Section 1-2 Microsoft Word document. Size:67K

Section 1-2 OCX-V-Plan Operating Plan Summary

Section 1-2.1 Operations Overview
Section 1-2.2 Precision Approaches
Section 1-2.3 OCX Priority Approaches
Section 1-2.4 Missed Approaches
Section 1-2.5 Conclusion

Section 1-2.1 Operations Overview

The New Millennium Group's (TNMG) proposed arrival procedures to Runway 16L and departure procedures from Runway 16L at OCX are substantially different than the former Marine Corps arrivals and departures for the past 35 years. In fact the proposed operations are virtually a complete reversal. The OCX-V-Plan proposes abandoning the double-crossing/intersecting east/west north/south runway configuration existing today, and replacing it with an inverted "V" configuration.

Of the five existing runways, the parallel 8,000' east/west Runways 7L/R-25L/R would be eliminated, leaving the parallel 11,000' north/south Runways 16L/R-34L/R and the 3,900' southwest/northeast Runway 3-21, which under phase 2, would be reoriented to the heading 1-19 and extended to 12,000'. Under the initial interim Phase 1 reuse, existing Runway 16R-34L would serve as taxiway to the sole operating Runway 16L-34R.

Under the proposed Phase 1 initial interim reuse, all primary arrivals to OCX would be from the north over undeveloped county Natural Communities Conservation Program (NCCP) Open Space Reserves to a displaced threshold on existing Runway 16L, using a 3.10 degree vertical path angle and 7,000' of runway stopping distance.

Primary departures would be to the southwest from Runway 16L, performing a 30 degree banked right turn (after accelerating to V2+20 kts) and crossing El Moro Bay at the Pacific Ocean, utilizing the 3-mile wide undeveloped county NCCP Open Space Reserves/State Park to isolate noise impacts away from all existing residential communities. Phase 2 would include an additional departure route from the proposed Runway 19 which would converge with the departure route from Runway 16L forming a single departure route over El Moro Bay.

The TERPS analysis prepared by TNMG determined these standards to be feasible in conformance with FAA standards.

Section 1-2.2 Precision Approaches

Nearly all arrivals to OCX (96%) would be from the north to existing Runway 16L which according to FAA TERPS Orders 8260.3B (for ILS), 8260.36A (for MLS), and 8260.48 (for RNAV), all agree that that an automatic landing in Category III weather minimums using a 3.10 degree vertical path angle is workable. Arrivals to existing Runway 16L would be to a displaced threshold with 7,000' of runway stopping distance, similar to Long Beach airport, which is adequate for any kind of aircraft at any landing gross weight, even on wet runway surfaces, including but not limited to interim use for air-cargo operations (Phase 1). When providing the TERPS analysis for the OCX-V-Plan, TNMG utilized existing technology for the initial Phase 1 interim reuse, but TNMG recognized and anticipated that new technologies such as Global Positioning System (GPS), Ground Based Augmentation System (GBAS) or Local Area Augmentation System (LAAS) and Geostationary Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS) or Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), will soon be the aviation standard, replacing Instrument Landing System (ILS) approaches, and will greatly enhance the OCX-V-Plan performance in conjunction with a new onboard Vertical Navigation (VNAV) mode that use GPs signals for control during the final approach and the GPs "ILS-look-alike" mode for automatic landings.

When northeasterly Santa Ana winds exceed 7 knots (4%), visual approaches to Runway 34R (phase 1 interim reuse) would be accomplished by using a circle approach. These remaining approaches to OCX (4%) for Phase 1 would be visual/circle approaches to a displaced threshold on Runway 34R from the southwest. This approach procedure over the southwest open space corridor is to avoid the heavily populated residential communities of Laguna Niguel, Aliso Viejo, Laguna Woods and Laguna Hills, and would only be used until the new Runway 1-19 is constructed, which would then provide straight in alternate approaches during Santa Ana wind conditions.

