

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AIRLINE SERVICE

Prior to July 15th of 2013, Frank Wiley Field received scheduled passenger service under the (EAS) program. EAS is an airline subsidy program created by Airline Deregulation Act in 1978. EAS was formulated to maintain service to small communities that would have otherwise lost passenger service due to airline deregulation. Congress recently passed substantial reforms to the EAS program. On August 5, 2011, the President signed the “Airport Photo of World War I fighter planes enroute to Spokane stationed at Miles City and Airway Extension Act, Photo taken from Capt. Robert E. Selff Collection. Part IV. That law contained a provision which prohibits providing EAS to communities whose annual passenger subsidies are greater than $1,000 per passenger, regardless of their distance from the nearest hub airport. Subsequently, the “Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2012” waived the requirement that communities receive EAS on 15-seat or larger aircraft.

On February 14, 2012, the President signed the “Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Modernization and Reform Act of 2012” which contained several additional reforms. First, Photo of the original turf runway at Miles City, which is now realigned Runway the law capped the communities in 12-30 from Frank Stoltz. Photo is taken from Capt. Robert E. Selff Collection. the contiguous 48 states that are eligible to participate in the program. (There were no changes in Alaska or Hawaii.) The law states that only those communities that were receiving subsidized EAS at any time between September 30, 2010, and September 30, 2011, or that received a 90-day notice from their incumbent carrier and the Department held that carrier in, would remain eligible for the program. This means no new communities can enter the program should they lose their unsubsidized service.

Additionally, the law requires that in order to remain in the EAS program, subsidized communities must maintain an average of ten passenger enplanements per service day. This provision begins in fiscal year 2013. The law provides exceptions for communities in Alaska and Hawaii, and for those that are more than 175 driving miles from the nearest large or medium hub airport.

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COMMUNITY PROFILE

Miles City is located in southeastern Montana, 90 miles west of the North Dakota Border, 95 miles north of the South Dakota Bordet, and approximately 140 miles northeast of Billings. Rosebud, Prairie, Fallon, Carter, and Powder River Counties all border Custer County.

Miles City has a population of approximately 8,400. Major employers in the area include Stockman Bank, Holy Rosary Healthcare, Wal- Mart, and Billings Clinic – Miles City.

Agriculture plays a large role in the local economy. Much of the agricultural income is based on cattle, sheep, hog, poultry, Map source: statemaster.com and dairy production. The rest of the farming income comes from crops such as wheat, barley, sugar beets, oats, rye, potatoes, and honey.

In the past, the population of Miles City has experienced trends similar to many towns in the eastern region of Montana and western North Dakota. This area is primarily supported by agriculture and oil industries. In the 1980s the oil market fell, causing people to leave the region for other jobs. Since the 1990s, Miles City’s population has stabilized near 8,400. Historic populations for Miles City, Custer County, and the State of Montana can be found in TABLE 1-2.

Table 1-2: Historic Population Records

Year 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

United States 179,323,175 203,211,926 226,545,805 248,709,873 281,421,906 313,914,040 % Change — 13.32% 11.48% 9.78% 13.15% 11.55%

Montana 674,767 694,409 786,690 799,065 902,195 989,415 % Change — 2.91% 13.29% 1.57% 12.91% 9.67% Custer County 13,227 12,174 13,109 11,697 11,696 11,699 % Change — -7.96% 7.68% -10.77% -0.01% 0.03%

Miles City 9,665 9,023 9,602 8,461 8,487 8,410 % Change — -6.64% 6.42% -11.88% 0.31% -0.91% Source: U.S. Census Bureau

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Additional economic and demographic information for Custer County and Miles City can be found in APPENDIX A.

WEATHER CONDITIONS

The average high temperature of the hottest month (July) is 88 degrees °F. The average low temperature of the coldest month (January) is 9°F. Average annual precipitation is about 12.5 inches and Miles City receives approximately 30 inches of snowfall each year.

The airport relies on its onsite Automated Surface Observation System (ASOS) to receive on-site weather information 24 hours a day. Pilots also have the option of using the National Weather Service radars, but the radars, which are located in Bismarck, ND, Rapid City, SD, and Billings, MT, do not completely cover the Miles City area. The local weather observation through the ASOS offers a greater degree of accuracy.

