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Fligh t Standard s U^S . Departmen t Q «g , ^^^tier n Tec h Par k II . o f Transportatio n 2524 9 Countr y Clu b Blvd . Federa l Aviatio n Nort h Olmsted , Ohi o 4407 0 Administratio n Octobe r 14 , 200 9 Thoma s T . Schauer FAAAGL-622. 1 230 1 Universit

y Drive , Bldg . 23 B r- 7 Bismarck , N D 58504 Z£ ^ P h : 701-323-738 3 Cel l 701-471-097 9 o Thomas : , ;

" J O n October

5^ ^ th e Clevelan dFSD O Coordinate d aBanner Tov/in g Demonstratio n a t Th e ^ Clevelan dBurke Lakefront Airpor t (KBKX) . g Cit y o f Clevelan dAirpor

t Official s i n attendanc e fo r thi s Even t

wer e a s follows ; Khali d Bahhur Clevelan dBurke Airpor

t Commissioner , Danie l Psime r Clevelan d Burk e Operation s Superintendent , Clevelan dBurke Assistan t Directo r o f La w Jac k M Arnold . Clevelan dFSD O Official s i n attendanc e wer e Kri s A . Palch o Operation s Supervisor , Thoma s J . Leah y Aviatio n Safet

y an dPrincipal Operation s Inspector , an d th e Clevelan d FSDO' s Subjec t Matte r Expert (SME) , banner

to w Pilo t Konrad Balunek , an d groun d cre w Ingri d Balunek . Afte r ashort Briefing , al l i n attendanc e observe d th e se t u p o f tw o banners , on e a

t th e approac h end o f Runwa y 24L , an don e sout

h o f taxiway 'G ' an d adjacen

t t o taxiway 'B' . Bot

h o f thes e area s are outsid e o f th e airpor t AT C groun dcontro l movemen t are aan d visibl e fromth e AT C tower . In order t o determin e suitability , an inspectio n o f th e propose d site s wa s accomplishe d b y me , Da n Psimre , Konradan dIngri dBalune k durin g th e week

precedin g thi s event . Th e banne r

pic k u p an ddro p demonstratio n wa s observe d fromdifferent location s o n th e Burke airport . Kri s Palcho , andRaymon dJ . Bac aJr . th e Burk e Air Traffi c Manage r

observe d fro

mth e Ai r Traffi c Contro l Tower . Khali dBahhur , Da n Psimer , Jac k

Arnold , an d Thoma s Leahy observe d nea r th e respectiv e pic k

u p an ddro p areas . Konrad hadno t towe d fro mthes e area s recently . Therefore eac h circui t

wa s accomplishe d first

b y a n ove r flight, t o determin e i f

eac h to w coul db e accomplishe dsafel y prio r

t o th e actual pic k

up . Weather condition s fo

r th e Dem o wer e hig h broke n t o overcas t cloud s wit

h bris k wes t wind s fro m 27 0 degree s a

t 1 4 mp h gustin g t

o 2 0 mph . I n additio n t o th e banner

to w demo atota l o f

9 additional aircraf

t operation s wer e accommodate d durin g th e flight

portio n o f

th e dem o on e aircraf

t doin g touc h an d g o landing s wa s aske d t o exten d it' s dow n win dle g once . N o other airborn e aircraf

t wer e impacted . Tw o taxin g aircraf t were affecte d an dexperience dshor t delay s o f abou t 2 minutes . On e ha d t o delay th e start o f it s tax i and another neede dto b e route dabi t

differentl y than expected . Thes e tax i delay s wer e fo r th e secon dpickup , in th e are asout h o f taxiwa y 'G ' adjacent

t o taxiwa y 'B' . N o delays wer e encountere d fo r an y aircraf

t durin g th e se t

up o r teardow n o f

th e groun d base d equipment . Al l groun d operation s wer e conducte dwel l clea

r o f AT C movemen t

areas . Eac h banner

groun d se t

u p wa s les s tha

n 2 0 minute s i n duration . Traffi c Operation s an d flow durin g th e perio d wa s abou t normal fo

r thi s Airport . Eac h to w wa s conducte dusin g th e normal trac k to b e expecte d fo

r thi s typ e an d directio n o f operation , andinclude dacircui t o f th e Downtow n are ao f

Clevelan d prio r

t o th e drop . Th e banner

to w aircraf

t departe dBK

L jus t afte r 13:0 0 EDT , th e fly b y wa s complet e a t 13:0 9 and returne da t 13:1 5 fo r asuccessfu l hoo k

o f 2 7 letter s o n th e first

attempt . Afte

r th e circui t

thi s banner wa s droppe dan drecovere do n target . A flyby o f th e secon d banner

wa s accomplishe d and afte r tw o attempt s asuccessftj l hoo k o f thi s banne r

containin g 1 7 letter s wa s accomplished , followe d agai n b y a n uneventfia

l dro p an drecovery . Th e secon d baime r wa s droppe d an d th e dem o ove r a t 13:4 8 EDT . (Not e set u p an drecover

y o f thi s even t

wa s accomplishe d usin g on e groun d base d perso n b y thi s operator) . Th e aircraf

