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Airport GIS

Geopro Consultants’ aeronautical team has been working with the FAA Advisory Circular standards since they were first introduced in 2007. We have extensive experience completing aeronautical surveys to all iterations of the FAA AGIS Advisory Circulars, 150/5300-16, 17, 18, and 19. Our team members have been involved in hundreds of aeronautical surveys, including WAAS, LPV, RNAV, and FAR Part-77, throughout the nation. We have expertise that exceeds virtually all other survey companies in the nation when it comes to meeting AGIS requirements. If your project requires AGIS compliance, look no further than the survey team at Geopro Consultants.

Geopro staff are specially trained and skilled at performing aeronautical surveys and regularly travel throughout the country to perform critical airfield measurements. Our staff holds FAA Certification from the Airports GIS Integrated Distance Learning Environment (IDLE) for performing aeronautical surveys to the Advisory Circular 150/5300-16, 17, and 18 and has performed hundreds of aeronautical surveys to specifications including FAA 405, FAA AGIS, and DOD SDSFIE. Our team members have a thorough understanding of airfield procedures and equipment required to complete projects both on time and under budget.

Geopro can also provide data conversion services to make your current data compliant with the FAA GIS standards. Our track record of working within the new requirements ensures that existing data is converted correctly and accepted by the FAA the first time.

Obstacle Evaluation

Geopro can help airports to understand the obstacles impacting their operations as part of a cost-effective onsite evaluation developed in response to the FAA Interim Policy from November 18, 2013. In that Policy, the FAA issued guidance regarding penetrations of the 20:1 visual area surface for instrument approach procedures. This guidance became effective on January 6, 2014, and the FAA has cautioned that they will be taking immediate action on 20:1 penetrations when identified, often resulting in increased minimums and elimination of night operations for airports.

Quoting the FAA, they “highly recommend Airport Sponsors to take a proactive approach by reviewing all approach surfaces in advance of any flight check schedule to ensure they are clear, including any planned approaches depicted on the Airport Layout Plan (ALP),” noting that, “if an airport is part of an [FAA] review that uncovers obstacle penetrations, there is a limited amount of time to act before procedures are impacted.” To get a general sense of when your airport’s procedures are scheduled for review, the FAA has published its procedure review schedule. Although the schedule does not specifically state when the FAA will begin its reviews, they typically commence 30 to 60 days prior to the “Due Date” listed in the table.

Evaluation Procedure:

The 20:1 visual area surface is described in Section 3.3.2.c of FAA Order 8260.3B, United States Standard for Terminal Instrument Procedures (TERPS). The purpose of the surface is to protect aircraft during the last stages of the approach procedures when pilots transition from instruments to visual guidance. Objects penetrating the surface must be lowered or illuminated to ensure that pilots of approaching aircraft can see them. If they cannot be seen, the visibility minimums associated with the approach may need to be increased or nighttime use of the procedure may be disallowed.

Geopro will visit your airport and after measuring the runways and determining the latitude, longitude, and MSL altitude of the runways ends, will model a 20:1 Visual Surface in CAD-based environment with aerial photography as a base map. The team will then set up our high accuracy total-station equipment so that the 20:1 surface is aligned with the system optics. This way, objects penetrating the surface will be visible and can be located. Crews will then use our proprietary software and survey methodology to locate the obstacles and generate 3D coordinates at the obstacle top. Attributes of the obstacle, such as type, height, and lighted condition will also be documented. A final plot of the survey results will then be generated to share with airport stakeholders.

Although visual area surfaces have been defined in TERPS for many years, the FAA began reviewing these surfaces more systematically in early 2015. Initially, the FAA would take immediate action—raising visibility minimums and/or disallowing night operations—via NOTAMs to address obstacle penetrations that were identified. Unfortunately, several affected airport operators found that the obstacle data FAA used to make its determinations were erroneous (e.g., obstacles that had already been removed, obstacles that were depicted in incorrect locations). Other airports expressed concern that there was limited advance and post-NOTAM coordination between the airport and the FAA regarding 20:1 penetrations.

In response to these and other concerns from airport operators, the FAA developed established interim policy guidance to address penetrations of the 20:1 Visual Area Surface of instrument approach procedures. The interim policy incorporates a validation step during which airport operators can address erroneous obstacle data before NOTAMs are issued and provides a risk-based framework to address obstacle mitigation actions and timeframes.

Geopro Consultants provides obstruction validation services to correct the FAA’s erroneous obstacle data and identify legitimate threats to your airspace safety. Contact us today to find out more about potential risks to your approach minimums and nighttime operations.

ICAO Charting

ICAO Charting

Geopro Consultants specializes in the development of ICAO mandated aeronautical charts for obstacles, including Type A and B, and the Aerodrome Grid Chart. We also offer charting management services for airport authorities with a need for cost-effective yet highly accurate charting solutions.

By using a combination of previously existing data, satellite based aerial imagery, photogrammetry, and GIS software, our team can rapidly map, chart, and deliver ICAO compliant charts, maps, and accurate graphic depictions of the latest conditions of your airports.

e-TOD

analysisGeopro Consultants offers complete e-TOD (Electronic Terrain and Obstacle Database) production and management for airports to ensure compliance with international quality requirements for terrain and obstacle data including ICAO Annex 15 up to Amendments 33, 34 and 36 and ICAO doc 9881. Using a combination of ground-based surveying techniques and photogrammetric mapping, Geopro collects the terrain and obstacle data after developing the ICAO Annex 14 surfaces.

Geopro can produce a variety of data products in support of your e-TOD challenges, including Digital Terrain Models (DTM, DSM, DEM), and digital orthophotography. Geopro is also currently working on an automated methods to produce the requisite ICAO Charts (Type A and B, Aerodrome Grid) from your current AIXM-compliant data or GIS database.

Control Networks

Control Networks

Geopro Consultants’ geodetic control experts have extensive experience establishing geodetic control stations for a variety of clients, including airports, counties, and statewide geodetic control projects. Geodetic control serves as a common reference system for establishing coordinate positions for all spatial projects on your site. Traditionally, geodetic control points are established as permanent physical monuments placed in the ground and precisely marked, located, and documented. Our team can develop and install customized geodetic control monuments including your organization’s logo for your site to create unique and prominent permanent monumentation.

A geodetic control network is a very high priority for professional surveyors, GIS professionals, and other spatial data gatherers. Control surveys establish precise horizontal and vertical positions of geodetic monuments. These serve as the basis for originating or checking subordinate surveys for projects such as topographic mapping, boundary surveys, construction planning, and design and layout. They are also essential as a reference framework for giving locations of data entered in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Specifying locations of features relative to geodetic control makes it possible to assess the locational accuracy of these features.

Whether you need 2 monuments or 200, Geopro can help your organization to create geodetic control networks, including planning, establishment, surveying, and final reporting.