CERTIFICATIONS, LAND USE COMPATIBILITY & AIRSPACE

AIRPORT CERTIFICATION

Airport certification is based on Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) Part 139. Each airport must comply with a minimum of these regulations to be certified.

Unscheduled, as used herein, refers to an operation conducted by an air carrier or a commercial operator that is specifically negotiated with the customer. Scheduled operations are conducted by air carrier or commercial operators from a published schedule for passenger operations that include dates and/or times and is advertised or made available to the general public. Large aircraft refers to aircraft with seating capacity for over 30 passengers per flight. Small aircraft refers to aircraft with seating capacity for more than nine but less than 31 passengers per flight.

The current FAR Part 139 standards present different classes needing certification. These classes are:

 Class I – Authorized to serve operations for scheduled and unscheduled large (30 + passengers seats or more) air carrier aircraft, and scheduled small air carrier aircraft (10–30 passenger seats). These are airports the airports which were previously classified full certification under the old Part 139 Guidelines.  Class II – Airports that serve scheduled small air carrier aircraft and unscheduled large air carrier aircraft operations but would not serve scheduled large air carrier aircraft.  Class III – Airports that serve scheduled operations of small air carrier aircraft. These airports would not serve scheduled or unscheduled large air carrier aircraft.  Class IV – Airports serve unscheduled passenger operations of large air carrier aircraft but would not serve scheduled large or small air carrier aircraft.

Airports hosting commercial passenger service that falls into one of the above classifications must be certified under FAR Part 139. Frank Wiley Field recently provided scheduled aircraft flights with 19- passenger seat capacity; therefore it fell under Class III specifications.

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A certified airport must prepare and maintain a certification manual that describes the airport’s compliance with certain safety standards identified in FAR Part 139. These standards include minimum levels and types of equipment for airport rescue and firefighting (ARFF) facilities and equipment, emergency planning, and snow and ice control.

COMPATIBLE LAND USE AND ZONING

Compatible land uses are defined as those uses that can coexist with a nearby airport without either constraining the safe and efficient operation of the airport or exposing people working or living nearby to unacceptable levels of noise or safety hazards. Incompatible land use is a large issue facing airports today, often resulting in conflicts between airports and communities.

Two articles (IV & V) of the Miles City Zoning Code provide zoning specific to Frank Wiley Field. A copy of Article IV (Frank Wiley Field Influence Area) and Article V (Miles City Airport Zoning Ordinance) are located in APPENDIX B.

AIRSPACE

MLS is approximately 40 miles northwest of the Powder River Military Operating Area (MOA). The location of MLS and Powder River MOA can be seen below in EXHIBIT 1-1. There is potential for the Powder River MOA to be expanded in the near future.

Source: sectional chart available at www.faa.gov

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CHAPTER 2: FACILITIES INVENTORY

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this chapter is to provide information on existing airport facilities. The facilities inventory provides a baseline for the aviation forecasts and airport facility requirements prepared in subsequent chapters of this planning document.

AIRSIDE FACILITIES

Airside facilities consist of areas of Frank Wiley Field that are necessary for aircraft surface movement. Aircraft parking and hangar areas are also included. Airside facilities include runways, taxiways and associated lighting, marking, and sign systems. Airside facilities are shown in EXHIBIT 2-1 and EXHIBIT 2-2, located toward the end of this chapter.

RUNWAY 4-22

Runway 4-22 is the primary runway for Frank Wiley Field. Primary runways are typically aligned with prevailing winds and possesses the greatest pavement strength, length, and instrument approach capability. Even though Runway 4-22 is not aligned with the prevailing winds and is narrower than Runway 12-30, the runway has been considered the primary runway in the past because there are no straight-in instrument approaches to Runway 12-30. Data on Runway 4-22 is summarized in TABLE 2-1.

Runway 4-22 is 5,680 feet long by 75 feet wide. It is made of bituminous pavement, and was constructed to an overall strength of 24,000 pounds single wheel load (SWL), and has a reported strength of 24,000 pounds dual wheel load (DWL).

