military personnel by encouraging land development compatible with aircraft
operations, while protecting the public investment in the installation. This
program recommends compatibility measures and land uses that are
compatible with specific elements of military airfields including elevated
sound levels, accident potential zones, and obstruction clearance criteria.
bird activity and movements to assist pilots and flight planners in the
scheduling and use of flight routes. The model can also be used as a
forecasting tool to estimate bird strike risk. Information from the North
American Breeding Bird Survey, Audubon Christmas Bird Count, bird refuge
databases, and the US Air Force Bird‐Aircraft Strike database as well as public
domain information regarding landfill locations is used to formulate the bird
activity and movement data. The model is available for use by agencies and
the general public, accessible from the USAHAS website at
http://www.usahas.com/.
4.3
The AICUZ program has two objectives. First to assist local, regional, state
and federal officials in protecting and promoting the public health, safety,
and welfare by promoting compatible development within the AICUZ area of
influence. And second, to protect Air Force operational capability from the
effects of land use which are incompatible with aircraft operations.
Seymour Johnson AFB Plans and
Programs
Noise Zone Profile
Noise is the cornerstone of the AICUZ Report. The noise generated by military
aircraft operations and the effects of that noise on local communities are
presented in a variety of ways in the study (e.g., written text, graphically,
etc.). To fully appreciate the findings and recommendations presented in the
AICUZ Report, it is beneficial to provide an understanding of how military
aircraft noise is measured, evaluated, and graphically illustrated. Day night
average sound level (DNL) is a measure of noise commonly used surrounding
a military installation. The main sources of noise at airfields are flight
operations, which include take‐offs, landings, touch‐and‐go operations, and
engine maintenance run‐ups. The Air Force considers how its operations
impact the local community by calculating the DNL. The DNL averages the
noise levels of all aircraft operations that occur within a 24‐hour period. The
DNL is depicted as a contour around a noise source connecting points of
equal value, usually in 5‐dB increments.
Seymour Johnson AFB plans and programs provide guidance for land uses
and development activities on the installation. These tools govern land use
decisions that occur inside the fenceline or within the boundary of the
military mission footprint in relation to the military mission or proposed
military missions.
These tools provide guidance and establish measures for standard operating
procedures during certain events such as weapons firing. There are various
installation tools that are instrumental in assisting and guiding land use
decisions as they interface with the military mission.
Air Installation Compatible Use Zone
The United States DOD initiated the AICUZ program to assist government
entities and communities in anticipating, identifying, and promoting
compatible land use and development near military installations with aircraft
activity. The AICUZ program involves coordinating the efforts of installation
commanders and local community leaders and other government agencies to
encourage compatible development of land in proximity to military airfields.
It also serves to protect the health, safety, and welfare of civilians and
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Safety Zones
As part of the AICUZ program, and to aid in land use planning surrounding
military bases, the DOD established safety zones. These are defined as Clear
Zones (CZ), Accident Potential Zone I (APZ I), and Accident Potential Zone II
(APZ II). These zones are determined using a statistical analysis of all DOD
aircraft accidents. APZs follow departure, arrival, and pattern flight tracks
Background Report