Combining Mixed-Use Flight Operations Safely at Airports (2016)

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3 Airports are physical facilities that accommodate a number of different aeronautical activities. Gliders, helicopters, ultralight vehicles, balloons, blimps, parachutes, aerial applications for agriculture and firefighting, banner towing, aerobatic practice, and other similar flight operations are examples of aeronautical activities that occur on airports. Some airports allow remotely controlled model aircraft, which is not considered to be an aeronautical activity by the FAA. The advancement and utilization of unmanned aerial systems (UASs) are placing new demands on airports and surrounding airspace. The various types of aeronautical activities can create competing demands for airspace and air- port real estate. Some airport operators address the competing demands well, whereas other operators seek to limit or deny particular activities. If an airport has received federal or state financial assistance through the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), acquisition of surplus government property, or acquisition of land from the government, the airport has a basic obligation to reasonably accommo- date and make the airport available to all aeronautical activities. OBJECTIVES The basic objective of this study is to document literature, experiences, and practices in safely accom- modating mixed-use aeronautical activity at airports. The report serves as an informative document for those airport operators and policymakers seeking information about accommodating mixed-use flight activity. It includes information on the activities’ various aeronautical needs, requirements, and operating parameters on an airport, especially for uncontrolled airports. Many airports are unsure of issues and associated risks of mixed-use aeronautical operations, and this report attempts to document how airports can safely coordinate and accommodate mixed-use aeronautical activity. In accommodating mixed-use operations, an airport is challenged in two ways: (1) operational accommodation in the airspace and runway environment, and (2) ground operation and logistical accommodation on the airfield. This report provides insight into both types of accommodations for the mixed-use aeronautical activities discussed. Combining various flight operations safely within the airport environs and the airspace can be challenging, particularly without an on-site air traffic control operation. Instances have occurred across the country in which the integration of different types of aeronautical activity have resulted in the local community perceiving that an unsafe situation exists at their airport. To address the potential for conflict over the use of an airfield by different aeronautical users, some airports enact rules and operating procedures to coordinate these activities safely and efficiently. However, many more airports throughout the country have not drafted guidelines or operating procedures to address these issues. While this lack of guidance may be attributed to expected coop- eration between pilots and airport operators in accordance with existing regulations, many airports are unsure of issues and associated risks of each mixed-use operation. This report seeks to provide information about the different activities and information for use in assessing the issues and risks. This report also provides information helpful to airport policymakers, managers, and others having responsibility for safely overseeing and coordinating mixed aeronautical flight operations. As a result, the information can assist airport operators in drafting effective oversight rules and procedures. chapter one INTRODUCTION

4 WHAT IS CONSIDERED AERONAUTICAL ACTIVITY? The United States Code (USC) defines an aircraft as “any contrivance invented, used, or designed to navigate, or fly in, the air” (49 USC 40102 2012). The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) defines an aircraft as a device that is used or intended to be used for flight in the air (14 CFR 101). Within the regulations, four categories of aircraft are identified: airplanes, gliders, rotorcraft, and lighter-than-air (LTA) aircraft. When operated, each category of aircraft becomes an aeronautical activity. FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 150/5190-6 defines aeronautical activity as “any activity that involves, makes possible, or is required for the operation of aircraft, or that contributes to or is required for the safety of such operations” (FAA 2007e). Within the definition of aeronautical activity, the phrase “required for the safety of such operations” refers to aspects of aircraft maintenance, fueling, pilot training, aircraft storage, and aircraft and parts sale and service. According to the AC, an aeronautical activity can be any of those identified in Textbox 1. This list is not all-inclusive, as the FAA may determine other uses to be aeronautical in nature. For example, UAS operational rules are still evolving, and the specific determination of which UAS operations qualify as an aeronautical activity have not been established. Not included in the definition of aeronautical activity are model aircraft and model rocket operation. However, for this report a review of remote-controlled model aircraft activity on or near an airport is included for the benefit of an airport operator. For this synthesis, the following activities and operations are discussed: • Aerial agriculture spraying • Aerial firefighting • Aerobatics • Airship/blimp • Balloons • Banner towing/aerial advertising • Glider/soaring • Parachute/skydive • Rotorcraft (helicopter and gyroplanes) • UAS and remote-controlled model aircraft • Ultralight (power parachute, hang glider and weight-shift vehicles) • Vertical takeoff or landing (VTOL)/tiltrotor. LIMITATIONS OF THIS SYNTHESIS STUDY Each aeronautical operation considered in this report has different needs and considerations. As a result, the operational procedures developed by an airport or an aeronautical operator are generally tailored to address the specific needs and operation of that airport. To capture data about the operating procedures, TEXTBOX 1 FAA List of Aeronautical Activities (Source: Advisory Circular 150/5190-6) • Pilot training • Aircraft rental and sightseeing • Aerial photography • Aircraft sales and service • Aerial application (crop spraying) • Aircraft storage • Aerial advertising and surveying • Sale of aviation petroleum products • Parachute activities • Repair and maintenance of aircraft • Ultralight activities • Sale of aircraft parts • Sport pilot activities • Air taxi and charter operations • Military flight operation • Scheduled or nonscheduled air carrier service

