UPDATE First announced back in 2018, an FAA deadline concerning short towers on farm land was delayed.
Originally, October 1, 2019 was the deadline for landowners with towers on their property that are 50- to 200-feet tall to mark their towers. The new rules were set forth in the FAA Extension, Safety and Security Act of 2016, reported GeneralAviation.com. Most agricultural-related aviation encounters with towers involve collisions with guy wires.
But in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, the deadline changed and the new rule is not in effect. According to the Act, it becomes effective no later than 18 months after the date of enactment, or the date a new FAA database is available, whichever is later. The new database is not yet available.
The FAA is developing a database that should include both privately owned towers and meteorological evaluation towers (METs) in this height range. Prior to the ruling, towers under 200-feet did not need to be marked. The National Agricultural Aviation Association recommended that landowners mark their towers and voluntarily record the structures on their property into the FAA’s Daily Digital Obstacle File.
Property owners can report an obstruction to the FAA’s Daily Digital Obstacle File by emailing the tower’s height and coordinates to [email protected].
October 2, 2019
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