AF Plant 42 AICUZ Study - Feb. 2012 - Edwards Air Force Base

3.0 LAND USE COMPATIBILITY GUIDELINES
3.1 Introduction
The DoD has studied landuse
compatibility in the
vicinity of its airfields
since the end of World
War II. One of the first
efforts was in 1952 when
the President's Airport
Commission published
"The Airport and Its
Neighbors", better known
as the "Doolittle Report".
The recommendations of
this study were influential
in the formulation of the
APZ concept.
The AICUZ Program was
developed in response to
increased urban
encroachment around
military airfields. Most Air
Force installations were
built in the late 1940's and
early 1950's in locations 10
to 15 miles away from
urban population centers
during an era of propeller
aircraft. Since then, the
nature of aircraft has
changed, notably with the
development of the jet
engine. Urban growth has
gradually moved closer
towards the boundaries of
many Air Force
installations. Incompatible
land use often results in
public complaints about
the effects of aircraft
operations (e.g., noise and
low overflights). Frequent
complaints can cause
operational changes,
which in many cases
adversely affect the flying
mission. As an example,
encroachment around
Lowry, Chanute and
Laredo AFBs contributed
to the decision to cease
aircraft operations at
those installations.
The DoD developed the AICUZ Program to protect aircraft
operational capabilities at its military airfields and to assist local
government officials in protecting and promoting the public health,
safety, and quality of life. The goal of the program is to promote
compatible land use development around military airfields by
providing information on aircraft noise levels and accident
potential.
AICUZ reports describe three basic types of constraints that affect
or result from flight operations. The first constraint involves areas
identified by the FAA and DoD where height limitations on
structures exist to prevent obstructions to air navigation. Airspace
Control Surface Plans, which are based on Federal Aviation
Regulations, designate height standards that determine whether an
object constitutes an obstruction to air navigation.
The second constraint regarding flight operations involves the
potential effects arising from noise exposure resulting from aircraft
overflight and ground engine runs. Detailed sociological studies
conducted by federal agencies over the past few decades have
shown a correlation between certain noise exposure levels and
increased levels of human annoyance. One of the purposes of the
DoD AICUZ Program is a comparison of the land uses in the
vicinity of its airfields to noise zones. Using the NOISEMAP
computer program, which is similar to FAA's INM, the DoD
produces noise contours showing the DNL that would be generated
by current levels of aircraft operations. These contours (lines
connecting points of equal noise exposure) are expressed in terms
of the DNL. Essentially, the DNL metric is the average noise level
over a 24-hour period with a 10 dB increase made for events
occurring between 10 PM and 7 AM. In California, a 5 dB
increase is added to aircraft flights that occur between 7 PM and 10
PM and a 10 dB increase is added to aircraft flights that occur
between 10 PM and 7 AM to account for their increased
annoyance. This AICUZ report contains noise contours plotted in
increments of 5 dB, ranging from a DNL of 65 dB to 80+ dB.
Additional information on the methodology used for analyses in
this report is contained in Appendix C of Volume II.
The third constraint involves accident potential in areas near the
runways based on statistical analyses of past DoD aircraft
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