Ely (and Eastern Nevada) airspace grab

I've not seen anything from SSA or AOPA on this. A timely topic for
the SSA convention.

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_ho...s/5585073.html

Text is below.

"Glider activity would not be impaired". Oh, you don't just go up and
come right down like that glider ride I took?!

Kemp

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WASHINGTON -- The Air Force has proposed creating a military operations
area in the skies over eastern Nevada, sparking concern among local
government and business leaders that airspace restrictions could pull
the plug on two power plants and a wind farm.

The plan to add a 2,400-square-mile training zone over White Pine and
Elko counties would tighten the military's grasp of Nevada skies, where
experts estimate as much as half the airspace is subject to government
flight controls.

Down below, some Nevada officials fear the new training area might
jeopardize plans for coal-fired plants, a wind farm and a 250-mile
transmission line that could unify the state's electricity grid while
delivering a jolt to the region's sluggish economy.

"The county would like to see that (military) proposal dropped," said
White Pine economic development coordinator Karen Rajala.

Ely Airport Manager Dan Callaghan pronounced the Air Force plan
"devastating."

Officials at Hill Air Force Base in Utah said commercial flights would
be limited during F-16 fighter jet training missions. Exercises would
be scheduled when pilots' usual practice site at the Utah Test and
Training Range is being used for cruise missile tests, they said.

The restrictions would be active each year for eight weeklong periods,
or 56 days, said Jerry Angus, airspace manager at Hill.

The plan, which Angus said was still tentative, requires approval by
the Federal Aviation Administration. An agency decision could come near
the end of the year. The Air Force held a public hearing Jan. 10 in Ely
to outline the plan and gather reaction.

The Pentagon already governs portions of Nevada airspace for flight
training and weapons testing based at Nellis Air Force Base and Fallon
Naval Air Station, and bases in adjoining states.

"It's a lot compared to other states," said John Pike, director of
Globalsecurity.org, a defense research group.

Permanent no-fly zones and less restrictive military operation areas
cover an estimated 50 percent of Nevada airspace, Pike said. Officials
at the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association estimated 35 percent to
50 percent after examining aeronautical maps.

Air Force officials in Washington said they could not provide an
official number. The FAA's regional office outside Seattle did not
return calls Thursday and Friday.

White Pine County leaders fear the proposed power projects could be
thwarted if exhaust stacks and wind farm turbines poke into restricted
airspace. Exhaust stacks typically are about 750 feet high, while wind
turbines are about 400 feet, industry officials said. The Air Force
initially proposed that the restricted area begin at 500 feet.

White Pine County officials hope that the projects will pump millions
of dollars of tax revenue into local coffers, while creating thousands
of jobs during construction and operation of the plants.

White Pine declared a severe financial emergency last year and turned
over its finances to the Nevada Department of Taxation.

"We're very concerned about the possible impact (of the restricted
area) on those two (power) projects," said Rajala, coordinator for the
White Pine County Economic Diversity Council.

Angus said the Air Force could work around the power projects. Airspace
restrictions can be adjusted either above or around exhaust stacks,
cooling towers and wind turbines, he added.

"The military would be using this infrequently," Angus said, adding
that air traffic would be minimally impacted.

When military exercises are being conducted, commercial and private
aircraft operating under instrument flight rules, or IFR, would be
required to fly around the restricted area.

However, the handful of those flights that use the local airport would
be allowed to take off and land, Angus said. Glider activity would not
be impaired, he added.

Some pilots remain unconvinced. Chris Dancy, spokesman for the Aircraft
Owners and Pilots Association, said that if a military operations area
appears on aeronautical charts, general aviation pilots usually decide
to steer clear.

Callaghan, the Ely airport manager, agreed. "To the general aviation
pilot, the (restricted military area) looks like a no trespassing
sign," he said.

Though private planes are allowed into military operations areas, "you
feel like you're doing battle with the F-16s," Callaghan said.

Callaghan also said Ely is fast becoming one of the world's top five
hot spots for gliding, with "soaring" fans flocking to the small town
each summer and helping the struggling economy. The Glider Grand Prix
invitational will take place in July.

The military proposal also raises question for the power projects. Tim
Carlson, managing partner for Nevada Wind, said the restricted airspace
could threaten plans for a wind farm on Egan Range, north of Ely.

The 200 megawatts that mountaintop turbines are expected to generate
could be transferred through the new transmission lines proposed to be
built in conjunction with the two coal plants planned for nearby
Steptoe Valley, Carlson said.

He said he is skeptical of assurances from the Air Force based on past
experience.

In 2002, Air Force officials blocked plans for a wind farm at the
Nevada Test Site after private investors had spent $4 million on
research and planning. The military said the project's spinning turbine
blades would interfere with radar signals during training exercises.

"They've done it to me before," Carlson said.

Pike, of Global Security, said White Pine County should be cautious of
military promises to work around the power projects.

"If I were the county, I would sure as heck want to get it in writing
with somebody's thumbprint on it," he said.

LS Power Associates has been working with White Pine County officials
on plans for a 1,600-megawatt coal-fired plant near Ely. The plant
would distribute energy to Nevada Power Co. of Las Vegas and Sierra
Pacific Power Co. of Reno.

Meanwhile, Sierra Pacific Resources, the parent company of the two
utilities, announced plans this month for its own $3 billion plant,
with the first of two 750-megawatt units coming online in 2011.

Later, the company could add a $2 billion 1,000-megawatt
coal-gasification operation to the site.

Company officials said they were confident the projects would move
forward.

Spokeswoman Sonya Headen said Nevada Power was not concerned about the
proposed flight restrictions at this point.

"It hasn't been a problem, and we don't know that it will be," she
said.

Eric Crawford, project manager for the LS Power plant, agreed, saying,
"We're hopeful something can be worked out for everyone involved."

Staffers for U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., plan to meet with the
military next week, said Sharyn Stein, a Reid spokeswoman.

Reid will "make sure this does not create a problem for the people in
Ely," Stein said.

Melissa Subbotin, spokeswoman for Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., said
Gibbons "definitely has concerns given the potential effect on the
power plant."

The FAA has twice previously rejected requests from Hill Air Force Base
for new military operations areas. Those proposed areas, which included
parts of northern Utah, Wyoming and Idaho, were deemed too busy for
military activities.

The Nevada space was chosen because it is underutilized, Angus said.