t use dfo r thi s banner

to w wa s astandard categor y F2 1 Taylorcraf

t modifie d wit

h a large r engin e an dinstallatio n o f ato w hook . Thi s aircraf

t i s typica l o f th e typ e expecte d fo

r a n operatio n o f

thi s sort . Followin g th e Demonstratio n a n informational discussio n an d shor t debrie f wa s accomplished . Al l involve dwer e invite dt o submi t thei r observation s o f

thi s event . Onl y Kri s Palch o an d Raymon dBac achos e t o comment . Kri s Palch o comments ; " / observe dth e se t

u p fro mth e fieldan d th e in-fligh t operation s fro mth e tower - Se t up - appeare dt o hav e n o impac t o n airpor t

operations . Th

e cre w remaine d wel l outsid e the movemen t area s o f the airfield . Pic k up - sit e 1 (nort

h o f th e approac h en d of24L ) -2 7 lette r banner , becaus e ther e were misse d attempts , ther e was asmal l impac t on other operation s a t

th e field . -th e towe r controller s ha dn o difficult y makin g change s t

o th e traffi c flow on thi s day -ther e was som

e questio n a s t o th e communication s wit h th e aircraf

t - us e o f th e phras e "procee da s requested " wa s chose n ove r th e word s "cleared " o r

"operation s approved" . AT C prompte dfo r

areques t whe n needed . -th e operatio n in lin e wit

h th e runway prove d t

o b e simpl e an d i n n o way athrea t fro mth e vie w tha t I had . -th e drop/recovery appeare dt o b e anon-event fro mthe tower

view Pic k u p - sit e 2 (sout

h ofRW24L ) -1 7 lette r banne r -agai n some delay i

n pic k up . Th e locatio n cause d mor

e delay/rerout e o f

traffi c becaus e th e pic k u p aircraf t wa s crossin g centerline s o f runway s AN

D taxiways .-one re-rout e wa s on tax i fo r departur e (bac k

tax i o f the active ) an d on e on tur n t o final fo r landin g -Again , AT

C di dagrea t

jo b a t makin g change s o

n th e fly. " -Pic k u p appeare drisk

y fro mth e tower

vie w - tur n t o final, div e fo r

pic k up outsid e norma l movemen t area , crossin g th e taxiway agai n on clim b -phraseolog y ha s sam e concern s a s first pic k up . -th e dro p wa s uneventful fro mthe tower view . -th e tower controlle r

wa s no t expectin g the coo l down tim e bu t agai n handle d i t

easil y -Thi s spo t ma y b e more conduciv e to eas t boun d departure s but

yo u stil l hav e to cros s a taxiway . M y preferre dlocatio n was site 1 . les s maneuverin g fo r pic k up an d dro p off

, les s impac t

o n airpor t operations , fewe r

change s t o th e norma l traffi c flow " Raymon dBac acomments ; ' ^ I reall y don' t

hav e to o muc

h to ad d fro mth e brie f

conversatio n tha t

we ha dfollowin g the demonstration , bu t I wil l giv e yo u aquic k

reca p o f m y thoughts . Fro ma controlle r standpoint , we woul dprefe r th e first dem o are ab e use d i f

an d whe n thi s operatio n come s to fruition . Whil

e bot h area s impac t

ai r traffi c movement, I believ e tha t th e are aeas t

o f taxiwa y "F " a t th e approac h en do f

Runwa y 24 L impede s progres s th e least . Th e are asout

h o f taxiwa y "G " (2n ddem

o area ) woul d essentiall y shutdow n ou r Runup Pad , Taxiwa

y "G" , an d Runwa y 6R/24L , whil e th e 1s t

demo are awoul d minimally impac t taxiway "F " ari d runway 6R/24L . Unfortunately , I believ e Conra dpreferre d th e secon d are abut , a s I said , I amlookin g a t i t fro ma n ai r traffi c standpoin t

where i t wil l hav e th e leas t

impac t o n airpor t

operations . A s fo r th e controller s here , th e onl y comment s tha t I hear d wer e i n regard s t o th e number o f banne r tower s tha t

woul db e permitte dto operat e a t an y give n time . Wit

h tha t bein g said , I don' t

wan t t o pu t th e "car t befor e th e horse " in term s o f

tha t concern , phraseology , etc.. . I t i s m y understandin g tha t ther e wil l b e man

y more meeting s prio r

t o thi s operatio n whic h i s wher e thes e concern s wil l b e voiced. " Ther e ar e thre e possibl e site s t o conduc t Banner towin g a t KBKL . Th e tw o tha t

were use d fo

r thi s demonstratio n were suitabl e withou t any improvements . Th e thir d sit e whic h i s nort h an d eas t th e approac h en

do f Runwa y 24 L woul d hav e requhe d some mowin g prio r t o us e an d additionall y i s no t visibl e i n it s entiret

y fromth e AT C contro l tower , but agai n outsid e o f

th e AT C movemen t area . Th e Clevelan dFlight

Standard s Offic e i s o f

th e opinio n tha

t i t i s reasonabl e t o expec t

that banner towin g coul db e conducte dsafely fi-omth e Clevelan d Burk e Lakefront

Airport (KBKL) . Sincerely , Leahy Aviatio n Safet

y andPrincipal Operation s Inspecto r