Safeguarding aeronautical communications from windfarms

In doing a review of current literature on wind farm interference to aeronautical radiocommunication services, it seems that the guidance for safeguarding VHF communications has advanced little.

Windfarms-on-Aeronautical-Communications

Specifically in the UK, we have the CAA policy in the form of CAP764, which says:

“Until further information is available, issues concerning wind turbines and VHF communications should be dealt with on a case-by-case basis and reference made to the guidance contained in Section GEN-01 of CAP 670.”

Consulting CAP670, it offers safeguarding distances around the facilities and the following note:

“A wind farm whose blade tips, at their maximum height, are below the visual horizon when viewed from a point situated 25 m above an aeronautical radio station site may be acceptable to an ANSP.”

So does that mean even after a decade where specific measurements have certainly been done that there are no accepted improvements to line-of-sight modelling? When I have finished my research I will try and answer.

In the beginning there was darkness…

…but then the Age of Enlightenment arrived when a movement of philosophers and scientists advocated a rational set of values based upon critical questioning and reasoning that gave birth to the scientific method.

This blog attempts to try and bring to bear these values in the form of observations on the radio spectrum and the technologies using it for telecommunication purposes.

Interested readers may be those involved in radio spectrum engineering and network planning, from markets spanning national regulators, network operators, equipment vendors, system integrators and consultants.

The endeavour is to bring clear thinking to the planning and evaluation of radiocommunication services.