5 policies, leases, plans, commercial operating permits, existing checklists, and other useful documents, a small sample of airports were considered nationally. Invariably, there are examples that were not cap- tured in the study. A more in-depth study of each activity would provide greater detail and examples. Military airports were not included in the study. Application of material in this report is conditioned upon local legal and FAA review for compliance with local, state, or federal obligations. STUDY METHODOLOGY In seeking to identify useful practices associated with each aeronautical activity, the administration of a standard survey questionnaire for statistical analysis was not appropriate. Instead, a modified case-by-case method was used to identify airports that not only had a particular aeronautical activity, but which also had practices useful and pertinent to the goals of the study. Information was largely compiled from a review of literature, the administration of a generalized survey to selected airports, and a number of interviews with airport operators, state aviation organizations, and regional or national associations. The three-pronged approach taken to identify airport operators having operations pertinent to this synthesis was: 1. A literature search was made to identify potential sample airports. 2. A review was undertaken of FAA Form 5010 Airport Master Records and the Airport/Facility Directory (AFD) for the entire United States and its territories. 3. Inquiries were made of the following: – Aviation trade associations representing each special activity – State aviation organizations – Committee members of American Association of Airport Executives – Panel members. The project panel requested that at least 30 airports be included in the study, along with state aviation offices and pertinent aviation association representation. Based on the remarks and number or types of operations listed in the AFD, airports were selected from various regions of the United States and its territories for targeted consideration in the study. Once airports were identified, inquiries were made to airport managers through an 18-item questionnaire, to provide information on whether they had practices applicable to the study (Appendix A). The purpose of the questionnaire was to solicit general information about aeronautical activity and to find airports that would be suitable for the study. The questionnaire was not intended, nor suitable, for statistical analysis because the sample size is too small and not all survey questions were applicable to all aeronautical activities. Thirty-six airports and six state aviation offices either self-selected to participate in the study or responded to interview requests, resulting in 100% participation. A list of participants in the study is provided in Appendix B, along with special acknowledgments on page v. Appendix B also identifies the different aeronautical activities that airports in the survey and interviews acknowledged as occur- ring on their airports. As a result of the survey review and interviews, several airports became case examples, as their operations captured practices or challenges deemed beneficial to other airport managers. Case examples are presented in chapter fifteen. LITERATURE REVIEW A literature review was undertaken consisting of a web search of topics related to the synthesis. Databases included Online Computer Library Center’s WorldCat, the National Technical Information Service, TRB’s Transportation Research Integrated Database, FAA documents, and various trade organization websites. General research applicable to the study’s purpose follows in this chapter, and chapters on particular aeronautical activities include more specific references.