A pavement study was completed in 2012 for the Montana Department of Transportation Division of Aeronautics. This study analyzes the pavements and gives a pavement condition index (PCI), rated on a scale from 0 to 100. A PCI of 50 or lower is considered critical. The PCI study indicated an average PCI of 73 for Runway 4-22. A copy of the PCI study is located APPENDIX C.

Runway 4-22 has medium intensity runway edge lights (MIRL). Intensity of these lights is pilot controlled and helps pilots see the runway during low visibility conditions and at night.

Runway 4-22 has Precision Approach Path Indicators (PAPI). PAPI project red and white beams of light toward approaching aircraft, providing another method of visual guidance to pilots during the approach to the runway.

Runway 4 is also served by runway end identifier lights (REIL). REIL consist white synchronized flashing lights located laterally on each side of the runway’s threshold. It provides rapid and positive identification of the approach end of the runway.

Runway 4-22 has holding position signs, guidance signs, and distance remaining signs.

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RUNWAY 12-30

Runway 12-30 is considered the crosswind runway at MLS. Compared to primary runways, crosswind runways are usually shorter in length and narrower in width and offer less instrument approach capability. Crosswind runways are typically used by smaller aircraft when wind direction does not favor the primary runway. At Miles City, the wind conditions favor both runways very similarly and the crosswind runway is used almost as much as Runway 4-22.

Runway 12-30 is 5,624 feet long by 100 feet wide. Its pavement strength is rated at 38,000 pounds SWL, 55,000 pounds DWL, and 85,000 pounds DTW. The 2012 PCI study indicated an average PCI rating of 84 for Runway 12-30.

Runway 12-30 has PAPIs and medium intensity runway edge lights. REILs are located on Runway 30.

Runway 12-30 is marked for visual approaches. Holding position signs and distance remaining signs are present along the runway. TABLE 2-1 summarizes data for Runway 12-30.

TAXIWAYS

Frank Wiley Field is served by a system of taxiways for aircraft to travel between runways, aprons, terminals, and other areas on the airport. Taxiways are named A, B, and C, and are identified with lighted signs. Taxiway pavements are marked with centerline striping, side stripes, and holding position lines where necessary. Frank Wiley Field’s taxiways are shown in EXHIBIT 2-2.

Taxiway ‘A’ is the entrance taxiway for Runway 30. Taxiway A is 35 feet in width, it runs north and south, and connects the south part of the apron area to Runway 30.

Taxiway ‘B’ is a taxiway which directs traffic from Taxiway ‘C’ location to the intersection of Runway 4-22 and Runway 12-30. Taxiway ‘B’ is 35 feet wide and runs east and west.

Taxiway ‘C’ runs north and south from the north apron area; turns about 45 degrees toward the northwest and connects to the Runway 22. This taxiway is 35 feet wide.

A Hangar Taxiway runs from the intersection of Taxiway ‘B’ and Taxiway ‘C’. The hangar taxiway is part of the original Taxiway ‘C’, which ran from the apron area to the Runway 22 End.

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These three Taxiways ‘A’, ‘B’, and ‘C’ had a 2012 PCI rating ranging from 75-81. The remaining part of Taxiway ‘C’ which remained in place and is now used as a hangar taxiway has a 2012 PCI rating of 45.

Taxiway lighting systems are installed on all taxiways. Signs on taxiways for movement onto runways and other taxiways is up to date.

