airport/documents/Mesquite Master Plan Final.pdf - The City of ...

periods of poor visibility. Mesquite
Metro Airport has one published ILS
approach to Runway 17.
ILS systems provide three functions: 1)
guidance, provided vertically by a glide
slope beacon and horizontally by a
localizer beacon; 2) range, furnished by
marker beacons; and 3) visual
alignment, supplied by the approach
lighting system and runway edge lights.
The localizer antenna for Runway 17 is
situated on the extended centerline,
approximately 1,800 feet south of the
Runway 35 threshold. The antenna
emits very high frequency (VHF)
signals that provide the pilot with
course deviation left or right of the
runway centerline and the degree of
deviation. The ultra high frequency
(UHF) glide slope (GS) antenna is
located on the northeast side of the
runway, approximately 1,100 feet
southwest of the Runway 17 landing
threshold. The glide slope antenna
provides a signal indicating whether the
aircraft is above or below the desired
glide path. The ILS equipment is
owned and maintained by the City of
Mesquite.
To further assist the ILS approach, an
initial approach fix is established by an
outer marker (Mesquite NDB). The
Runway 17 ILS approach has a 3.0
degree glide slope that intercepts initial
approach fix at a distance of 3.2
nautical miles and 1,600 feet above the
threshold. It should be noted that the
ILS Runway 17 approach requires
aircraft not only to be equipped with
ILS receivers, but also automatic
direction finding (ADF) equipment.
1-14
Area Airspace
The FAA Act of 1958 established the
FAA as the responsible agency for the
control and use of navigable airspace
within the United States. The FAA has
established the National Airspace
System (NAS) to protect persons and
property on the ground and to establish
a safe environment for civil,
commercial, and military aviation. The
NAS is defined as the common network
of U.S. airspace, including air
navigational facilities; airports and
landing areas; aeronautical charts;
associated rules, regulations and
procedures; technical information; and
personnel and material. System
components shared jointly with the
military are also included as part of this
system.
To ensure a safe and efficient airspace
environment for all aspects of aviation,
the FAA has established an airspace
structure that regulates and establishes
procedures for aircraft using the
National Airspace System. The U.S.
airspace structure provides for
categories of airspace, controlled and
uncontrolled, and identifies them as
Classes A, B, C, D, E, and G, as
described below. Exhibit 1E generally
illustrates each airspace type in threedimensional
form.
• Class A airspace is controlled
airspace and includes all airspace
from 18,000 feet mean sea level
(MSL) to Flight Level 600
(approximately 60,000 feet MSL).
• Class B airspace is controlled
airspace surrounding high-activity
commercial service airports (i.e.,