PART 4. AIRPORT CLASSIFICATION

R 259.241 Scope.
Rule 241. This part prescribes the minimum airport facilities required for the granting of a license to operate a public use airport as provided by Act 327 of the Public Acts of 1945, as amended, being §259.1 et seq. of the Michigan Compiled Laws. Licensed public use airports shall be included on the Michigan Aeronautical charts and other aviation publications made available to the public.

History: 1954 ACS 52, Eff. Nov. 15, 1967; 1979 AC; 1985 MR 8, Eff. Aug. 22, 1985; rescinded 1998 MR 6, Eff. June 29, 1998; 2000 MR 21, Eff. Jan. 3, 2001.

R 259.242 Term of license.
Rule 242. A license issued under the terms of this part shall expire on December 31, annually.

History: 1954 ACS 52, Eff. Nov. 15, 1967; 1979 AC; 1985 MR 8, Eff. Aug. 22, 1985; rescinded 1998 MR 6, Eff. June 29, 1998; 2000 MR 21, Eff. Jan. 3, 2001.

R 259.243 Basic utility airports
Rule 243. A basic utility airport shall meet all of the following requirements:
(a) Have an airport manager licensed by the commission.
(b) Contain a runway with a 1,200-foot landing length in each direction from a clear approach slope of 20 to 1. Unpaved runways shall have a minimum width of 50 feet with an additional 25 feet minimum width on each side clear of obstructions. Paved runways shall have a minimum width of 40 feet with an additional 30 feet minimum width on each side clear of obstructions.
(c) Maintain a state primary surface for each runway clear of all obstructions. The state primary surface shall be at least 100 feet wide, but not less than the width of the runway.
(d) Maintain a state approach surface that extends outward and upward from the end of the state primary surface for a distance of 5,000 feet. The shape of the state approach surface is rectangular with a minimum width of 100 feet and a length of 5,000 feet. The width of the state approach surface shall be at least as wide as the width of the runway. The state approach surface extends for a horizontal distance of 5,000 feet at a slope of 20 to 1 including 15 feet clearance over roads, 17 feet clearance over interstate highways, 23 feet clearance over railroads, and 25 feet clearance over property lines. The state approach surface begins at the runway end for unpaved runways.
(e) Establish a permanent monument located on the centerline at or beyond each end of the runway.
(f) Maintain a clearly marked automobile parking area.
(g) Maintain an itinerant aircraft parking area.
(h) Maintain a clearly marked entrance from a public road.
(i) Paved runways shall have centerline marking and runway numbering conforming to the published standards of the Federal Aviation Administration.
(j) Unpaved runways marked in accordance with commission standards.
(k) Maintain a windcone.
(l) Airports with right traffic patterns shall have a segmented circle with traffic pattern indicators.
(m) Runway lighting, if available for public use, shall conform to Federal Aviation Administration standard color and layout in accordance with FAA Advisory Circular 150/5340-24 dated September 3, 1975. Printed copies of FAA Advisory Circular 150/5340-24 are available for inspection and distribution to the public free of charge at the offices of the Michigan Department of Transportation, Bureau of Aeronautics, 2700 East Airport Service Drive, Lansing, Michigan 48906. Printed copies of FAA Advisory Circular 150/5340-24 are also available, free of charge, from the United States Department of Transportation, 800 Independence Avenue, Washington, D.C. 20591.

History: 1954 ACS 52, Eff. Nov. 15, 1967; 1979 AC; 1985 MR 8, Eff. Aug. 22, 1985; rescinded 1998 MR 6, Eff. June 29, 1998; 2000 MR 21, Eff. Jan. 3, 2001.

