SALT LAKE CITY DEPARTMENT OF AIRPORTS
GENERAL AVIATION NEWS
VOL. 12, ISSUE 6 JUNE 2004
SLCIA EAST SIDE RAMP REHABILITATION ROWS 3 - 8 WEST
General Aviation rows 3, 4, 5, and the west side of row 6 on the east side of Salt Lake City International Airport will be experiencing apron rehab construction and will have no access to aircraft in their hangars between Monday, June 7 and Monday, July 12. The asphalt excavation and resurfacing will preclude movement of aircraft from the hangars after excavation has commenced. Contact Steve Jackson, the General Aviation Manager for alternate tie-down space. A limited number of shade hangars are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The next asphalt reconstruction phase is currently scheduled to commence on Tuesday, July 13th and it will affect tenants on rows 4 thru 9. This construction project is scheduled to last only four days from July 13 thru July 16, 2004
Rehabilitation of row is scheduled to begin on Monday 19 July 2004
Rehabilitation of rows 10, 11, and 12 is scheduled to begin on Wednesday August 18 and is currently scheduled to last thru Wednesday, September 8, 2004.
CONSTRUCTION AT TOOELE VALLEY AIRPORT
TVY CONSTRUCTION-- Construction of a taxi lane proceeding south of the Avgas and Skydive ramp is progressing on schedule.
TVY REST AREA — SLCDA is constructing a pilot rest area near the fuel farm at TVY. It will include shaded picnic area, tables, grass, and a drinking fountain.
TVY AWOS – The AWOS at TVY has been certified, commissioned and is fully operational.
AIRPORT II HELIPADS RELOCATED
Helipads H-3 and H-4 have been moved from the intersections of taxiways A-3 and B and A-4 and B respectively. Both of the helipads have been relocated approximately 200 feet north of their former intersection locations. The helipads were relocated to de-conflict fixed wing and rotary wing ground taxiing traffic.
Rotary wing traffic at Airport II primarily operates on taxiway B while fixed wing traffic primarily uses taxiway A to access the runway.
UAOA FALL CONFERENCE
The Utah Airport Operators Association (UAOA) has scheduled its fall conference for October 6 and 7 at the Holiday Inn Express in Kanab, Utah. For additional information view the www.uaoa.org website.
YOU CAN PREVENT RUNWAY INCURSIONS
1. Review airport layouts as part of preflight planning, during cruise, before descent, and while taxiing.
2. Know and understand airport signage.
3. Read back all runway crossing and/or hold short instructions.
4. Review Notices to Airmen (NOTAM) for runway/taxiway closures and construction areas.
5. Request progressive taxi instructions when unsure of the taxi route.
6. Check for traffic before entering any runway or taxiway.
7. Turn on aircraft lights while taxiing.
8. Clear the active runway on rollout as quickly as possible, then wait for taxi instructions before further movement.
9. Study and use proper phraseology found in the Aeronautical Information Manual when responding to ground control instructions.
GA SECURITY GUIDELINES ARRIVED IN LATE MAY
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) released the much-anticipated TSA GA Security Guidelines in late May 2004.
They were approved through the TSA and Department of Homeland Security channels in order to provide the GA community with a detailed analysis and explanation of the guidelines.
More details will be available shortly on the TSA, AOPA and AAAE websites. If you have questions about GA airport security, contact Rebecca Morrison in AAAE’s Transportation Security Policy Department at (703) 824-0504.
Next month’s GA Newsletter will include an article about SLCDA’s GA security perspective and implementation.
IMPACT OF UTAH GA AIRPORTS STUDIED
Utah’s general aviation airports produce more than $274 million annually in economic activity and employ nearly 3,700 workers, according to the just-published “2004 Utah Airports Economic Impact Study,” produced by the Utah Division of Aeronautics.
General Aviation airports generate a total of 3,673 jobs and nearly $97 million in payroll, the study found. Utah has 41 GA airports and six airports with commercial service activity.
Total fiscal output for all airports exceeds $5.7 billion annually and provides over 106,000 aviation related jobs in the state.
