The word “Safeguard” relates to a circumstance that can prevent something undesirable, while an “Aerodrome” is a defined area where aircraft can land, take-off, taxi or park, and includes airfields, airports, heliports, etc. The purpose of Aerodrome Safeguarding is to take the measures necessary to ensure the safety of aircraft and the passengers and crews aboard them, while taking-off or landing, or while flying in the vicinity of an aerodrome.
This is achieved by a process of checking proposed developments so as to:
- protect the blocks of air through which aircraft fly, by preventing penetration of surfaces created to identify their lower limits;
- protect the integrity of radar and other electronic aids to air navigation, by preventing reflections and diffractions of the radio signals involved;
- protect visual aids, such as Approach and Runway lighting, by preventing them from being obscured, or preventing the installation of other lights which could be confused for them;
- avoid any increase in the risk to aircraft of a bird strike by preventing an increase in hazardous bird species in the vicinity of the aerodrome and, whenever the opportunity arises, to reduce the level of risk.
General information concerning safeguarding can be found in OTAR 139 Certification of Aerodromes.
