We have been made aware that the aerodrome RAF Church Fenton and the Precision Approach Radar (PAR) are no longer safeguarded by the Ministry of Defence/ Defence Infrastructure Organisation (MOD/DIO).
Our database has been updated accordingly, so that our reports still remain highly accurate.
This means that if you were trying to develop a wind turbine project, where Church Fenton was an issue, you could consider reassessing the site.
Reassessing previous sites
We would recommend reassessing your site online using the Aviation Risk Report with Expert Commentary, since there are other installations in the vicinity that could still be a cause for concern.
The Aviation Risk Report will give you an overview of the most significant aviation issues, whilst the Expert Commentary provides us with a chance to initially look over the site and provide you with our guidance based on over 10 years’ experience.
How safeguarding at Church Fenton could have created an issue for previous wind developments
Located to the South West of York, both the aerodrome and radar were safeguarded by the MOD to make sure that wind developments did not impact upon the safety of operations at the base. The two main things considered were; the turbine acting as a physical obstruction, and the spinning blades causing a technical impact on the PAR.
Physical Safeguarding
In its essence physical safeguarding consists of protecting defined regions of airspace around the aerodrome from developments including wind turbines.
Although Church Fenton Aerodrome is no longer safeguarded in this way, many others continue to be. So if your wind development is in close proximity to an airfield, we would recommend ordering the Obstruction Assessment online. This will assess whether any of the turbines will potentially create a physical obstruction to aircraft taking off and landing at an aerodrome.
Technical Impact on PAR
A PAR is used by air traffic controllers to provide guidance to the aircraft operator when approaching the runway. It is for this reason that the accuracy of the radar information is critical, so designated PAR safeguarding zones are implemented.
These zones are a one of a large number of potential issues that we look at for you when completing the Aviation Risk Report Expert Commentary.
If you have any questions about any of the above, or would like us to help you with wind development radar and/or aviation issues, just get in contact with us by calling +44 (0) 1787 319001 or email info@pagerpower.com.
