Calpilots Board Contact List 10 Safety Standards
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July/August 2011 Inside this issue: Serving Pilots Of California With Pride Presidents Corner 2 Hawthorne Airport and LAX in Safety Review Wind Turbines 2 FAA rule hurts Hawthorne air- ing into neighboring Los Ange- local aviation experts believe Test Show That Proposed 3 port's business - Aircraft traffic at les International Airport. the FAA has created a more 4G-LTE-satellite Network Hawthorne Municipal Airport has dangerous situation. SB619 Moves Forward 5 dropped off this year, but not Pilots trying to land at Haw- because of the poor economy or thorne's Jack Northrop Field lack of interest from pilots. since September have either "People are flying from across Update at Whiteman Airport 5 been diverted to other nearby the country, and they are get- Business at the airport was grow- airports or told to fly in circles ting a few miles away when Cessna AD Seat Rails 6 ing steadily after years of severe when air traffic at LAX is they are told: `You can't get recession-related setbacks - until heavy. in,' and they aren't given a GA leaders seek relief 6 last fall, when Federal Aviation reason," said Levi Stockton, Administration officials changed As a result, Hawthorne airport owner of Advanced Air charter CalPilots Board Contact List 10 safety standards. businesses report that they service at the airport. "It's cre- are losing tens of thousands of ated a very dangerous situa- California Pilot PAC 11 The change made it difficult for dollars a month in fuel reve- tion." planes to fly into Hawthorne at nue, hangar rentals and other the same time as flights are com- service fees. Further, some See WHP Continued on page 4) Follow-up to Byron Airport (Mariposa Energy Power Plant) Follow-up to CALPILOTS received California Energy sistent with FAA requirements, as May / June 2011News letter Commission (Energy Commis- expressed in the following docu- on Byron Airport (Mariposa sion) staff approval for the CALPILOTS ments: Energy Power Plant) preconstruction conditions of • FAA Advisory Circular 70/7460- Further details can be found certification that are required 1K Supporting and Serving in CALPILOTS May June news- prior to the start of construc- • FAA Safety Alert for Operators Aviation Statewide letter tion for the power plant and (SAFO) 09007. We are a non-profit public On May 18, 2011 the Califor- related facilities. Construction Permanent lighting consistent with benefit California Corpora- nia Energy Commission Pre- may commence immediately. all requirements shall be installed tion formed in 1949 and a siding Members voted Unani- Pilots should be aware of the Federal 501(c)(3). and activated within 5 days of mously to approve the Mari- mitigating issues that will apply You can help to get the completion of construction and posa Energy Power Plant to the Byron Airport and air- message out by joining us. prior to the start of plant opera- (MEP). In a letter dated June space. After all, if not you, who tion. Lighting shall be operational 8, 2011 by the CEC Certifica- TRANS-7 Obstruction Mark- will protect your airport? 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for tion Compliance officer the ing and Lighting the life of project operation. Up- Mariposa Energy Project (09- The project owner shall install grades to the required lighting AFC-3C) has completed all obstruction marking and light- See Byron Continued on page 9) necessary submittals and ing on the exhaust stacks, con- www.calpilots.org V OLUNTEERS P ROMOTING - P RESERVIN G AND P ROTECTING C ALIFORNIA’ S A IRPORTS Presidents Corner by Ed Rosiak Let’s be Friends Coming soon, members will is happening in our state simply be able to opt to receive our by “Friending” us. And that is The California Pilots Association newsletter electronically, or what we are asking you to do. has been working hard to in- sign up for a summary elec- It’s easy and it helps us reach crease our communications ca- tronic edition. We have many other aviation interested pabilities. 