NAAA Executive Director Andrew Moore addressed wireless infrastructure industry representatives from around the nation about the need to mark towers below 200 feet in rural areas where low-level aerial applications are conducted. Moore was invited to be part of a panel along with Michael Helvey of the FAA's Obstruction Evaluation Group and Ed Roach of SBC Communications, a wireless infrastructure company.

 

Currently, the FAA is working on a regulation, as directed by Congress as part of last year's FAA extension bill, that requires the marking of towers between 50-200 feet located in rural areas to be marked and requires their coordinates to be logged into a database.  NAAA was instrumental in enacting this legislation.

 

The wireless infrastructure industry has been opposed to the law due to the costs associated with marking the towers. Congress has directed the low-level aviation industry coalition, which NAAA is leading, and the tower industry to attempt to work out a compromise. 

 

Moore addressed the attendees of the Wireless Infrastructure Show and displayed aerial pictures of difficult to see towers and informed them of the 14 accidents causing five fatalities from ag aircraft colliding with towers, many below 200 feet and unmarked, over the past decade. 

 

 

NAAA will continue to communicate the importance of tower marking to key stakeholders involved in the issue. Both the House and Senate are expected to markup legislation next month which may include tower marking compromise language. NAAA will keep you updated on the issue and will continue to push for marking and database logging of towers.