Is your apartment building a threat to low flying aircraft?
With the influx of a large number of high rise residential apartments across the country, the average height of buildings in each city is on the upswing. The directorate of air traffic management has laid down stringent guidelines for low flying airplanes and private helicopters to fly at a certain height. The increase in average height of buildings and communication towers is bridging the gap alarmingly. There is however nothing to worry if the building you live in has all the safety requirements in place including a no objection certificate from the directorate of air traffic management in your city and the municipal corporation for maintaining the rules for building height if located close to the airport.
Here is a checklist to make sure your building in not floating any norms and is not a potential candidate to act as a threat to low flying aircrafts and helicopters.
Height Limit for Buildings
Depending on your city and the proximity of the building for the nearest airport, the municipal corporation authorities fix a height limit for buildings. For example in Mumbai the height limit has been fixed at a maximum of 300 meters for all buildings that are beyond 9 kms radius from the airport. Make sure that your building has been constructed as per the maximum height recommendations in your city.
Make sure your building has NOC for Height Clearance
The airports authority of India along with the directorate of air traffic management gives a no objection certificate for all buildings located under any municipal body. Every building that exceeds a minimum height criteria fixed by the respective municipal corporation requires a no objection certificate from the airports authority of India.
Virtually all high rise buildings are required to get an NOC for height clearance. Make sure that your building has submitted the relevant documents for getting the NOC for such clearance. Even if your building exceeds the height limit, the society needs to file an application to the designated officer of AAI for issue of NOC.AAI website offers online submissions for all such NOC requests.
Get NOC revalidated every five years
The validity of the no objection certificate issued by the airport authority of India in accordance with the directorate of air traffic management control is valid for a period of five years for all buildings. Keep a tab on the expiry date of the no objection certificate. Make sure that the society or RWA files for a revalidation of the NOC certificate well in advance before the expiry of the due date.
Use Aircraft Warning Lights
For buildings that have been planned and constructed as per the municipal by laws for height and have a NOC from the airports authority of India, the next logical step is to use aircraft warning lights on the building. The advantage of these lights is that they transmit light miles in the air in the night allowing low flight aircrafts and helicopter pilots to know that there is a high rise building in close proximity.
Aircraft warning lights usually have high-intensity bulbs but these days LED based bulbs are found to offer the same light while consuming less power. Make sure that the building aircraft warning lights are working properly and schedule a regular checkup in case any of the lights stop functioning.
