The traditional pillars of economic growth normally incorporate land, labor and capital means. In Northwest Florida there is another pillar that is equally valuable – our airspace. Airspace allows the flow of commercial aviation for business, tourism and military training and testing. But if we are not careful, the region’s growth could make airspace management more challenging or worse, diminish the military value of our Air Force and Navy installations.

It is easy to take airspace for granted. As we look skyward we see a variety of activity ranging from jet fighters, to airliners to banner tow aircraft – moving almost effortlessly in a seemingly orchestrated ballet of precision, safety and efficiency – somehow possessing a self-correcting nature. Moreover, when we fly we are imbued with a sense of comfort from our carriers, as smooth as the voice on the cockpit intercom welcoming us aboard.

In the aggregate, airspace in Northwest Florida is an evolving organism of aircraft, airspace, altitudes, speeds, communications and coordination - all attempting to move aircraft as quickly and safely as it can. Stair steps of altitudes sprawl out from runways to define departure and arrival corridors for aircraft to adhere to noise abatement and air traffic deconfliction. Military testing on the 724 square mile Eglin reservation creates restricted areas that change with time and mission. Holiday weekend air traffic in the summer disgorges an invasion of general aviation traffic into Destin airport. Air Force missile testing at Tyndall Air Force Base consumes one fourth of the available airspace over the Gulf of Mexico. Banner tow aircraft amble down the beach at speeds barely approaching traffic on Highway 98 while F-15, F-18, T-34 aircraft cruise in over the coast from training missions over the Gulf of Mexico waters. Airline operations at Pensacola, Panama City and Fort Walton Beach manage to takeoff and land with efficiency. It is a delicate balance of seamless coordination and discipline threatened occasionally by weather, but more insidiously by a lack of knowledge of its importance to our economic future.

This summer the region will experience additional activity in our airspace as the commander of the Navy’s Atlantic Fleet will be conducting his training in Northwest Florida. Add to that the F/A-22 Raptor scheduled to arrive at Tyndall Air Force Base, the proposed relocation of the Panama City Airport and growth at Defuniak Springs and Bob Sikes airport – all of which force the airspace organism to adapt. These growth dynamics will be competing for a finite amount of airspace.

From the perspective of "military value", a major criteria incorporated in the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Committee proceedings, airspace encroachment is an "invisible threat" according to Mr. Bob Arnold of Eglin’s 46^th Test Wing. Arnold is the Chairman of the Eglin Encroachment Committee. "Eglin would not be what it is today if it weren’t for the airspace," he notes, "the most visceral area for Eglin is the airspace, encroachment can reduce military value."

Dan McFaul, spokesman for Congressman Jeff Miller adds, "Facing a BRAC in 2005 the top issue they will look at is encroachment, both on the land on in the air. The military training, test & evaluation conducted in Northwest Florida depends upon the airspace."

Further east Tyndall Radar has airspace responsibility. The Fleet Area Control and Surveillance Facility at Pensacola NAS manage airspace restricted for military use over the Gulf of Mexico for portions south of Pensacola and Eglin Mission Control for portions eastward. Overlaying all of these entities is Jacksonville Air Route Traffic Control Center, providing traffic control for all transiting aircraft.

The aforementioned description oversimplifies the challenges the pilots have in transiting from one area to another as well as the implications of encroachment. Pilots transiting from one airspace region to another must have a solid knowledge of the airspace rules and procedures as well as the ability to adapt to a different controller mindset. Lt Colonel Daniel "Duke" Whitten is the commander of the 81^st Test Support Squadron of the 53^rd Weapons Evaluation Group based at Tyndall Air Force Base supporting over water tests of air-air missiles. His organization provides the radar and communications control for the target drone, shooter aircraft and telemetry aircraft that compose one of their tests. "Or cooperation with all agencies including the FAA is good," Whitten notes. "The FAA works with relative constants in terms of speeds, timing and altitude to keep aircraft apart from each other, whereas, we are trying to bring aircraft together as fast as possible with a very dynamic situation." He noted that typical closure rates approach 1.5 times the speed of sound.