6 AIRPORT/FACILITY DIRECTORY A review of airports listed in the AFD was performed. The AFD is an FAA publication that lists the airport master record data (Form 5010) on file with the FAA for all public-use airports, seaplane bases, heliports, military facilities, and selected private-use airports important to the U.S. transporta- tion system. The Remarks section of the AFD was reviewed. The Remarks section includes data that call attention to a particular aeronautical activity, such as parachute operations, an aerobatic box, ultralight activity, aerial agriculture operations, and others. The information contained in the section may not reflect current practice at an airport; several airport managers contacted during the course of the study indicated the information was inaccurate. Examples of remarks from the AFD for a particular aeronautical activity are contained in the various chapters. The AFD also lists operational data on the number of based aircraft, including helicopter, glid- ers, and ultralights at each airport. A separate section of the AFD lists Parachute Jumping Areas and Seaplane Landing Areas. A total of 1,020 airports had one or more listings. A breakout of the listings is presented in Tables 1 and 2. Table 1 summarizes the findings of the literature review of airports having mixed aeronautical use remarks, as derived from FAA Form 5010 Master Records and the AFD. Broken into the dif- ferent classifications, 702 airports with remarks are part of the National Plan of Integrated Airport System (NPIAS), whereas 318 are not included. Of the total 1,020 NPIAS airports, 613 are federally obligated. That is, they have an obligation to make reasonable accommodations of all aeronautical activity requests under the sponsor assurances. The other 407 airports do not have that obligation. Many of the remarks in the AFD prohibiting or restricting mixed aeronautical use are associated with the nonobligated airports. The major types of airports having a remark related to a mixed-use activity are general aviation (GA) (906), those without an air traffic control tower (942), and those publicly owned (787). Table 2 identifies the total number of remarks associated with each of the aeronautical activi- ties found in the AFD. Ultralight (370), skydiving (241), helicopter (162), glider (159), and aerial applicators (125) were the predominate activities. Of note, a surprising number of airports allow RC model aircraft activity (72), as that is not considered an aeronautical activity for sponsor assurance purposes. Source: Compiled from FAA Form 5010 and AFD data. NUMBER PERCENT AIRPORT CATEGORY NPIAS 702 68.8 Non-NPIAS 318 31.2 Grant Obligated 613 60.1 Non-obligated 407 39.9 CLASSIFICATION Primary 47 4.6 Reliever 59 5.8 Commercial Service 8 0.8 General Aviation 906 88.8 ATCT Full-time 6 0.6 Part-time 72 7.1 None 942 92.4 OWNERSHIP Public 787 77.2 Private 233 22.8 TABLE 1 SUMMARY OF AIRPORTS HAVING REMARKS LISTED ON FAA FORM 5010 AND THE AFD

7 Table 3 provides a breakout of the number of airports having different aeronautical use remarks identified in FAA Form 5010 and the AFD, as associated with each state or territory. The data presented in Tables 1, 2, and 3 have limitations. Not all airports with listings have current activity. The FAA is working on its processes for updating and keeping current the AFD. Also, some states were more diligent than others in listing airports with certain activities. For instance, all airports having ultralight aircraft based on the airport in the state of Minnesota had a remark of ultralight activity on and in the vicinity of the airport, even though all but one ultralight may have been based at the airport. RELATED ACRP REPORTS Several synthesis reports related to aeronautical activities have been previously published, including ACRP Synthesis 41: Conducting Aeronautical Special Events at Airports and ACRP Synthesis 57: Airport Response to Special Events (Prather 2013; Kramer and Moore 2014). The distinguishing aspects between this synthesis and the earlier two are in the planning for the events and in the logistics needed to conduct them. The earlier reports document the need for long lead times in planning and Source: Compiled from FAA Form 5010 and AFD data. Aerial Applicator 125 Aerial Firefighting 15 Aerobatic 58 Airship/Blimp 3 Banner Towing 32 Glider/Sailplane 159 Gyrocopter 4 Hang Gliding 21 Helicopter 162 Parachuting/Skydive 241 Radio Model Aircraft 72 Seaplane 29 Ultralight 370 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle 8 TABLE 2 NUMBER OF REMARKS IN THE AFD Alabama 8 Idaho 16 Michigan 48 New Mexico 32 South Dakota 14 Alaska 27 Minnesota 46 Nevada 16 Tennessee 10 Arizona 23 Illinois 30 Mississippi 11 New York 32 Texas 76 Arkansas 20 Iowa 44 Indiana 19 Missouri 52 Ohio 26 Utah 7 California 69 Kansas 23 Montana 20 Oklahoma 31 Vermont 6 Colorado 16 Kentucky 7 Oregon 21 Connecticut 4 Louisiana 18 North Carolina 27 North Dakota 7 Pennsylvania 40 Washington 24 Delaware 3 Maine 7 Nebraska 10 Puerto Rico 2 West Virginia 9 Florida 30 Maryland 12 Rhode Island 3 Wisconsin 30 Georgia 6 New Hampshire 4 New Jersey 15 South Carolina 9 Wyoming 5 Hawaii 9 Massachusetts 10 Virginia 20 TABLE 3 NUMBER OF AERONAUTICAL REMARKS FOR AIRPORTS IN THE UNITED STATES

