Aviation safety question

[Mickey1992]

OK, this is prolly an odd one.

I live in close proximity to two hospitals.  Medical helicopters and the Columbus Police helicopters frequently fly over my area.

About two hundred yards away, along I-70, there are two communication towers.  I believe that one is cellular and the other might be commerial (microwave).  These towers seem to be directly in the flight path of at least one of the hospitals.  Perhaps it is just my direction of view, but many times these helicopters seem to come relatively close to the towers.

My concern is that neither of these towers have red aviation lights on them.  I swear that one of them used to, but for the past couple of months since I have noticed this, neither of them do.

I tell myself that the pilots know about the towers, eventhough they can't see them at night, and not to worry about it.  But I would hate for something to happen and come to find out that someone dropped the ball and a simple email or phone call would have brought this to someone's attention.

Any suggestions?


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Mickey
3./JG2 "BigJoe's Hoes"

[flakbait]

You could try finding out just who owns them and telling the owners there's no strobes on them. Or call the FAA and ask about their regs when it comes to commo towers and lighting. About a block from my house there's a dirt strip runway that's south of the actual airport. Right across the very end of the runway, there's a set of LARGE power cables. Two power towers are within 100 yards of it too, none with lights. But since the dirt strip is owned privately by the group of home owners who live on it, it isn't used much. Now if those towers were closer to the actual airport they'd (BPA) would HAVE to mount lights on them. Heck, a huge condo development has lights on their ROOF because they're across the street from the airport!! A Fred Meyer three blocks down also has lights on the roof as a safety measure.

If it were me in your shoes, I'd scream at whoever owns those towers to mount strobes on them. Then I'd kindly ask the local FAA rep what his opinion on it is. If that doesn't turn up anything, talk to the Evac pilots themselves. Maybe they know someone who can kick the ball in gear about this.


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Flakbait [Delta6]
Delta Six's Flight School
Put the P-61B in Aces High
"With all due respect Chaplian, I don't think God wants to hear from me right now.
I'm gonna go out there and remove one of His creations from this universe.
And when I get back I'm gonna drink a bottle of Scotch like it was Chiggy von
Richthofen's blood and celebrate his death."
Col. McQueen, Space: Above and Beyond
 

[Maverick]

You can try contacting the local FSDO (FAA Flight Services Directors Office??) The abbreviation is correct, I just forgot what they stand for.

Those folks are responsible to maintain flight standards and safety. There should be a listing for them in the Blue pages of your phone book under Federal Govt.

Just as an aside I believe towers have to have lights if they are over 200' tall. The FAA would be able to tell you definitively.

Mav

[Dux]

The FARs state, as did Maverick, that 200' and over is the requirement for lighting for hazards. 200 feet AGL is REALLY low... may look high from the ground, but in a helicopter it is not. The pilots who get to fly the LifeFlights have that job because they know what they're doing. I wouldn't worry too much about it.
   If the case is that the lights are broken, I can assure you that the pilots have all warned each other, that NOTAMs have been issued, etc.