Encroachment. Northwest Florida airspace is inextricably connected to the ground and sea ranges to support military training and testing. While encroachment issues are more commonly viewed in terms of the landmass, the airspace above the ranges consumes an even larger area in order to provide access and maneuvering room. Encroachment on airspace occurs when there is a demand for that airspace for a non-military purpose. As the number of operations in any given airspace increase, pressure is exerted to find additional airspace. Increases in the amount of aircraft activity intensify the workload on air traffic controllers since physical separation criteria between aircraft is set by the FAA. Coordination between adjacent airspace control authorities to allow transits is a normal way of relieving congestion however it can’t occur unilaterally nor permanently. When adverse weather such as a frontal system or thunderstorms enters the "airspace organism" coordination becomes problematic.

The recent decision by the Navy’s Commander of the Atlantic Fleet to move naval training to the region is based on the military value of this "unencroached" linkage between air, ground-surface, sea-surface and sea-subsurface ranges. Some communities are being proactive about encroachment. In May of 2002 plans for a 400-acre housing development near the approaches to Tyndall Air Force Base were dropped due to a concern by the Bay County Commissioners of encroachment and its possible adverse effect on the military value of Tyndall for upcoming BRAC proceedings.

While post 9/11 airline service dropped of it is expected to increase. Operations at Pensacola Airport have recovered to pre 9/11 levels with the help of Air Tran moving its operations from Okaloosa. Plans call for the runway to be resurfaced and lengthened. Okaloosa reports fewer operations due to the departure of Air Tran but is noting high load factors for Delta, ASA and Comair airline flights. "I’d say we are holding our own and making some progress in recover, " states Jon Morris of Okaloosa Regional Airport.

Defuniak Springs Airport will be blossoming in the wake of a recent $550,000 economic development grant to improve the infrastructure. An additional $1 million dollars in grants are further expected according to Mike Gifford of Aero FX whose company will be setting up a one-stop maintenance facility for general aviation aircraft. Ten T-hangars and 4 large maintenance hangars are planned for the airport. A parallel taxiway is presently under construction to facilitate development of a 160-acre industrial park according to Michael Standley, City Manager of Defuniak Springs.

New housing developments in Freeport planned by Crystal Beach Development, Inc. and MAS Ventures Inc., coupled with the continued infusion of high net-worth home owners along the South Walton coastal area will attract more private aircraft to the area since there will be another airfield alternative away from the congestion near Eglin.

Radar Coverage Gaps.

There are periodic gaps in radar coverage as a result of inadequate manpower at Eglin Radar. Demands on military air traffic controllers due to real-world commitments, the lengthy training time for new controllers, and the constant departure of controllers for civilian positions with the FAA at upwards of $50,000 more per year in salary forced Eglin to transfer radar control during the weekends to Pensacola. But Pensacola’s radar is unable to see low flying aircraft in Eglin’s airspace since Pensacola’s radar is so far away and there is no link to Eglin’s radar. Pensacola controllers cannot provide positive control to aircraft below approximately 2,000 feet near Eglin and the beaches and must rely on transmitting position reports that are safe but cumbersome, especially during the tourist season weekends when general aviation aircraft converge on the coast. According to Cliff Murdock, the FAA is examining equipment that would allow a feed off of Eglin’s radar antenna for low altitude coverage; however, this initiative is not moving at a pace that satisfies the controllers. According to McFaul, the Transportation Appropriations Bill FY2004, currently in pre-draft, will contain homeland defense stipulations, which should increase FAA funding and allow them to purchase the equipment for a direct feed from Eglin’s Radar.

Continued growth and military activity along Northwest Florida will continue to apply pressure on the use of the airspace to support commercial, military and general aviation activities. These pressures will dictate that equipment, personnel and cooperation will have to be continually optimized. Notwithstanding all the elements to preserve and control the airspace it will ultimately remain a pilot’s responsibility to be alert and follow procedures. "It is getting busier around here," notes Larry Anderson, President of Micon Corporation and an instructor pilot at Destin airport. "The biggest challenge I have as an instructor is impressing upon the students that they must be vigilant about looking out for other aircraft."

Making it all work and preserving one of Northwest Florida’s most valuable assets will require work. Bob Arnold summarizes, "We are going to have to communicate with each other. "