Table 2-1: Runway Data

Runway 4-22 Runway 12-30 Role Primary Crosswind Length 5,680 feet 5,628 feet Width 75 feet 100 feet Surface Material Bituminous Pavement Bituminous Pavement Pavement Condition Index 73 (2012 PCI) 84 (2012 PCI) Markings Non-Precision Non-Precision Visual Visual Signs Holding Position, Guidance, Holding Position, Guidance, and Distance and Distance Load Capacity Single Wheel Load (SWL) 24,000 lbs. 38,000 lbs. Dual Wheel Load (DWL) 24,000 lbs. 55,000 lbs. Dual Tandem Wheel Load (DTW) — 85,000 lbs. Lighting Pavement Edge MIRL MIRL Visual Descent PAPI PAPI PAPI PAPI Approach REIL REIL REIL REIL Instrument Approach VOR/Distance Measuring Equipment Straight (4) Straight (22) Circling (12) Circling (30) (DME) Area Navigation (RNAV) and Global Straight (4) Straight (22) Circling (12) Circling (30) Positioning System (GPS)

 MIRL=Medium Intensity Runway Lighting  PAPI=Precision Approach Path Indicator  REIL=Runway End Identifier Lights

APRONS

Aprons are areas used for parking, loading, maneuvering, and fueling aircraft.

The eastern side of the apron area is used primarily for fueling or for short term parking. The area is directly west of the pilot’s lounge. The area along the western edge of the apron in between the old pavement and the BLM area is used for general aviation parking, both long term and short term. During heavy fire seasons, an occasional BLM aircraft may use this apron area.

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The apron area located west of the terminal building was used by airlines for enplaning and deplaning passengers and baggage.

The southwestern portion of the apron is used primarily by BLM for loading and unloading of aircraft during the summer months/fire season.

There are two concrete pavement areas in the apron. One is for helicopter parking, the other for fueling. The helicopter parking concrete pad is located in south edge of the old apron area. The concrete fueling pad is located in the center of the fueling/short term parking pad.

HANGARS

The airport owns nine hangars. There is also one privately owned hangar at MLS. EXHIBIT 2-2, near the end of the chapter, displays locations of the hangars.

LANDSIDE FACILITIES

Landside facilities consist of areas of Frank Wiley Field that are necessary for movement of passengers and automobiles. Examples of these facilities include passenger terminal building, public parking lots, and access roads. Each of these facilities is discussed below. Frank Wiley Field’s major landside facilities are shown in EXHIBIT 2-1.

PASSENGER TERMINAL BUILDING

The passenger terminal is located on the north east side of the Apron area. The passenger terminal is estimated to have been built in the 1950’s.

Public parking is located on the south side of the terminal building. The parking is located so that general aviation, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the airline passengers all use the same parking area.

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The terminal building was constructed before the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) so it does not have the proper floor plan and amenities needed to comply with these regulations.

PUBLIC ACCESS AND PARKING

The terminal area is accessed by a road that connects the parking lot to Montana State Highway 22.

The parking facility is paved. Vehicles primarily park along the building and fence line; approximately 14 to 16 cars can utilize the parking in this type of layout. The parking lot is roughly 115 feet wide by 150 feet long.

Public transportation within Miles City includes limousine, taxi, and rental car service.

OTHER FACILITIES

AIRPORT SUPPORT The airport support facilities includes ARFF (Airport Rescue Fire Fighting) and snow removal equipment, along with the buildings they are stored in.

ARFF FAR Part 139 specifies minimum ARFF equipment and required quantities of fire suppressing agents, based on an index determined by length and frequency of daily departures of air carrier aircraft. Miles City was considered a Class III airport when it received scheduled commercial air service.

In 2007, MLS acquired an ARFF truck built by Rosenbauer Firefighting Technology built on a Ford F-550 chassis.

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Snow Removal and Maintenance The airport has the following snow removal equipment:

 2011 Freightliner Dump Truck with a 12-foot reversible plow  2005 John Deer 944 Articulated Tractor with Snow Box and Bucket  1977 Jeep CJ5  1978 Unimog 4x4 with an 11 ft. reversible plow  1978 Ford L9000 Snow Plow  1978 Snow-Go Snow Blower  544J John Deere Front Loader

The snow removal equipment (SRE) is located in Building 7, along with other maintenance equipment. This building can be heated in the winter. Maintenance costs can be lowered and service life of equipment can be increased when the SRE equipment is housed in a building.

FUEL All fueling systems at Frank Wiley Field are owned and operated by the airport. The fuel available currently includes 100LL (low-lead) and Jet A fuel.

