'Stop Light' Web Site Shows Where It's Safe To Erect Wind
Turbines
The FAA says it is making sure the
nation's airspace is preserved and protected, amidst competing
demands to use this precious resource.
"It seems everybody wants a piece of the sky," the agency
writes. "Commercial airlines and general aviation pilots need to
fly. Communities need to build bigger buildings as part of their
growth plans. The communications industry has to erect towers. High
fuel prices mean more interest in wind turbines for energy.
"To ensure this airspace is not eaten away, the FAA is stepping
up cooperative efforts to manage these competing demands for the
skies."
Safety is a priority, so the FAA makes sure that development
must not encumber navigable airspace and navigation and
communication facilities. But to ensure interested parties
understand the use of airspace, the FAA is developing a more
transparent information system.
Unlike land-based modes of transportation, in which miles of
highway or railroad track can be easily tallied, airspace is more
difficult to quantify. "The people who put up buildings, towers and
wind turbines sometimes don’t understand what’s going
on in the sky. They just see planes flying in one direction or
another -- and a lot of empty sky in which to build," the agency
notes.
So to help the public understand how the airspace is structured,
and to let them know what is needed to keep it safe and
unencumbered, the FAA is sharing information electronically. It is
also encouraging the use of a common operating system for people
who use the national airspace system, both on the ground and in the
air.
Such transparency helps project planners, who from the outset
have an understanding of where and how high a building can go, for
example.
The FAA is also increasing collaboration to prevent problems
before they happen. For example, the FAA has worked with Homeland
Security and the Department of Defense to establish a Web site with
a "stop light" system for people wanting to erect wind
turbines.
Builders put in their location and if they are in a "green" area
they won’t affect radar at all. Coordinates showing a
"yellow" light mean radar might be affected, but mitigating
solutions could exist. A "red" light indicates radar operation will
certainly be affected.
As part of this increased collaboration, the FAA is hosting a
conference September 29 to October 2 in Las Vegas, NV. Competition
for the Sky 2008 will bring together federal, state and local
authorities, and commercial and private airspace users, to provide
insight and guidance on airspace operations and requirements.