A Message From

Kevin Haggerty
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Kevin Haggerty
FAA, Obstruction Evaluation Services Manager

The theme for this year’s conference is “Managing the Competing Demands within the National Airspace System”. The theme highlights the challenging mission employees of the Obstruction Evaluation Service (OES) perform every day measuring and managing the demands placed on one of our nation’s diminishing natural resources – airspace. The theme also highlights the many stakeholders who need to coexist with aviation while executing their mission.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is anticipating bringing together, for the first time, all of the stakeholders who share an interest in airspace.

The goal of this conference is to provide a clear understanding of the National Airspace System (NAS), how this resource is being diminished, and how the FAA can fairly and accurately understand, consider, and measure the public’s interest, both on the ground and in the air, while conducting aeronautical studies.

The conference is appropriately being held in the City of Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS), one of six airports owned and operated by the Clark County Board of Commissioners, is the seventh busiest airport in the United States and the eleventh busiest in the world. The FAA predicts that LAS will reach its maximum operational capacity by 2018 or 2019. Airport expansion is impossible at LAS because the airport is being encroached by a thriving business district. Legal challenges, and flourishing housing developments that severely constrain and slowly diminish the areas usable navigable airspace.

Unfortunately, airport encroachment and the loss of navigable airspace are a growing trend and a serious concern for the FAA throughout the entire country. Airport Managers in New York, Boston, Miami, Phoenix, Washington D.C., Chicago, and San Diego – to name a few – are experiencing similar problems.

To further compound the problem, rising energy costs and the loss of preferable flight profiles (One Engine Inoperative) around the nation’s busiest airports are threatening the commercial airline industries ability to operate efficiently and profitably.

Rising energy costs has also necessitated the construction of Wind Turbines throughout the country. While wind energy enjoys the enthusiastic support of most Americans and are represented effectively by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), wind turbines and wind energy farms can have detrimental affects on aviation.

Wind turbines encroach in vast amounts of airspace used by the General Aviation community represented by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and the operations and training areas of our Military branches. To Radar, a wind turbine is seen as a moving target, like an airplane, and the Radar return can cause clutter on the screens used by Air Traffic Controllers to ensure aircraft identification and separation.

Furthermore, in their role of identifying and intercepting unidentified intruders into America’s airspace, the Department of Homeland Security and various Military units must contend with the loss of Radar coverage that could threaten the security of all Americans.

Another threat to the NAS is broadcast towers. The FAA has enjoyed a productive and proactive association with the Personal Communications Industry Association (PCIA) who represent the interests of communication tower erectors and wireless communication companies. Towers and specific broadcasting frequencies can also interfere with Air Traffic Control ground-to-air communications and encroach and diminish the surrounding airspace.

The expansion of American Cities into the NAS and the need for temporary construction machinery such as cranes to erect or repair buildings continually threaten aeronautical activity. Building developers and community planners need to be aware of the airspace use before the start of construction. Many buildings are denied a favorable FAA Determination because they are unaware of the needs of the flying community. This situation must improve so that the economic impact to our cities is not unduly affected.

The NAS has other users who have no voice of their own. Migratory birds are threatened by aircraft, towers, buildings, and wind turbines. Advocates such as the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, the American Bird Conservatory, and the Defenders for Wildlife work with the FAA to mitigate avian mortality rates.

Ironically, the FAA’s mission to increase the awareness and conspicuity to pilots of objects in the NAS by various Marking and Lighting techniques may be a contributing factor attracting migratory birds to such hazards. This conference will address the many activities and new technological improvements in this area.

These issues, considered in total, describe a serious threat to the aviation industry, the safety of the flying public, and the various users of the NAS. Fortunately, the FAA is not alone in ensuring that safety is ensured and that the competing interests in the NAS is accurately measured, studied, mitigated, and enforced.

The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) regulates and ensures that the communication industry complies with all FAA Marking and Lighting regulations. The FCC also assists the FAA, State and local authorities, Native American Associations, and wildlife advocates in attempting to reduce avian mortality rates.

The Department of Energy (DoE) works to assist wind energy companies in locating appropriate sites that will not conflict and diminish the NAS. The DoE also assists the FAA in identifying, researching, and facilitating mitigating solutions that allow wind turbines and aviation can coexist in shared airspace.

The Department of Defense (DoD) is an equal partner with the FAA is adjudicating each aeronautical study in an attempt to protect the interests of the Nations defense mission.

The DoD is also proactive with working with State and Local Zoning authorities in identifying and appropriating proper restrictions on land use around Military airports.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) assists the FAA in identifying the areas where their mission is threatened and by working to find mitigating solutions whereby the interests of those on the ground do not interfere with those in the air.

Many members of Congress, the White House, and various governmental agencies monitor the FAA’s role in issuing Aeronautical Determinations and offer solutions by facilitating productive dialog between the competing parties where easy solutions are not apparent, obvious, or possible and enacting legislation where needed.

State Aviation Authorities represented by the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) advocates on the behalf of the aviation community to research, develop, and pass National and State laws that assist in preserving and protecting each State’s aviation infrastructure investments in the NAS.

Local Airport Authorities, who manage the most important assets in the NAS, and are represented by many associations including the Airports Council International (ACI), work closely with Municipal Zoning Authorities, State Governments, international organizations such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the International Air Transport Association (IATA), and the various airline representatives such as the Air Transport Association (ATA), and the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), serve in developing appropriate land use agreements to ensure that their airport and our Nation’s Aviation infrastructure remains the single most important economic engine and the safest aviation system in the world.

Lastly, but certainly not least, pilots and aviation enthusiasts represented by such groups as the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), the Helicopter Association International (HCI), the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), and the Light Aircraft Association (LAA) assist in identifying and expressing pilots concerns and solutions to the FAA on issues pertaining to the competing interests in the NAS and the reduction in navigable airspace.

The need for this conference and the importance of your attendance is warranted due to the fact that with all the above-mentioned activities by the many representatives seeking their share of the airspace pie – the NAS is shrinking and the interests of builders and cities are burdened and sometimes denied access in the form of a favorable FAA Aeronautical Determination.

This is also happening while the FAA is designing and investing public funds for the Next-Generation Air Traffic System.

Your help is needed and your attendance is requested to participate in this conference to ensure that your interests are clearly understood and considered by all stakeholders in the NAS.