Application for amendment to Tauranga control zone and control areas Consultation

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1 Application for amendment to Tauranga control zone and control areas Civil Aviation Authority

2 Table of Contents 1. Introduction Background Proposal Effect on users... 2 a. VFR traffic... 2 b. IFR traffic... 3 (i) NDB/DME RWY (ii) NDB/DME RWY (iii) NDB RWY (iv) RNAV (GNSS) RWY (v) RNAV (GNSS) RWY (vi) Departures RWY 07 (including Omni Departures)... 4 (vii) Departures RWY 25 (including Omni Departures)... 4 (viii) Instrument Approach Circling Areas Submissions Further information... 6 Appendix A Proposed Tauranga CTR and CTA amendments March 2015 Page i

3 1. Introduction Following a review of the controlled airspace in the Tauranga area, Airways Corporation of New Zealand has submitted an application to reduce the size of the Tauranga control zone (CTR). This aligns with the CAA rules and policy that controlled airspace must be as small as practicable to protect flight paths of IFR flight arriving at and departing from the aerodrome (Rule 71.55(b)). 2. Background Tauranga aerodrome is among the busiest general aviation aerodromes within New Zealand where significant flight training, gliding, scenic and adventure aviation activities take place. The CTR was designated by the Director to protect the instrument flight paths and procedures and is classified as Class D controlled airspace. Tauranga airport is also a controlled aerodrome where all flights operating within the vicinity of the aerodrome receive an aerodrome control service Tauranga Tower and Ground. Approach control services for Tauranga aerodrome are provided by Christchurch Control (Bay Sector). 3. Proposal Airways state that the reason for the review of the Tauranga control zone is to achieve the following: 1. The CAA desire to reduce existing control zone sizes as mentioned in the CAA Airspace Review Plan. 2. The Airways desire to reduce control zone sizes as much as practically possible. 3. CAR Part Control Zones (b) specification that a control zone must be as small as practical consistent with the need to protect the flight paths of IFR flights arriving and departing from the aerodrome. 4. Facilitate improved air traffic management procedures. 5. Improve safety of operations at Tauranga. Rule 71.55(c) requires the lateral limits of a control zone to encompass the instrument flight paths of those IFR flights arriving or departing from the aerodrome in instrument meteorological conditions, to extend to at least 5 NM in the directions from which instrument approaches may be made, and to take into account the category of IFR aircraft using the aerodrome. Page 1

4 The proposal is to reduce the control zone in the direction of the final approach path from 10 to 7.5 NM, as well as the width. The upper limit will be lowered from 2500 ft to 1500 ft 1. Two new control areas would be created to ensure protection of the instrument procedures. The boundaries would be co-incident with the existing Tauranga CTR outer boundaries between 7.5 and 10 NM. The vertical boundaries of the control area in the western, northern and eastern portion would be from 1500 ft to 2500 ft. The southern portion would be from 2000 ft to 2500 ft. A diagram of the proposed controlled airspace changes is shown in Appendix A. 3. Effect on users All airspace changes are afforded full consideration by the Director to ensure that the safety afforded is at least equal to, or better, than existing airspace arrangements. If there are any negative effects on existing or future use of the airspace such as access, they must be as little as possible and there must be no undue financial penalty to users. a. VFR traffic The proposed changes would increase the uncontrolled airspace available to VFR aircraft to utilise. The existing CTR sectors Matakana, Racecourse, and Papamoa would be disestablished as they are no longer required. The general aviation area at Mt Maunganui, NZG271 with an upper limit of 1500 ft, would be disestablished as it would be outside controlled airspace. Rule Minimum heights for VFR flights requires that an aircraft must not be operated: (1) over any congested area of a city, town, or settlement, or over any open air assembly of persons at a height of less than 1000 feet above the surface or any obstacle that is within a horizontal radius of 600 metres from the point immediately below the aircraft; The summit of Mt Maunganui is 761 ft high and within 600 m of a built-up area. Aircraft must not be operated below 1800 ft in the vicinity of Mt Maunganui. Low flying zones, NZL261 and NZL265, would be entirely outside controlled airspace. The existing VFR reporting points (VRP) would remain. However, it may be that additional VRPs are desirable and some suggestions by users have already been made to Airways. Proposed VRPs will be discussed at the consultation meeting arranged for Wednesday 1 April 2015 (further information in Section 5 of this document). Current Tauranga VFR arrival and departure procedures would be amended. These are yet to be fully developed by Airways but will be predicated on a circular-flow system for 1 All altitudes in this document are above mean sea level unless otherwise stated. Page 2

5 optimum air traffic management rather than application of Class B airspace vertical separation standards between VFR aircraft within Class D controlled airspace. The western boundary of the existing Tauranga CTR is contiguous with the Peninsula common frequency zone. It has been suggested that this boundary is amended to follow the western and north-western boundary lines of the proposed Tauranga CTR as far as Mount Maunganui and then to Mayor Island. b. IFR traffic The Part 173 instrument procedure designer certificate holder GroupEAD Asia Pacific Ltd (GEAD) has assessed all of the instrument procedures to determine containment within proposed airspace. Airways applied the following criteria for the containment of instrument flight procedures (IFP) within the proposed controlled airspace design: Approach Segment NDB/DME approach outbound leg NDB/DME approach base turn NDB/DME final approach track RNAV approaches from IAF/IF to RWY Missed approach tracks Omni-departure tracks Containment criteria 2.5 NM buffer between nominal track and airspace boundary 2.5 NM buffer between nominal track and airspace boundary except as described in text below. NDB splay GEAD-defined Final Approach Area CADDS File N NM buffer between nominal track and airspace boundary except as described in text below. 2 NM buffer between nominal track and airspace boundary except as described in text below. The requested new CTR and CTAs contain IFPs as follows: (i) NDB/DME RWY 07 This approach would need to be amended so that it turns onto the inbound track at 2,000 ft or above. This would occur at around 6.7 NM TG DME on the existing 2.9 profile. If the petition is successful Airways intend to amend the approach as above. With that change, the outbound leg and the base turn would be contained by the new CTA 1500 ft to 2500 ft. NOTE: In the existing airspace layout, the nominal track of the existing approach lies within controlled airspace but the 2.5 NM buffer for the base turn protrudes outside Page 3

