-op" is \ WISCONSIN 00/ H NAVIGATIONAL AIDS SYSTEM PLAN: 2000 I; a ! ii! Mil .1 ! 3 I NOVEMBER 1990 WlSCONSlN DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATlON The preparation of this document was financed in part through a grant from the Federal Aviation Administration under the Air port lmprovement Program as provided in the Airport and Air ways lmprovement Act of 1981 , as amended. Author: Steven R. Coons, WisDOT Division of Planning and Budget Production Editors: Barbara K. Roe, WisDOT Office of Public Affairs James G. Kraft, WisDOT Graphics - Audio/Visual Technical Committee: Tomas Thomas.WisDOT Bureau of Aeronautics Daniel Finkelmeyer, WisDOT Bureau of Aeronautics Mark Pfundheller, WisDOT Bureau of Aeronautics Keith Richardson, WisDOT Bureau of Aeronautics Douglas Dalton, Bureau of System Planning Franco Marcos, Bureau of System Planning WISCONSIN NAVIGATIONAL AIDS SYSTEM PLAN: 2000 WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NOVEMBER 1990 Table of Contents Page Executive Summary l Introduction 1 Section 1 - Technology Evaluation 3 Navigational Aids 3 Visual Landing Aids 5 The Future of Aeronautical Navigational Aids 7 Section 2 - Existing System of Navigational and Visual Landing Aids in Wisconsin 12 Section 3 - Planning Criteria and Recommendations 30 Planning Criteria 30 Recommendations 32 Section 4 - Financing and Prioritizing Recommended lmprovements 48 Recommended NAVAlD lmprovement Costs and Funding Sources 48 Appendix A - List of Acronyms 55 Appendix B - The Wisconsin AWOS System Plan: Benefits, Criteria and Prioritizations 56 Appendix C - Selected References 61 Executive Summary Benefits of Aviation Airports, aviation and industries associated with aviation have a profound effect on the economic health and development of communities throughout the state. Aviation enhances the quality of life in Wisconsin by providing access to all parts of the world. Close proximity to airports increases business opportunities within the state by permitting efficient, cost-effective travel for business, passengers and freight. Aviation contributes to the overall economic vitality of Wisconsin by generating an estimated $1 billion of economic activity annually. Cities and counties benefit directly and indirectly from air transportation through jobs, tourism dollars and the relocation or growth of small and medium-sized industries which rely on con venient, all weather access to airways for business and to serve distant markets. Aviation also supports agricultural production, emergency health services, fire fighting and recreation. An accessible and efficient air transportation system greatly improves the competitive posture of Wisconsin business. Purpose of the Plan Whether it be by commercial or general aviation, access to air transportation plays an increas ingly vital role in the conduct of day-to-day business throughout the state. During periods of low clouds and reduced visibility, an airport can only be used with the aid of instruments which allow flight through the poor weather conditions. By using instrument flight rules (lFR) a pilot can fly an aircraft safely when ceiling and visibility limits do not allow flight by visual means. This enables the pilot to descend to minimum safe altitudes and allows the pilot to see the run way and land safely. The precision of the navigational landing aids (NAVAlDS), both in the cockpit and on the ground, determines the minimum altitude and visibility a pilot can safely en counter and still see the runway to land. The higher these minimums, the more frequently a given airport cannot be used during periods of adverse weather conditions. The pilot must then seek an alternative airport. Limit ing the number of times an airport is not usable and reducing the diversion of trips to more dis tant airports under extreme weather conditions increases an airport's utility to the business community, as well as other users. Consequently, the local airport becomes a greater economic asset to the community and the entire state. The primary purpose of the Wisconsin Navigational Aids System Plan: 2000 is to establish a statewide system plan to provide continuous, all-weather access to communities throughout the state. The plan establishes a system of enroute and terminal navigational landing aids to meet the needs of the users of the Wisconsin aviation system through the year 2000 and beyond. l Plan Objectives and Criteria The primary goal of this plan, to provide continuous all-weather access to communities throughout the state, is achieved through the following objectives and sets of criteria: + 1 ) Establish precision instrument approaches to all State Airport System Plan (SASP) airports classified as Commercial Service, Transport, and Reliever, as well as Utility airports with annual instrument approaches of 500 or more by the year 2000. 