After 12 years of NAAA advocating for tower marking requirements to the FAA and Congress, President Obama signed into law a bill making sub-200 foot tower marking requirements law on July 15.

 

Per last week’s eNewsletter and several others, the bill includes marking requirements for towers between 50 and 200 feet with an above-ground base of 10 feet or less in diameter and on undeveloped land, including land used for agricultural purposes. Marking includes aviation orange and white sequential painting of the towers, and fluorescent cable sleeves and balls on the guyed-wires. The law also requires the FAA to develop a database that is accessible to all aviators who require location information for sub-200 foot towers for safety purposes. You can read more about the bill here, or read the full bill here. The FAA has one year to promulgate the rules requiring tower marking, and NAAA is already working with them on its development .

 

Enactment of this federal legislation is due to a collective industry effort spanning a dozen years. Sadly, many ag pilots paid the ultimate price before this federal statute was agreed to. But their lives and the efforts of Karen Allen and others have led to a safer industry for ag pilots today. Ms. Allen led a successful legal charge in California holding companies erecting towers under 200 feet and their sponsors responsible for not marking these low-level obstacles. 

 

Others that NAAA would like to thank for helping develop this public law include Scott Schertz of Schertz Aerial Services for first bring this issue to the attention of NAAA in 2004; George Parker of Crop Jet Aviation in Gooding, Idaho for his efforts when acting as Idaho Ag Aviation Association’s president in enacting Idaho tower marking laws; Jessica Freeman, executive director, and the board and members of the Colorado Ag Aviation Association for passing legislation in that state; Chris Shields, executive director, Cricia Ryan and the board and members of the Texas Agricultural Aviation Association; the offices of Congressmen Sam Graves (Missouri), Rick Crawford (Arkansas), and Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (Pennsylvania) as well as Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (South Dakota) for their support in Congress that ultimately made this legislative feat possible. There were many more involved in this endeavor—too many to keep track of and list— and we thank all involved. It takes such a collective effort to enact federal legislation. Sometimes it is a painstaking, time-consuming process but the process can work for those willing to commit to it.