The airport has two bulk fuel tanks. One of the bulk fuel tanks holds 12,000 gallons of Jet A, and the other holds 12,000 gallons of Avgas. The fuel tanks are above ground, and are located in a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) lined containment berm. The tanks and their containment systems meet the requirements for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

A 2,000 gallon above-ground tank on the northwest edge of the apron provides 24-hour access to 100LL fuel. The airport also has 100LL and Jet A fuel trucks.

WILDLIFE FENCE A wildlife fence surrounds the entire airport with gates located periodically. The fence has 8 foot of fabric and an additional 1 foot of barbed wire (3 strands).

FIXED BASE OPERATOR SERVICES A FBO (Fixed Base Operator) is typically a separate business on the airport which provides services to pilots and aircraft owners on the airport. Examples of services that FBOs provide include:

 Aircraft Fuel and Oil Service  Aircraft Charter and Air Taxi

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 Flight Training  Aircraft Storage  Aircraft Airframe and Engine Maintenance  Aerial Application  Car Rental  Aircraft Sales

Currently, there are no FBOs at the airport. At MLS, the airport provides catering, courtesy transportation, courtesy cars, public telephone, and fueling (Jet A and 100 LL Avgas).

The person in charge of FBO type operations also serves as the airport manager. In addition to the services mentioned above that are typical of a FBO, the airport manager is responsible for providing management services, snow removal, and keeping track of airport leases and rental agreements. The airport manager and/or city police have the authority to enforce all airport rules and regulations.

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), an agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior, operates out of MLS to aid in federal land resource management. With the Eastern MT/DAK District (EMDD) BLM office being located in Miles City, aviation operations can be year round but typically occur between May and October with the majority of activities being interagency fire suppression. The BLM has a long history of tenancy at MLS with records indicating nearly 50 years of tenancy back to the mid 1960’s.

Aircraft As an agency, the BLM contracts most aircraft it utilizes. Currently, the BLM has a 90-day exclusive-use contract for one (1) light helicopter (i.e. Bell 206L3/4) and a 60- day exclusive-use contract for two (2) single engine air tankers (i.e. Air Tractor 802). These single engine aircraft utilize MLS as a designated base and are limited to Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and daylight hours of operation. Takeoff rolling weights of a fully loaded AT802 with 800 gallons of retardant can reach a maximum gross weight of 18,000 lbs.

Montana BLM also contracts an exclusive-use twin engine air attack platform (i.e. Aero Commander 500 series) which spends a majority of time during a busy fire season at MLS. This twin engine aircraft is IFR rated and night operations are permissible.

Co-operators The EMDD will often host 8-16 regional smokejumpers for fire initial attack when area fuels dictate a high likelihood of fire starts and rapid growth potential. Their aircraft are larger twin engine fixed wing platforms (i.e. Dornier, Casa, Sherpa, etc.). Smokejumpers visiting MLS are typically USDA-Forest Service employees stationed at West Yellowstone or Missoula. In addition, the MT State Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) will also integrate a medium helicopter from their fleet

15 | Facilities Inventory into the mix of fire aircraft based at Miles City. Large incidents requiring Interagency Incident Management Teams (IMT) will also bring in aircraft to support their activities. Rural and county fire departments have realized significant benefits from having BLM aviation assets available to assist.

Activity Depending on the severity of fire activity in the area, the number of additional “on-call” support aircraft to be staged at the Miles City airport can swell significantly for weeks or even months. For example, in 2006 the BLM coordinated interagency fire aircraft that reached a daily peak of 34 aircraft within the EMDD. During long periods of drought and extreme fire conditions, the total of fire fixed and rotor wing aircraft working on or adjacent to the ramp at MLS has reached a peak of 25 aircraft at one time. During these situations, a mobile FAA air traffic control tower has been brought in to coordinate the activity in the interest of safety. Agency and vendor support staff fluctuate to match activity levels, with numbers ranging between 15 to near 100 during peak activity. There are no aviation personnel staffing leased MLS facilities during winter months. Record peak retardant usage on the EMDD is 325,000 gallons with just over 200,000 of that being flown out of MLS. Retardant use records indicate a 10 year annual average of 118,000 gallons of retardant flown on district each year.

