EMBRY RIDDLE ASCI404 7.2 - Airports

Scenario 1

Your home town is considering building a new public airport in an effort to attract industry and jobs to the area. You have been hired as a consultant on the project. In preparation for a city council meeting on the project, where the concerned public will be in attendance, you are instructed to prepare answers to the following questions:

1. Is any federal money available to help with the costs of the project? If so, describe.
2. How can we control aircraft noise at the airport?
3. How can we prevent developers from building tall structures that could obstruct the airport’s approaches?
4. How can we prevent developers from building homes and other noise-sensitive projects where aircraft noise will be loud?
5. Can we regulate what kinds of aircraft and aviation activities use the airport? Explain.

You are a consultant to a county that is planning to build a new general aviation airport capable of accommodating business jets in a sparsely-populated area that is now used entirely for agriculture. Airport planners have projected the surface noise impact of the airport and overlaid the FAA obstruction clearance requirements for the approaches to each of the airport’s runways.

Referring to this example: Airport Noise Projection and Required Obstruction Clearance Diagram

1. Identify which land, if any, you recommend the county purchase outright, explaining why.
2. Identify what areas, if any, you recommend the county impose land use zoning to preclude noise-sensitive uses, explaining why.
3. Identify what areas, if any, you recommend the county impose height zoning, explaining why.

Scenario 3

The Town of Pleasantville owns and operates a municipal airport serving general aviation. The town accepted federal Airport Improvement Program funds as recently as 2003 for various airport improvement projects.

1. There is a restaurant on the airport, and another is proposed. The present one is owned and operated by a local family that has lived in the area for generations, while the new one is proposed by a national restaurant chain. The airport board would like to protect the local restaurant from competition from the out-of-town chain. Can the board legally exclude a second restaurant from the airport? Explain.
2. There is an FBO on the airport, and another is proposed. The present one is owned and operated by a local family that has operated the FBO for generations, while the new one is proposed by an international FBO chain. The airport board would like to protect the local FBO from competition from the big chain. Can the board legally exclude a second FBO from the airport? Explain.
3. If either of the previous questions would violate the provisions of the town’s grant agreement with the FAA, what recourse is available to the applicant whose proposal was rejected by the board?