FAA NPIAS - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

primary VFR training area, conducting ground -tract maneuvers at altitudes from 500' to 900' above the surface. He stated that the proposal might close the area to a substantial amount of flight training since it would pose an unacceptable safety hazard to flight training operations. Mr. Steve Luck, Aviation Representative of the Aeronautics Division, Minnesota Department of Transportation, objected because of a heavy concentration of VFR training flights. He advised that the number of based aircraft at Flying Cloud and Crystal Airports, as of September 23, 1980, was 897 aircraft. He said that this is a significant volume of aircraft which would be forced to stay on the west side of the Twin Cities area (in the vicinity of the proposal) due to the Minneapolis TCA. He pointed out that the General Aviation Reservation Program, with its limited IFR access, has created an increased number of VFR flights in marginal weather conditions. He said that flights at 900' AGL would not be uncommon at or near the proprosed site, and the effect on IFR aircraft flying into Minneapolis International Airport would be substantial. He pointed out that the changes to IFR procedures would be costly and uneconomical, and he stated that the navigable airspace is a deminishing resource that would certainly be further diminished by the proposed structure. Mr. Steve Hein, Flight Department of Elliott Flying Service, Inc., objected because the proposed tower would severely limit in-flight operations in the Minneapolis area and maneuvering altitudes below the TCA would be less than 1,000'. He stated that pilots are being asked to fly beneath the TCA in a dangerous game of "thread the needle." Study for Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) effect disclosed that the proposal would necessitate the following revisions and changes: Anoka County -Blaine Airport VOR RWY 8 Approach: 1. Increase the Procedure Turn Altitude from 2,700' to 3,000' AMSL. 2. Increase the south DME Arc Altitude from 2,700' to 3,000' AMSL. Gateway North Industrial Airport VOR RWY 34 Approach: Increase the southwest DME Arc Altitude from 2,700' to 3,000' AMSL. Minneapolis Approach Control: Increase the Minimum Vector Altitude from 2,500' to 3,000' AMSL in the vicinity of the proposal. Minneapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center: 1. Increase the Minimum Vector Altitude from 2,700' to 3,000' AMSL in the vicinity of the proposal. Page 4 of 8 Pages Aeronautical Study No. 81-AGL-1556-OE