During Phase 1, a new 12,000' Runway 1-19 would be constructed and would operate during Phase 2 with a standard 3.00 degree vertical path angle for precision approaches to the northeast on Runway 1 under occasional seasonal Santa Ana wind conditions. In addition, a new 11,500' Runway 17L-35R would be constructed during Phase 2 for Phase 3 to replace the existing Runway 16L-34R. Approaches from the north to the new Runway 17L could operate with a standard 3.00 degree vertical path angle for precision approaches with a displaced threshold with more than 7,500' of runway stopping distance, providing the automatic flight control systems on the fleet of aircraft utilizing OCX have been upgraded to utilize the anticipated GPS/GBAS technologies which reduce the required obstacle clearance. Existing Runway 16L-34R is to be reconstructed, re-graded and reoriented by a slight 4 degree offset which utilizes GPS/GBAS for the purpose of increasing the performance of approaches to Runway 17L over the lowest portion of Loma Ridge to increase the available runway stopping distance while decreasing the overall runway length to be constructed/extended.

During Phase 3, Runway 17L-35R would be extended to the south on existing MCAS, El Toro property by an additional 2,050', which would extend the runway stopping distance of Runway 17L-35R to 9,500', bringing the total ultimate runway length to 13,550' for Phase 4.

Section 1-2.3 OCX Priority Approaches

Approaches in Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions to OCX will take precedent over IFR approaches to John Wayne Airport (SNA) because of the anticipated volume of traffic to OCX will replace existing traffic to SNA. Existing approaches to SNA come from the west, north and the east, crossing the proposed approaches to OCX which will also continue to come from the west, north and east. To avoid conflicts, in IFR conditions, any remaining SNA approaches from the north and east should be rerouted to a right downwind approach to eliminate crossing the dominate OCX approaches.

Departures: Under normal operating conditions, all primary departures would be south from Runway 16L, performing a 15 degree to 30 degree banked right turn (after accelerating to V2+20 kts), proceeding with a straight out departure to the crossing El Moro Bay at the Pacific Ocean, utilizing the 3-mile wide undeveloped county NCCP Open Space Reserves/State Park to isolate noise impacts away from all existing residential communities. Under occasional seasonal Santa Ana wind conditions, departures would reverse and would be to the north from Runway 34R, heading due north. Because the John Wayne Airport would operate in like manner in Santa Ana wind conditions, there would be no conflict between the two facilities departure routes.

Phase 2 would include an additional departure route from the proposed Runway 19 which would converge with the departure route from Runway 16L forming a single departure route over El Moro Bay. These simultaneous, widely separated independent departure routes for OCX would guarantee efficient operations during peak hours.

Section 1-2.4 Missed Approaches

Missed approaches to Runway 16L would be a straight ahead climb, avoiding the routes of other regional airports, with little or no impacts expected. Missed approaches to Runway 35R (Phase 1 interim reuse) would be a climbing left turn to 170 degrees similar to the route of the former Marine Corps departure route from Runway 35 and therefore avoids the routes of other regional airports. Little or no impacts expected. Phase 2 missed approaches to Runway 1 would be a climbing left 30 degree banked turn to avoid the routes of other regional airports. Little or no impacts are expected.

Section 1-2.5 Conclusions

Upon analysis of the county's proposed Airport Layout and Operating Plans, TNMG believes that the proposed primary arrivals to Runways 34L/R and departures from Runways 7L/R and Runways 34L/R, including the county's newest proposed 40-mile U-turn "right turn" to the Pacific Ocean are inefficient and inappropriate considering the extent of adverse impacts that would be dispersed to a heavily populated South Orange County. Existing homes are located less than 4,000 feet from the proposed eastern departure route that are subsequently situated on the hillsides of the Foothill Ranch, Portola Hills, Mission Viejo and Rancho Santa Margarita communities. Likewise, the communities of Laguna Niguel, Aliso Viejo, Laguna Woods and Laguna Hills under and near the proposed primary arrival route are also situated on hilly, elevated coastal terrain at and about 1,500' from the proposed arriving aircraft.

In comparison, the OCX-V-Plan Airport Layout and Operating Plans are more efficient and avoid more residential communities by operating basically straight in/straight out arrival and departure routes over predominately undeveloped open space corridors, greater in width and acreage than those preserved by the Policy Implementation Line (PIL) established at MCAS El Toro for Marine Corps operations.

Compiled 08/10/01 The New Millennium Group
Written by: Charles E. Griffin and Russell Niewiarowski

The entire Engineering Section containing all section, is available on CD-ROM.

griffin@ocxeltoro.com for a CD-ROM copy
Next: Section 2-1 Historical Wind Data for MCAS El Toro

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