Leesburg VA - What You Need to Know - Leesburg Executive Airport

Описание: In 2014, the swedish company Saab approached Leesburg as a test site for a new Remote Tower System. The system was installed and in 2016 the FAA began evaluations.

Since 2018 there has been continuous Air Traffic Control at Leesburg with zero operational failures.

In July 2021 the FAA issued technical requirements that Saab needed to meet that would allow System Design Approval.

These new requirements were far more stringent than what Saab had been working towards in the beginning. As such, they decided that they would not pursue System Design Approval.

A few weeks ago, on February 21. the FAA notified Leesburg that it would END the program effective June 14 of this year.

So the FAA has decided to end a program that has been effectively and efficiently controlling the airspace around Leesburg for the past 5 years.

So why is it so important for the airport to operate with Air Traffic Control?

Leesburg Executive is located within the Washington DC Special Flight Rules Area.

This is the airspace within a 30 mile radius of Washington that was created for National Security purposes after 9/11.

It's highly controlled airspace that requires strict identification and communication.

Because of the requirements of the Special Flight Rules Area,
Aircraft flying into and out of Leesburg are essentially funnelled both horizontally and vertically through tightly defined airspace.

These "funnels" are located above our neighborhoods and our parks. They are above our schools and our shopping centers. Even downtown Leesburg!

Now, to be fair, there are hundreds of airports in the country that operate safely without Air Traffic Control.

But these airports have minimal air traffic and are not subject to the added requirements of operating within Special Airspace.

Within the past year, the airport recorded over 75,000 takeoffs and landings.

To put this in perspective, this is similar to the volume at Norfolk International Airport and more than Roanoke and more than Williamsburg-Newport News.

There are 5 flight schools operating at Leesburg which place new student pilots in the same airspace as large corporate jets operating at twice the speed.

Almost daily, the controllers at Leesburg de-conflict air traffic at the airport.