On Sep 18, 1:05*pm, Orval Fairbairn
wrote:
In article
,





*CindyB wrote:
Flyers:

The airports involved are located in Southern California, Kerm County,
Tehachapi Valley, KL94 as
Mountain Valley Airport (a public-use soaring airfield) and Tehachapi
Municipal, KTSP.

We need some help with e-mail or fax inputs to Kern County Planning
Department in response to a Draft Environmental Impact Report on wind
turbines. *The comments on the DEIR must be filed by MONDAY,
5 p.m., September 21. * This study occurs prior to an FAA Notice of
Proposed Contruction and Obstruction filing, and hence is a way to
kick the objectionable part of the program in the teeth, BEFORE it
becomes a more likely eventuality.

The proposal is for the construction of 320 wind turbine generators
approximately 500 feet tall.
The project is entitled "Alta-Oak Creek Mojave Project" by Terra Gen.

The project is comprised of 3 subareas, two of which (Subarea 1 and
Subarea 3) are located close to MVA. Details of the project are
available on the Kern county Planning website (co.kern.ca.gov.us/
planning) if you click on Alta-Oak Creek Project. The pertinent maps
are in the Project Description Section.

* * MVA's concern is that Subarea 3 is located approximately one-third
of a mile from the southeast end of the runway horizontal surface and
penetrates well within the 20:1 glide slope surface. While the DEIR
demands compliance with FAA Notices of Proposed Construction and
Obstruction Lighting, such compliance does not negate the threat to
all air traffic (gliders and general aviation) approaching from the
southeast or transiting the Tehachapi Valley.
* * We are urging pilots to respond to the DEIR with concerns and
objections. Kern County DOES respond to sheer numbers of responses.
The only problem is that responses MUST be made by Monday, September
21 at 5:00 pm. They may be emailed or faxed to the following
individual. *Please carbon-copy us too.
* * * Kern County Planning Department
* * * Attention: Christopher Mynk
* * * Fax: 661-862-8601
* * * Email:
Translates to

* *Please include in your response a brief description of your
aviation qualifications. If you are a visiting or Southern California
pilot, and have flown with us, through or over the Tehachapi Valley,
enumerate your transitions. *Speak to the issues of flight safety in
airplane/glider approaches upwind to the west, VFR transitions of the
valley under winter skies with lesser visibility (on mountain wave
style days) and under cloud ceilings, the concentration of VFR traffic
through a lower elevation route, *the lessened visibility even in
daylight of white turbine blades against a bright sunlit westerly
route and specifically against lowered clouds and smog as a typical
local meterological phenomena.

* Higher density altitude in summer funnels traffic through lower
routes for engine performance considerations. *Lower preferred
cruising altitudes around the higher terrain for oxygen saturation
concerns, lower level flying in winter to avoid freezing levels, all
these items can be mentioned as factors that cannot be mitigated by
lighting.
Being forced to land under low ceilings in summer thunderstorms *or
winter San Joaquin ooze at the glider field to remain VFR, you would
not like to slalom these proposed towers.

* *Turbine Placement is the issue, not renewable power production.
Distancing the turbines away from the runway, and away from the lowest
ridgeline, or oriented on the approach quadrilateral are all needed as
alterations of the plan.

* *Mitigation efforts with night lighting do not compensate for a high-
traffic route, a construction style that provides extremely minimal
visibility and extreme risk ( this project recalls the German's
Rommel's Asparagus of Normandy).
* * We are sorry for the short notice. But we've only had about a week
to respond ourselves. Thanks for your help and if you have any
questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Larry and Jane Barrett
Mountain Valley Airport
Skylark North * * 661 - 822-5267

September 17, 2009

posted by a glider friend - for Tehachapi glider pilots
Cindy B
SSA Governmental Liaison Committee
www.ssa.org

Cindy, *Have you contacted the California Pilots' Assn.? They have won
some victories along this line.

--
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