6 controlled airspace by up to 1 NM. Under the new airspace layout and amended approach, this protrusion would continue to exist although the nominal track would continue to be within the CTA. The petition is submitted on the presumption that continuation of this existing slight lack of containment would continue to be acceptable for this legacy approach. The missed approach track to BELET would be contained in accordance with the 300 ft per NM policy. (ii) NDB/DME RWY 25 The new airspace layout would contain this approach as it turns inbound at 2,000 ft or above the new CTA lower level (LL) 1500 ft containing the outbound, base turn and inbound to 7.5 NM with the new CTR containing the inbound from 7.5 NM. NOTE: In the existing airspace layout, the nominal track of this approach lies within controlled airspace but the 2.5 NM buffer for the base turn protrudes outside controlled airspace by up to about 1 NM. Under the new airspace layout, this protrusion would be the same. The petition is submitted on the presumption that continuation of this existing slight lack of containment would continue to be acceptable for this legacy approach. The missed approach track to DOTAR would be contained in accordance with the 300 ft per NM policy with the exception that the nominal track would close to 1.9 NM (less than the default 2 NM) from the northern CTR boundary for a short distance along Matakana Island. This is done in order to utilise the prominent geographical feature of the point on Matakana Island. (iii) NDB RWY 25 The outbound leg and base turn would be contained by the new CTA LL 1500 ft. Based on a 300 ft per NM profile, the inbound leg would also be contained. The missed approach would be contained by the new CTR and the new CTA LL 1500 ft. (iv) RNAV (GNSS) RWY 07 This procedure is contained by the new CTA LL 1500 ft and new CTR. (v) RNAV (GNSS) RWY 25 This procedure is contained by the new CTA LL 1500 ft and new CTR. (vi) Departures RWY 07 (including Omni Departures) Group EAD has advised that this existing departure with the turn at 1700 ft or above would be contained within the new airspace layout which includes the new CTA LL 2000 ft to the south. (vii) Departures RWY 25 (including Omni Departures) GEAD has advised that this existing departure with the turn at 700 ft or above would not be contained within the new airspace. For containment, this departure will need to be Page 4

7 changed so that it doesn't turn until passing 1500 ft, 1700 ft or 2000 ft. If this petition is successful then Airways intend to amend the departure as above. NOTE: In the existing airspace layout the existing RWY 25 omni-departures to the south would not necessarily be contained once they crossed out of the CTR as the lower level of the CTA there is 3500 ft on profile the aircraft would be below that level for a few miles. Under the new airspace layout and with the departures not turning until 1500 ft, 1700 ft or 2000 ft, on profile the departure would still not be contained whilst under the CTA LL 3500 ft for a short period but not as bad as the existing situation. This could be remedied by extending the new CTA LL 2000 ft a few miles south or by extending the existing CTA LL 2500 ft a few miles south. The petition is submitted on the presumption that the existing lack of containment could continue to exist. (viii) Instrument Approach Circling Areas All of the existing IFR approaches to Tauranga specify that IFR circling is not permitted north of the runway. The Cat A and B circling area (2.66 NM radius centred on the RWY 07/25 thresholds) to the south of Tauranga have been fully contained within the new CTR. It is unlikely that a Cat C aircraft would conduct circling manoeuvres, especially as all of the approaches have straight-in final tracks which allow for the preferred stabilised approaches. 4. The following organisations and representative groups have been sent a copy of this document: Air New Zealand Group Regional Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of New Zealand Airways Corporation of New Zealand Aviation New Zealand CTC Aviation Flying NZ Gliding New Zealand New Zealand Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association Royal New Zealand Air Force Tauranga Airport Ltd Tauranga Airspace User Group Notification has been sent to subscribers to the CAA Notification Service Airspace Notifications All Briefing Areas. Page 5

8 This document is also available on the CAA website at the following link: A consultation meeting with users will be held to discuss the proposal and provide any further information needed to assist in making a submission: Date: Wednesday 1 April 2015 Time: Venue: 1830 hours (6.30 p.m.) Tauranga Aero Club rooms 5. Submissions Prior to making a designation or classification of airspace, Civil Aviation Rule 71.9 requires the Director to consult with all parties that may be affected within the aviation industry. This document forms part of the consultation process. Submissions are sought from any interested person, organisation or representative group to provide further information relevant to this proposal. Submissions are accepted either electronically or via mail. Please address submissions to: Group Executive Officer Aviation Infrastructure and Personnel Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand PO Box 3555 Wellington 6140 Fax: dianne.parker@caa.govt.nz Reference Tauranga control zone and control areas amendment. Closing date for submissions is Friday 10 April Further information For further information contact: Paula Moore Aeronautical Services Officer Air Traffic Services (Airspace) Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand P O Box 3555 Wellington 6140 Page 6

9 Phone: (DDI) S-D180-03/4 (DW ) Page 7

10 Appendix A Proposed Tauranga CTR and CTA amendments Page 8

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