When activity levels are high and aircraft numbers swell into the dozens, impacts can be significant to local community businesses. Aviation support personnel utilize per diem to cover motel and meal expenses. Aviation support vehicles require fuel and servicing. Contracted aircraft vendors purchase aircraft fuel almost exclusively from MLS airport. For example, in 2012 aviation related support expenditures conservatively brought over $250,000 to MLS and local Miles City businesses.

Facilities The BLM occupies and/or stores equipment in the following 5 facilities year round:

 AIRCRAFT HANGAR #9: 10,000 square feet, federal gov’t built, airport owned, unheated structure; hangar leased for equipment storage & aircraft storm protection (address = 100 Frank Wiley Field);

 FSS BUILDING: 2,253 square foot Office Building, formerly a Flight Service Station building, heated, airport owned, utilized as a fixed wing airbase office (address = 66 Frank Wiley Field).

 SURFACE LAND: 11,250 square feet, to place a BLM owned Retardant Reloading Area (90’ x 125’ Pit); airport land leased for SEAT aircraft retardant reloading; area includes 2 each 12,000 gallon fiberglass water tanks, one 12,000 gallon steel retardant bulk storage tank, and 2 each 1,000 gallon retardant mix tanks. Retardant reloading operations are on the south west corner of the general aviation ramp and placed within a federal gov’t built large concrete mishap containment berm. Also on site is a large metal connex shipping container used for storage of pumps, hoses, etc. (address is approximately 86 Frank Wiley Field);

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 SURFACE LAND: 1,152 square feet, to place a BLM owned office structure (14’ x 64’ heated office trailer, 18’ x 64’ with ADA access ramps); airport land leased for helicopter crew offices and pilot standby;

 SURFACE LAND: 1,260 square feet, to place a BLM owned office structure (14’ x 70’ unheated office trailer, 18’ x 70’ with ADA access ramps); airport land leased for smokejumper offices and pilot standby.

The BLM maintains a multi-year lease with the Miles City Airport Commission for the facilities they occupy at MLS. All of the buildings the BLM leases were either purchased and brought in or previously built by the federal government at no cost to MLS.

Improvements Because the BLM is a federal government agency, any upgrades of the BLM leased facilities or apron areas utilized by the BLM is not eligible for Federal Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funding. The cost for improving these items would have to be covered by funds other than AIP. The BLM has made several improvements to the leased facilities at their own expense. The BLM does not have any plans for future growth or improvements at this time.

COMMUNICATIONS & NAVIGATIONAL AIDS

COMMUNICATIONS

Frank Wiley Field has a common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) and local advisory frequency (UNICOM) of 123.0 MHz. Pilots, equipment, and vehicle operators use CTAF/UNICOM to advise each other of their movements on and around the airport. UNICOM is an information service for pilots to advise pilots of fueling and other airport services.

An Automated Surface Observation System (ASOS) provides on-site weather information. The ASOS system was commissioned in September of 2002. The system can be accessed by frequency 135.575 MHz or by telephone at 406-232-1465. This system is entirely automatic and provides current wind direction and velocity, visibility, cloud clearances, sky condition, temperature, dew point, and barometric pressure.

Miles City does not have its own flight service station (FSS); pilots use 1-800-WX-BRIEF, which will connect a pilot to one of many FSS facilities across the United States. FSS provides information on weather, airport conditions, radio aids and other facilities, and processes flight plans. Salt Lake City Center Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) provides air traffic control services for aircraft in the Miles City area operating on an instrument flight plan. TABLE 2-3 represents a summary of

communication data.