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You can also comment on articles. however, already follow what Wind Turbines A Threat to General Aviation Airports At the November 2010 CalPi- hour. The Department of airport land use commissions lots Annual Meeting, Mr. Bill Energy's Wind Program and are loathe to permit incompati- “However, construction of Dunn, Vice President of Air- the National Renewable En- ble land uses in in areas sur- rounding general aviation air- ports, Aircraft Owners and ergy Laboratory (NREL) pub- large “wind farms” next to ports when that use involves Pilots Association (AOPA) lished a new wind resource habitable structures. However general aviation airports as opined that going forward, map for the state of Califor- the question of whether such “wind turbines” would repre- nia (DOE California Wind uses as solar reflector farms, a matter of public policy sent one of the most difficult Map). Areas with annual small “peaker” power plants, or wind turbine farms are incom- would have immediate and issues that airport advocacy average wind speeds around patible land uses is becoming a groups would grapple with. 6.5 m/s and turbines greater matter of great public debate. obvious deleterious effects Let’s take a minute to explore at 80-m height are generally The development of clean ener- a development in southern considered to have suitable gy in prime wind energy re- upon the future use of a California general aviation wind resource for wind de- gions such as Tehachapi re- quires a balancing act between given airport.” that may very well become velopment. The Tehachapi the demand for clean energy the “signature” threat to gen- Wind Resource area’s aver- and the prevention of hazards eral aviation airports in many age wind speeds are 9.5- to air navigation. New and parts of the country. 10.0 m/s. replacement turbines are nearly The Tehachapi- However, construc- 500 feet tall. On the one hand Governor Arnold Schwarzeneg- Mojave Wind Resource Area tion of large “wind farms” ger set as a goal the generation situated next to the city of next to general aviation air- ports as a matter of public of one-third of California’s ener- Mojave and just west of Ed- policy would have immediate gy from renewable resources wards Air Force Base, is con- and obvious deleterious ef- by 2020. On the other hand sidered one of the premier fects upon the future use of energy companies stepping up places in the nation for wind a given airport. More than to the plate find themselves Mountain Valley Airport (FAA hemmed in by competing de- power since it is one of the ever, the land surrounding LID: L94) is a VFR airport used America’s general aviation mands for airspace from the for glider operations and training windiest places in the world. airports is attractive to ener- Edwards Air Force Base R-2508 located in Tehachapi, California. Average wind speeds ap- gy developers. Historically, See Wind Turbines' (Continued on page 7) proach nearly 20 miles per Airport Advocate Page 2 Test Show That Proposed 4G-LTE-satellite Network Interferes with GPS Devices A new set of government tests (elevation) would be unavailable work and possible solutions. showed that LightSquared's over a large radius of metro The agencies are worried the proposed mobile broadband (areas)" for aircraft. network will knock out GPS network disrupted the signal systems in aircraft, next- strength to all GPS devices in LightSquared's airwaves are lo- generation air traffic control “Mr. Bunce, speaking the test area, dealing another cated close to the airwaves used systems and military equip- at a federal setback to the company's by GPS receivers, which can be ment. government advisory startup plans. overpowered by the wireless start-up's signals. LightSquared officials group hearing While all global-positioning sys- acknowledge their proposed Thursday, said some tem devices tested were affect- "It will cause interference. It will system could knock out some devices lost signal ed, the severity of the loss of cause devastating interference," GPS devices. But they say add- strength while others service varied, said Deane said James Kirkland, vice presi- ing filters to antennas and oth- Bunce, co-chair of the National dent and general counsel of were knocked out er technological solutions are PNT Engineering Forum, a fed- Trimble Navigation Ltd., a GPS possible, such as using just completely. For eral advisory group of engineers maker. "There is not a solution part of their airwaves. "We example, the that oversaw the government here. In our view it's time to believe we can deploy in a way government tests tests. Mr. Bunce, speaking at a stop squandering resources on where we can co-exist" with found that General federal government advisory this and find alternative spec- GPS users, said Jeffrey Carlisle, group hearing Thursday, said trum for them." LightSquared's executive vice Motors Co.'s OnStar some devices lost signal president of regulatory affairs system saw a strength while others were LightSquared is funded largely and public policy Thursday.