2) Establish nonprecision instrument approaches to ALL other SASP airports through the use of LORAN-C or other means to meet the nonprecision instrument approach objectives and criteria as outlined in the table below. Where warranted, planned AWOS facilities and new local altimeter installations are recommended as methods to further reduce minimums in each nonprecision objective category. The plan defines instrument approach capability objectives and forecasted annual instrument approach thresholds which are used to evaluate Wisconsin SASP airports for NAVAlD im provements. The following table presents the plan's three instrument approach capability objectives in terms of a desired minimum descent altitude (MDA) in feet above the runway and visibility in statute miles. The defined objectives for this plan are: 1) Precision, 200' MDA and 1/2 mile visibility; 2) Nonprecision, 500' MDA and 1 mile visibility; and 3) Nonprecision, 700' MDA and 1 mile visibility. Instrument Approach Capability Objectives (Year 2000 AIA) AlRPORT CLASSlFlCATlON OBJECTlVE lNSTRUMENT APPROACH CAPABlLlTY Commercial Service Transport Precision Reliever 200' - 1/2 Mile Utility (AlA>500) Nonprecision Utility (250< AlA <500) 500' - 1 Mile Nonprecision Utility ((X AlA <250) 700' - 1 Mile AlA = Annual lnstrument Approaches ll Forecasted annual instrument approach (AlA) thresholds were established for all Utility air ports to correspond to each instrument approach capability objective. The three AlA thresholds are based on the distribution of forecasted annual instrument approaches within each airport classification. The combination of forecasted annual instrument approaches for the year 2000 and the SASP recommended short range classification form the basis for the identification of an instrument approach capability objective for each of the 98 existing system plan airports. Wisconsin SASP airports may qualify for the next higher instrument approach capability objec tive if the required annual instrument approaches can be documented by the airport sponsor. Recommendations The plan recommendations for new or improved instrument approach procedures (lAP) at each SASP airport are based on a review of each airport's present best instrument approach procedure (lAP with the lowest minimums) as compared to the instrument approach capability objective defined for that category of airport. Wisconsin SASP airports classified as Commercial Service, Transport, and Reliever were evaluated for a full precision, Category 1 lnstrument Landing System (lLS). This navigational landing aid provides a precision instrument approach for use when ceilings are as low as 200 feet and visibility is reduced to 1/2 mile. Also included in this evaluation were Utility airports with forecasted annual instrument approaches of 500 or more by the year 2000. The plan recommends seven new complete Category 1 lLS installations in this group. ln addition, three other SASP airports (Timmerman, Waukesha, and Wisconsin Rapids) are recom mended for an upgrade to a Category 1 lLS with the installation of a glide slope and approach lighting system. Siting constraints precluded the installation of a Category 1 lLS at seven air ports in the Precision, 200'- 1/2 mile dbjective category. However, minimums were reduced at these seven airports through the recommendation of other nonprecision navigation landing aid improvements. All other SASP airports classified as Utility airports with forecasted annual instrument ap proaches less than 500 were evaluated for a nonprecision, LORAN-C instrument approach procedure. The plan recommends LORAN-C instrument approaches at 51 airports in the Non- precision, 500'- 1 mile and 700'- 1 mile objective categories. This provides all Wisconsin SASP airports with a published instrument approach procedure. A local altimeter installation is recommended at 21 airports in the two nonprecision categories to help achieve the desired minimums. Overall, the existing instrument approach procedure meets the instrument approach capability objective of the plan at 26 SASP airports. A new or improved instrument approach procedure is recommended at a total of 72 SASP airports. The combined system of existing and recom mended navigational landing aids is shown on the following map. lll The Department of Transportation will continue its commitment to maintain and replace exist ing NAVAlDS at Wisconsin SASP airports. The Department will also continue to review spon sor requests for NDB facilities until the FAA's LORAN-C program is fully operational. Existing and Recommended Navigational Aids Serving Wisconsin (2000) MINNEAPOLIS' ^ ST. PAUL A ■ LEGEND EXISTING REC OMMENDED ♦ LS o ■ LOC (SDF) a RNAV * VOR/DME • VOR o • • NDB LORAN-C 0 LOCAL ALTIMETER