Aerodrome Safeguarding

Aerodrome safeguarding is a crucial process at all three of Argyll and Bute Council’s airports (Oban, Coll, and Colonsay). This process ensures the safety of aircraft while manoeuvring on the ground, taking off, landing, or flying in the vicinity of the aerodrome. Safeguarding is a legal requirement under both ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) regulations and UK CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) regulations.

Our airports have established planning conditions with the local authority, and we are notified of significant developments within a 15km radius of our airports. This notification allows our safeguarding team to assess whether proposed developments could adversely affect airport operations.

What Do We Assess?

  • Physical Safeguarding: Protecting the Obstacle Limitation Surfaces around our airports.
  • Cranes and Construction Equipment: Evaluating the impact of cranes and other tall construction equipment.
  • Technical Safeguarding: Ensuring the integrity of navigational aids and communications systems.
  • Wildlife Management: Assessing whether landscaping, water features, waste sites, or other factors could increase bird activity.
  • Wind Turbine Development: Evaluating the impact of wind turbines and other renewable energy sources.
  • Lighting: Ensuring external lighting does not interfere with airport operations.
  • Solar Panel Glint: Assessing potential reflections from solar panels that could affect pilot visibility.
  • Drone requests: Ensuring drone requests within the FRZ do not pose safety risks to airport users.

Cranes and Tall Equipment

Cranes and other tall equipment, such as concrete pumping towers, piling rigs, and mobile lifting platforms, can significantly impact the safe operation of airports. These structures may infringe upon the protected airspace around an airport and pose a serious hazard to flight safety.

Anyone intending to use cranes or tall equipment within 6 kilometers of an aerodrome boundary, where the height exceeds 10 meters above ground level (AGL) or the height of surrounding structures or trees, must obtain permission and a tall equipment permit from Oban and the Isles Airports before beginning operations. Operators of tall equipment greater than 50m AGL operating within 15km of the aerodrome are advised to consult Oban and the Isle Airports.

Operators must apply 14 days in advance to allow for the relevant safety assessments to be carried out. Additional information may be required if the planned operation poses a risk to aviation. Download Permit application form.

Crane operators are also required to notify the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) via ACOMS if operating within 6 km of the aerodrome/airfield and its height exceeds 10m Above Ground Level (AGL) or that of surrounding structures or trees, or if to be operated at or above a height of 100m AGL regardless of location or height of surrounding structures. 

The hirer of the crane (principal or other contractor) is responsible for notifying relevant aerodromes, Civil Aviation Authority and the lighting of the crane. Crane suppliers should ensure that hirers are aware of these responsibilities.

6km Tall Equipment Map

Further Guidance :

British Standard 7121 'Code of Practice for Safe Use of Cranes'.

CAA Guidance to crane users on aviation lighting and notification - CAP 1096

CAA Crane Notification Guidance

CAST Advice Note 4

Drone Operators

Our airports are protected aerodromes under the Air Navigation Order since 2019 it's a legal requirement that all drones and unmanned aircraft operators must get permission from the airport authority before flying within the Flight Restriction Zone (FRZ).

The FRZ is to ensure safety and operational efficiency in areas where uncontrolled drone operations could pose significant risks. Our FRZ protects a radius of 2nm from the Surface to 2000ft above ground level. Oban airport also has a runway protection zone that extends 5km from the threshold of each runway away from the aerodrome, along the extended runway centreline, and 500m on either side - also to a height of 2000 ft above ground level. 

Flight shall not be conducted until approval from the airport team has been granted. Conditions may be applied to flights in the interest of safety.

Drone Permit Applications

Drone flight requests should be submitted 48 hours in advance to allow sufficient time to review the flight. Any drone requests made within 48 hours may not be processed in time. Oban & The Isle Airports use Altitude Angel to process all drone flight requests. Requests can be submitted using the below links or via the drone assist app available from Google Play store / Apple Store.

Drone Code

Fly responsibly and follow the drone code for operators

Flight Restriction Zone

Flight Restriction Zone (FRZ) dimensions and layout

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