PICACHO PEAK STAGEFIELD
Picacho Peak Stagefield is a 320-acre satellite facility for Silverbell Army Heliport , located approximately 13 miles northwest of the heliport and a little over two miles east of the City of Eloy . Picacho Peak Stagefield ’ s mission is to operate as necessary to support the rotary wing and UAS training mission of the Army National Guard . It provides an important element of pilot training , including practicing emergency landing procedures . Training flights typically consist of closed-pattern flights at altitudes ranging from ground level to 2,400 feet above ground level within a one- to two-mile radius of the Stagefield . Night operations occasionally occur at Picacho Peak Stagefield on an as-needed-basis to support training requirements . The facility can support up to 12 helicopters simultaneously , but only four to six are typically in operation at a given time . There is also an instructor training course for the RQ-7 Shadow UAS .
Military Compatibility Areas
The MCAOD for Picacho Peak Stagefield is composed of four MCAs . Land Use MCA
The Land Use MCA is composed of all current parcels with 25 percent of their land area located within a ½ mile of the boundary of Picacho Peak Stagefield . Strategies associated with this MCA are related to land use planning , real estate disclosures , including notes on platting documents , and educating surrounding property owners about military operations in the area . It is further recommended that this MCA serve as a notification area by the jurisdictions to the AZARNG on proposed developments . Future development within this MCA should be characterized by lower density / intensity uses , such as one dwelling unit per acre for residential developments , with ordinances promoting uses that are compatible with military activities .
Airfield Safety MCA
The Airfield Safety MCA includes all land outside the installation boundaries within the clear zone ( CZ ) and accident potential zone ( APZ ) associated with existing and potential future helicopter landing lanes at Picacho Peak Stagefield . This MCA is intended to help prevent the development of incompatible land uses in areas with the greatest potential for an aircraft mishap . The AZARNG has expressed interest in constructing additional landing lanes in the future , so this MCA illustrates a potential layout and associated safety zones but would need to be updated if additional landing lanes are constructed . The MCA includes two subzones . Subzone A includes all land outside the installation boundary within the CZs . Within the CZ , most land uses are incompatible with aircraft operations . It is recommended that no development be located within CZs . Subzone B includes all land outside the installation boundary within the APZs . Compatibility guidelines recommend land uses that concentrate or cluster people , such as residences , churches , and schools , not be constructed within the APZs .
Airfield Obstructions MCA
The Airfield Obstructions MCA includes all land outside the installation boundaries within the imaginary surfaces associated with existing and potential future helicopter landing lanes . The purpose of the Airfield Obstructions MCA is to manage the height of all structures and buildings within the imaginary surfaces . The imaginary surfaces are 3-D geographic areas comprising approach departure airspace corridors and safety buffers . This MCA has two subzones . Subzone A is composed of the existing and potential approach-departure clearance surfaces for the landing lanes . Subzone A begins as inclined planes at the end of the primary surface and extend for 1,200 feet . Subzone B is composed of the existing and potential transitional surfaces for the landing lanes . The transitional surface starts at the lateral edges of the primary surface and the approach-departure clearance surface . It continues outward and upward to an elevation of 150 feet above the helipad elevation .
Airspace Protection MCA
The Picacho Peak Stagefield Airspace Protection MCA is composed of the designated Air Traffic Control Assigned Airspace around the installation , which extends for four nautical miles around the center of the airfield and consists of all airspace from the surface of the airfield up to and including 2,500 feet above ground level . Additionally , the AZARNG has a desire to work with the Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ) to establish this airspace as Class D Airspace in the future , which would encompass the same footprint . Development within this MCA should be managed to maintain building heights that will not interfere with aircraft operations .
Key Recommendations
The following are key recommendations to address compatibility issues around Picacho Peak Stagefield .
Land Use
• Develop a 3-D modeling tool of the imaginary surfaces at Picacho Peak Stagefield that can be used to determine structure heights on land within the imaginary surfaces .
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