This is more from my ag aviation background but I feel that this may be pertinant to some of you here as well.
The FAA is soliciting comments through February 4, 2011 regarding an AC regarding the prosposed "suggestion" of the marking of met towers. These are the little 196', single pole, guy wired structures that are very portable and nearly invisible. With the proliferation of wind energy west of the Mississippi these little guys are popping up all over on buttes and ridge tops. A real danger to those of us out working down low and even for those of you that end up out playing around in the middle of nowhere down low.
Our beef with the proposed AC is the "suggestion" to mark them. We would like to see an actual law or rule to manditorily mark every one of them. If you see fit use the link below to read through and make comments on this issue.
http://origin.www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR- ... -33310.htm
And be careful out there playing, these things are INVISIBLE and we unfortunately had the first documented fatality of anyone, an aerial applicator, due to one of these towers just this week.
Thanks,
G-

G,
I wholeheartedly agree. With minituarized electronics and LED's these days I would think it would not be that difficult to attach a small flashing beacon on the tops of these towers.
WW

These damn things are everywhere for sure and you right they can't be seen untill too late. We had a flight of 6 planes returning from AZ last spring and were flying along the top of a ridge and when I looked over and saw one go by a few hundred yards off my right wing and below me about 200 feet. Scared the crap out of everyone. I counted about a dozen of thesse along about 10 miles of ridge line. None were lighted nor did they have anything to make them visable.

There is at least one of these south of Twin Falls, ID right on the NV,ID border in a direct line from Elko to Twin and once again it is on top of a ridge and almost invisable - beware and becareful out there.

I'm really glad they are least looking at these and taking comments; mine are on the way!

Thanks for the stories guys. Those are the kinds of things the FAA needs to hear about. I don't believe they think this is a problem for the average pilot out there, I believe it is.
Please take the time to make comments on this one. We've already got one hunk of shredded metal upsidedown on the ground because of these towers, let's keep it from happening again.

The group most at risk is the medevac and law enforcement helicopters. They should be screaming bloody murder. They're the ones out there at night, in the fog and muck, making up LZ's and conducting close to the ground operations on a regular basis. Unlighted towers and guide wires are killers.

Gump

GumpAir wrote:The group most at risk is the medevac and law enforcement helicopters. They should be screaming bloody murder. They're the ones out there at night, in the fog and muck, making up LZ's and conducting close to the ground operations on a regular basis. Unlighted towers and guide wires are killers.

Gump

Also fire fighting helicopters and air tankers. Especially the Single Engine Airtankers (SEATS). The ridges and such those towers are poping up on are the exact terrain feature they need to make optimum use of a retardant fire line.

Lowflin'G3,

Any chance you can post a better link to a place where comments are submitted? I don't seem able to untangle the maze of links to get to where comments can be made.

blackrock wrote:Lowflin'G3,

Any chance you can post a better link to a place where comments are submitted? I don't seem able to untangle the maze of links to get to where comments can be made.

I think this will work. Click the "Submit comment" button.

http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=FAA-2010-1326-0001

What Zane said. I know it's at regulations.gov.

If nothing else seems like the could have an online map of where these towers would be in the near future(not the near past) so you could check before you fly to see if there were any that needed to be considered.
I'll submit the thought/suggestion.
Gary

I think this will work. Click the "Submit comment" button.

Thanks Zane. That took me right to it...

Thank eorge for the infoand Zane for the link.
Done, hope it helps
Gary

Thank you to all of you taking the time to make comments.
Shortfielder,
I agree with your mapping idea but the most important factor here is mandatory marking. What you may not know and what makes these met towers so dangerous are their mobility. They can be erected and moved in about 1 to 2 days each way and the only rhyme our reason to their positioning is based on what the potential developer sees fit for gathering wind data at a potential site. I have seen these be in one spot for as long as 5 years and I have seen these moved as quick as 6 weeks. Sometimes moved as little as 1 mile. The other hitch will be the developers look at location as proprietary info. They don't want other developers to know where they are looking to put wind farms. To give you an idea on the sheer magnitude of the numbers to manage my last count in Idaho ALONE there are between 400 and 600 of these now.

Hey George, do you have any pictures of what these towers look like?

And now that I'm on my laptop, I'll fill in my comments. (Edit..... done deal!)

58Skylane wrote:Hey George, do you have any pictures of what these towers look like?

And now that I'm on my laptop, I'll fill in my comments. (Edit..... done deal!)

Here's a few pictures taken from 100 to 500 feet AGL. I can say from experience that unless you know exactly where they are and are looks for them you will never see them. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=w ... zQ&cad=rja

Hey George
I sent the comment in talking about why they should be marked, and how many can be effected my these towers. That they should be made to be as visible a possable, and the idea that it would be nice if they had a website (map)where we could go to see where these are and where they are planning on putting them, with approximaste dates so that we could make it part of out planing, and know in advance what to expect.
Gary

Want to hear another good one about those things. About 20 years ago my cousin had one on the corner of his 160 acre field. Crew from California put it up and cousin recorded data once a week. The company that was thinking about the wind farm decided against it. A few years later another company decides they want a wind farm in the same area but do you think the first company would share the data---no way. More towers had to be erected. At this point a third company is thinking about a wind farm and at least my landlord is getting $5 per acre for his 160 acre farm while we wait for something to materialize.

For those of you making comments I have not seen too many show up yet. Not sure if they haven't processed them yet or if something is wrong.
After you post your comment you can search the comments to be sure yous is there. www.regulations.gov reference docket # 2010-1326

Thanks,
G-

I submitted my comments as well as marker60's link to the NTSB report.