potential aviation constraints on offshore wind

Potential aviation constraints on Potential aviation constraints on offshore windoffshore wind

Malcolm Spaven

Spaven Consulting

Aviation constraintsAviation constraints

Radar

Military low flying

Instrument approach procedures

RadarRadar

Types of radar:

- air traffic control (primary/secondary)

- air defence

- trials

Radar (cont’d)Radar (cont’d)

Numbers of coastal radar sites:

- 9 en route ATC (mainly E Coast/Scotland)

- 10 military airfield ATC

- 22 civil airfield ATC

- 9 air defence (mainly E Coast)

- 4 main trials sites (mainly W Coast)

Radar (cont’d) Radar (cont’d)

Range - antenna at 50m AOD may see 100m turbines

70km away

Safeguarding consultation radii - NATS 30km

- other civil airports variable to 74km

- air defence 74km

- military airfields 67km

Radar (cont’d)Radar (cont’d)

Potential impacts on radar - shadow effect

- clutter

- multipath/reflection

Radar (cont’d)Radar (cont’d)

Mitigation of radar impacts - processing out turbine returns

- turbine/radar alignment

- overlapping radar coverage

- air traffic service limitation

- controller experience

Military low flyingMilitary low flying

Potential impacts - physical hazard to aircraft flying down to 100ft

- increased risk to aircraft flying at night/

in instrument conditions

Mitigation - charting

- lighting

Instrument approachesInstrument approaches

Two areas of impact - physical hazard to aircraft descending in cloud

- potential interference with ILS

Safeguarding policySafeguarding policy

Civil airports/radars - new policy - devolution from CAA to

airports/ATS providers

Military airfields/radars - evolving policy

- contrast between central policy and field

operational practice

Safeguarding policy (cont’d)Safeguarding policy (cont’d)

Air defence radar - post-Cold War contraction

- effects of September 11th

Military low flying - stated policy: little offshore impact

- growing contrast between stated policy and

site-specific decisions

The Way ForwardThe Way Forward

Early consultationConsult field operational personnelValue of existing operational

experience

Contact detailsSpaven Consulting

1 Meadowbank

Edinburgh EH8 8JE

Tel: 0131 661 1133

E-mail: mail@spavenconsulting.co.uk