Issue:
SA‐5
AZARNG Site:
Silverbell
Army Heliport
Pinal Airpark’s Runway Protection Zone
extends over a portion of Silverbell Army
Heliport.
Approximately 0.48 acres of the Runway
Protection Zone for Runway 12‐30 at Pinal
Airpark extend over a portion of the Silverbell
Army Heliport. If the Airpark runway were
enlarged or used by additional types of aircraft in
the future, a larger Runway Protection Zone that
would affect more land on Silverbell Army
Heliport could be necessary.
Compatibility Assessment
Based on a review of the 2015 Pinal Airpark Master Plan Update, 0.48 acres of the
runway protection zone (RPZ) extends into SBAH. Runway Protection Zone standards are
established by the FAA and are trapezoidal areas off the ends of runways that serve to
enhance the protection of people and property on the ground by identifying certain
types of land uses that are incompatible and should not be built within them. To rectify
this, the County will need to obtain an avigation easement for the portion of the RPZ that
extends off airpark property.
The Airpark Master Plan Update identifies the possibility of an extension to the existing
runway. Specifically, the plan states, “it was determined that the extent of potential
impacts associated with a runway extension and the current lack of justification makes
this not feasible at present time. However, if activity increases beyond what is forecasted
and/or the fleet mix changes resulting in justification for an extension, this should be
reconsidered.”
Through interviews with Pinal County, it was identified that the County has considered a
possibility to enter into a partnership with the DoD, in which U.S. Air Force planes would
have authorization to utilize the facilities Pinal Airpark for certain training activities. At
the time this JLUS was written, no decisions have been made regarding the potential
partnership opportunities. It was noted that the extension of a runway is not considered
a high priority for Air Force use; however, if it is eventually decided to move forward with
this concept, it would likely be extended to the north due to the presence of private land
and agriculture uses to the south. If extended to the north towards SBAH, operations at
the heliport would likely be impacted.
The mix in fleet that would result from a partnership with the DoD may serve as the
justification needed for a runway extension at the airpark. If this partnership were to
occur, the existing RPZ would no longer be satisfactory and would likely need to be
5-130
Compatibility Assessment