Brown Field Municipal Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan

APPENDIX CAIRPORT LAND USE COMPATIBILITY CONCEPTSOther flight hazards include land uses that may cause visual or electronic hazards to aircraft in flight ortaking off from or landing at the airport. Specific characteristics to be avoided include sources of glare orbright lights; distracting lights that could be mistaken for airport lights; sources of dust, steam, or smokethat may impair pilot visibility; and sources of electrical interference with aircraft communications ornavigation.OVERFLIGHTExperience at many airports has shown that noise-related concerns do not stop at the boundary of theoutermost mapped CNEL contours. Many people are sensitive to the frequent presence of aircraftoverhead, even at low levels of noise. These reactions can mostly be expressed in the form of annoyance.The Handbook notes that, at many airports, particularly air carrier airports, complaints are often receivedfrom locations beyond any of the defined noise contours. Indeed, heavily used flight corridors to andfrom metropolitan areas are known to generate noise complaints 50 miles or more from the associatedairport. The basis for such complaints may be a desire and expectation that outside noise sources not beintrusive—or, in some circumstances, even distinctly audible—above the quiet, natural background noiselevel. Elsewhere, especially in locations beneath the traffic patterns of general aviation airports, a fearfactor also contributes to some individuals’ sensitivity to aircraft overflights.While these noise impacts may be important community concerns, the question of importance here iswhether any land use planning actions can be taken to avoid or mitigate the impacts or otherwise addressthe concerns. Commonly, when overflight impacts are under discussion in a community, the focus is onmodification of the flight routes. Indeed, some might argue that overflight impacts should be addressedsolely on the aviation side of the equation—not only by flight route changes, but also through othermodifications as to where, when, and how aircraft are operated. Such changes are not always possiblebecause of terrain, aircraft performance capabilities, FAA regulations, and other factors.In any case, ALUCs are particularly limited in their ability to deal with overflight concerns. Mostsignificantly, ALUCs have no authority over aircraft operations. The most they can do to bring aboutchanges in aircraft overflights is to make requests or recommendations. Even with regard to land use, theauthority of ALUCs extends only to proposed development and the delineation of an airport’s overallinfluence area. The authority and responsibility for implementing the Compatibility Plan’s policies andcriteria rest with the local governments.These limitations notwithstanding, ALUCs can and should take steps to help minimize overflight impacts.C–21Brown Field Municipal Airport Land Use Compatibility PlanJanuary 25, 2010