The airport is in the process of installing an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) ground station. ADS-B is the FAA's satellite-based successor to radar. ADS-B makes use of GPS technology to determine and share precise aircraft location information, and streams additional flight information to the cockpits of properly equipped aircraft.1

1 http://www.faa.gov/nextgen/implementation/programs/adsb/

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Table 2-3: Communication Data

Type of Communication Device Frequency (Mhz) Comments CTAF/UNICOM 123.0 — Great Falls FSS 122.2 TF 1-800-WX-BRIEF Salt Lake Center ARTCC 126.85 — Radio Aids to Navigation (H) VORTAC 112.1 Channel 058X Weather Communications ASOS 135.575 — CTAF = Common Traffic Advisory Frequency VOR = VHF Omni-Directional Radio Range UNICOM = Local Airport Advisory Frequency VORTAC = VOR and TACAN (co-located) FSS = Flight Service Station (H) = High Altitude Classification for VORTAC ASOS = Automated Surface Observing System

NAVIGATIONAL AIDS

Navigational aids (NAVAID) are any visual or electronic device airborne or on the ground that provide point-to-point guidance information or position data to aircraft in flight.

ELECTRONIC AIDS Ground-based electronic NAVAIDs located on or near Frank Wiley Field and airborne devices used to develop instrument approaches include:

 VOR, VHF Omni-Directional Range (VOR)  Global Positioning System (GPS)  Area Navigation (RNAV)

Characteristics of the different types of approaches are summarized in TABLE 2-4.

VOR and RNAV equipment are owned and operated by the FAA, while satellites used for GPS are owned and operated by the Federal Government’s Department of Defense. Changes in an airport’s facilities that require relocation or other modification of these facilities require FAA coordination, a process which may take as long as two years to program and execute. Each of these types of NAVAIDs is explained in following paragraphs. EXHIBITS 2-3 through 2-6, at the end of the chapter, show different approach procedures available for Frank Wiley Field.

VOR is located on the airport and transmits signals that provide course navigation. VOR is strictly a line of sight NAVAID and reception of a reliable signal is a function of distance from and altitude above the airport facility’s transmitter.

GPS was developed by the Department of Defense and is a worldwide, satellite-based radionavigation system. A major advantage GPS provides over other navigational aids is that it is unaffected by weather and can therefore provide highly accurate position, velocity, and time information on a continuous basis. It also provides information to an unlimited number of users. GPS receiver translates signals into three dimensional position, velocity, and time by automatically selecting signals from satellites in view.

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Table 2-4: Existing Approach Information

Straight In Min. Decision Decision Height Visibility Approach Approach to Altitude (Feet (Feet Above Minimums Procedure Type Runway Above Sea Level) Threshold) (Statute Miles) RNAV (GPS)* Runway 4 2,879 250 1

RNAV (GPS)* Runway 22 2,876 250 7/8

VOR/DME Runway 4 3,060 431 1

VOR/DME Runway 22 3,020 392 1

* Minimum are only achieved if the aircraft has the needed GPS technology to use the LPV approach.

Area Navigation (RNAV) equipment can compute the airplane position, actual track and ground speed, and translate it for the pilot to provide meaningful information relative to a route of flight selected by the pilot. Typical RNAV equipment will provide distance, time, bearing, and cross track error relative to the selected waypoint and selected route. Various forms of RNAV equipment can include inertial navigational system (INS), long-range aid to navigation (LORAN), VHF Omnidirectional Range/Distance Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME), and GPS.

VOR/DME is a “VOR referenced” system that incorporates distance measuring equipment (DME); VOR referenced systems represent the greatest number of RNAV units in use.

VISUAL AIDS The location of the following visual aids are shown on EXHIBIT 2-1 and EXHIBIT 2-2.

Rotating Beacon A rotating beacon mounted on a tower is located south of the parking lot area east of the electrical vault. The beacon provides pilots with a visual method of identifying Frank Wiley Field after dark or during periods of low visibility.

Visual Glide Slope Indicators Runway 4 -22 and Runway 12-30 approaches are supported by two-box Precision Approach Path Indicators (PAPI). The PAPIs provide visual cues to pilots of the appropriate glide path to the runway. Red lights indicate if the aircraft is too low, white lights if the aircraft is too high, while equal red and white lights signify the proper glide path.

Wind cones & Segmented Circles Wind cones and a segmented circle are located at MLS. These items assist pilots in determining wind direction and speed.

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EXHIBIT 2-1

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EXHIBIT 2-2

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EXHIBIT 2-3

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EXHIBIT 2-4

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EXHIBIT 2-5

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EXHIBIT 2-6

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