TOWER FREE: IT DOESN’T MEAN RULE FREE
By Kathy Yodice, reprinted from AOPA safety information
A lot of general aviation flying is done into and out of airports that do not have air traffic control towers. In fact, of the more than 18,000 airports in the United States, only about 350 of them have towers that are manned by FAA air traffic controllers. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that during your flying career you will perform many operations at airports without traffic control towers. It is important to learn about the regulations and recommended procedures that apply to flights when there is no controller giving you instructions.
The regulations that apply to approaching a non-towered airport are relatively straightforward and simple, but they don’t seem to provide all the procedures that you need to conduct this operation. Parts 91.126 and 91.127 of the federal aviation regulations (FARs) contain provisions that specifically apply to operating on or in the vicinity of an airport without an operating control tower. In particular, these regulations state that when approaching to land at such an airport, “Each pilot of an airplane must make all turns of that airplane to the left unless the airport displays approved light signals or visual markings indicating that turns should be made to the right, in which case the pilot must make all turns to the right. Each pilot of a helicopter must avoid the flow of fixed-wing aircraft.”
In addition, FAR 91.113 sets out right-of-way procedures and see-and-avoid principles that apply to operating at non-towered airports. And, FAR 91.111 (a) directs against operating an aircraft so close to another aircraft as to create a collision hazard.
Now, let’s look at procedures that are not prescribed by the regulations but are recommended by the FAA for how aircraft should approach and land at non-towered fields. The FAA recommends a standard traffic pattern for airplane operations at non-towered airports, which the FAA describes in the Aeronautical Information Manual and in Advisory Circular 90-66A. The standard traffic pattern uses a 1,000-foot AGL pattern altitude that is maintained until abeam the approach end of the landing runway on the downwind leg. The pattern begins with a 45-degree entry to a downwind leg abeam the midpoint of the runway, followed by a base leg at a right angle to the landing runway, and then a final approach leg to the runway that begins at least one-quarter of a mile out from the approach end of the runway.
Note that this is the FAA’s recommended pattern and does not have the force and effect of law. So, as a matter of law, a pilot can approach a runway straight in or make any pattern that the pilot deems safe or that may be customarily followed at a particular airport, so long as turns are made in the proper direction. It is especially important to remember this anytime you’re in the pattern at a non-towered airport, as you may be on the downwind or base leg while another aircraft is approaching the runway straight in. As a matter of practice, most pilots adhere to a fairly standard pattern at non-towered airports, and most pilots do a good job of announcing their locations in the pattern over the UNICOM or common traffic advisory frequency.
So, the regulations provide a basic framework to help to keep pilots vigilant and organized. But, they don’t provide all of the guidance necessary to safely complete an approach and landing to a non-towered airport. Therefore, we may be guided by the standard traffic pattern that the FAA recommends as well as other resources that provide specific pattern information for particular airports. Much of this information can be found in official sources such as the Airport/Facility Directory as well as unofficial ones, including AOPA’s Airport Directory. You should gather this information before you depart. But in a pinch, you can inquire over the airport UNICOM or just listen to the calls of other pilots. After that it’s up to you, the pilot in command, to exercise good judgment.
REMEMBER SUMMERTIME DENSITY ALTITUDE
1. Always check density altitude against aircraft performance figures. Density altitude is pressure altitude (the altitude read from the altimeter when 29.92 inches is set in the Kolzman window) corrected for nonstandard temperature.
2. When departing a high density altitude airport in a non-turbocharged aircraft, be sure to LEAN THE MIXTURE, according to the pilot’s operating handbook. A temperature of 105° F at sea level means a density altitude of 3,000 feet, and proper leaning is important.
3. If you’re flying with a full load from a short field with high density altitude, it may be safer to take passengers and payload in two trips to a nearby airport with longer runways. Then fully load the aircraft and depart on course. Be sure to stay within the aircraft’s performance capabilities and your personal minimums for an extra margin of safety.
4. Multi-engine pilots should consider the obstacles in the departure path against aircraft climb gradient on one engine. Climb gradient is the altitude gained per horizontal distance traveled. Always calculate runway remaining required in the event of an engine failure.