8 preparing for an event. For example, ACRP Synthesis 41 provides an overview of planning and conducting an air show event and factors to be considered in staging one. An event is described as an annual or one-time aeronautical activity, such as an air show, airport open house, aircraft static display, or fly-in. ACRP Synthesis 41 does not contain information on the operating characteristics or needs of the aerobatic or other aircraft making up the event. ACRP Synthesis 57 describes how airport operators respond to special non-aeronautical events that can affect an airport’s aeronautical activity and operation, such as the impact of the Super Bowl, the Olympics, Formula One races, political conventions, classic car shows, and so on. That report contains information an airport operator can use to stage a large regional event, and includes items such as checklists, staffing issues, safety and operational concerns, communication protocols, and event management guidance. Information presented in the syntheses can be used by airport management to develop airport procedures, rules, and regulations. A third synthesis report, ACRP Synthesis 32: Managing Aerial Firefighting Activities on Airports, provides detailed information on accommodating the special aeronautical activity of aerial firefighting application (Phillips 2012). This current report seeks not to duplicate the firefighting report, but to provide a synopsis of the activity and add new material discovered in this study. A fourth synthesis report, ACRP Synthesis 61: Practices in Preserving and Developing Public- Use Seaplane Bases, provides information on the integration of float, sea, and amphibious planes into the airport environment (Quilty 2015). There are few seaplane bases in the United States that are collocated or near land airports with operating air traffic control towers (ATCTs). At both controlled and uncontrolled airports, seaplanes function the same as other fixed-wing, rotorcraft, or ultralight aircraft. Reference is made to ACRP Synthesis 61 for those who seek to accommodate seaplane operation. An ACRP report is a primer on UAS. ACRP Report 144: Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) at Airports: A Primer provides an overview of how the UAS rules have evolved and their potential impact on airports (Neubauer et al. 2015a). Not covered in the report are RC model aircraft operations. The distinctions between UAS and RC model aircraft are discussed in chapter fourteen. REPORT ORGANIZATION This report is organized to provide a logical progression of basic information related to the various aeronautical activities, followed by separate chapters for each of the activities covered. A final section on case examples and appendices support the previous chapters. Chapter one lays out the study methodology, indicating a case approach to finding and interviewing airports. An explanation of aeronautical activity provides a foundation for understanding the activities explored in the report. Limitations to the study methodology are explained. Chapter two provides a basic foundation and understanding of how sponsor assurances apply to an airport sponsor’s requirement to accommodate various aeronautical activities. FAA agency deci- sions and guidance documents are reviewed. Information related to the complaint process and the role of airport management and the FAA in resolving complaints of aeronautical activity restriction is provided. A brief overview of how the development of minimum standards and operating rules and regulations can affect aeronautical access is also provided. Chapter three briefly addresses safety and risk management in the context of past legal determina- tions, current safety management system (SMS) efforts, and risk analysis resources. Insurance coverage associated with aeronautical activities is discussed generally. Chapter four seeks to consolidate information related to the various design criteria associated with different aeronautical activities. Additional design criteria are further detailed in separate chapters on an aeronautical activity. General information on airspace and traffic pattern practices is provided, with some specific examples cited.

9 Chapters five through fourteen each cover a specific aeronautical activity in the following order: Aerobatic Operations, Balloons, Airships, Aerial Applications: Agricultural and Firefighting, Aerial Advertising, Glider Operations, Rotorcraft Operations, Parachute Operations, Ultralights, and Unmanned Aircraft Systems. Each chapter describes the basic operating practices for the aeronautical activity. An overview of the local airspace and on-airport operating needs and requirements for each is presented. Where applicable, items of interest and pertinence to airport operators are included, such as safe operational practices, hazard and risk issues, regulatory issues, and related sources of information. Chapter fifteen presents nine case examples that illustrate how airport operators managed a particu- lar aeronautical activity on their airport. Chapter sixteen presents conclusions drawn from the study and suggests areas for future research.