R 259.244 General utility airports.
Rule 244. (1) A general utility airport shall meet all of the following requirements:
(a) Have an airport manager licensed by the commission.
(b) Contain a runway with a 1,800-foot landing length in each direction from a clear approach slope of 20 to 1. Unpaved runways shall have a minimum width of 100 feet. Paved runways shall have a minimum width of 40 feet with a minimum of 30 feet on either side clear of obstructions.
(c) Maintain a state primary surface for each runway clear of all obstructions. The state primary surface shall be at least 250 feet wide.
(d) Maintain a state approach surface for each runway end that extends outward and upward from the end of the state primary surface for a distance of 5,000 feet. The shape of the approach surface is a trapezoid with a width of 250 feet at the end of the primary surface and expands uniformly to a width of 1,250 feet. The state approach surface extends for a horizontal distance of 5,000 feet at a slope of 20 to 1, including 15 feet clearance over roads, 17 feet clearance over interstate highways, 23 feet clearance over railroads, and 25 feet clearance over property lines. The state approach surface begins at the runway end for unpaved runways.
(e) Contain a permanent monument located on the centerline at or beyond each end of the runway.
(f) Maintain a clearly marked automobile parking area.
(g) Maintain a clearly marked entrance from a public road.
(h) Paved runways shall have centerline marking and runway numbering conforming to the published standards of the Federal Aviation Administration.
(i) Unpaved runways marked in accordance with commission standards.
(j) Any crosswind runways shall meet minimum requirements for a basic utility runway.
(k) Maintain a lighted windcone.
(l) Runway lighting shall be available from sunset to sunrise daily. Lighting configuration shall conform to the requirements of the Federal Aviation Administration Circular 150/5340-24 dated September 3, 1975 with regard to color and layout. Printed copies of FAA Advisory Circular 150/5340-24 are available for inspection and distribution to the public free of charge at the office of the Michigan Department of Transportation, Bureau of Aeronautics, 2700 East Airport Service Drive, Lansing, Michigan 48906. Printed copies of the FAA Advisory Circular 150/5340-23 are also available, free of charge, from the United States Department of Transportation, 800 Independence Avenue, Washington, D.C. 20591.
(m) Airports with right traffic patterns shall have a segmented circle with traffic pattern indicators.

(2) A general utility airport shall provide all of the following services:
(a) An administration building or terminal building with sanitary facilities available to the public.
(b) Adequate means to deter the unauthorized or inadvertent access to the aircraft operations area.
(c) A telephone that is available to the public 24 hours daily on the airport and the telephone''s location clearly indicated.
(d) A formally adopted emergency service plan prepared by the airport owner.
(e) Airport rules and regulations that are adopted by the airport owner and available to the public.
(f) Itinerant aircraft parking and tie-downs, including adequate ropes, chains, or their equivalent.

History: 1954 ACS 52, Eff. Nov. 15, 1967; 1979 AC; 1985 MR 8, Eff. Aug. 22, 1985; rescinded 1998 MR 6, Eff. June 29, 1998; 2000 MR 21, Eff. Jan. 3, 2001.

R 259.245 Air carrier airports.
Rule 245. The commission shall grant an air carrier airport license if both of the following minimum requirements are met:
(a) The airport employs an airport manager licensed by the commission.
(b) The airport has a valid airport operating certificate, or a limited airport operating certificate, issued by the Federal Aviation Administration.

History: 1954 ACS 52, Eff. Nov. 15, 1967; 1979 AC; 1985 MR 8, Eff. Aug. 22, 1985; rescinded 1998 MR 6, Eff. June 29, 1998; 2000 MR 21, Eff. Jan. 3, 2001.

R 259.246 Rescinded.

History: 1954 ACS 52, Eff. Nov. 15, 1967; 1979 AC; 1985 MR 8, Eff. Aug. 22, 1985; rescinded 1998 MR 6, Eff. June 29, 1998.

R 259.247 Heliports.
Rule 247. (1) A heliport shall meet all of the following requirements:
(a) Employ an airport manager licensed by the commission.
(b) Contain a length and width of the landing area of at least 1½ times the length of the helicopter using the facility.
(c) Contain at least 2 heliport approach surfaces free of obstructions. The heliport approach surface begins at the end of the heliport landing area with the same width as the landing area, and extending outward and upward for a horizontal distance of 4,000 feet where its width is 500 feet. The slope of the approach surface is 8 to 1. Two of the heliport approach surfaces provided shall be located to provide that their centerlines form an arc of not less than 90 degrees at their intersection. Each heliport approach surface shall provide an area suitable for an emergency landing during takeoff, climb-out, and landing.
(d) If a heliport is located on an elevated structure or roof, then the heliport shall comply with local building and fire codes. The landing area shall be designed to support 1.5 times the maximum gross weight of the largest helicopter authorized to use the heliport. When
applying for a license, the applicant shall file a certificate signed by a professional engineer registered in this state, certifying structural compliance of the heliport.
(e) Contain a windcone or means of identifying wind direction.
(f) Ground level heliports shall have operational areas fenced or marked with caution signs to prevent the inadvertent or unauthorized entry of persons or vehicles.
(g) Signs indicating a heliport. The signs shall be located on the heliport''s perimeter.
(h) Maintain a clearly marked automobile parking area.
(i) Maintain an itinerant aircraft parking area.
(j) Maintain a clearly marked entrance from a public road.
(k) A telephone that is available to the public 24 hours daily on the heliport and the telephone''s location clearly indicated.
(l) An administration building or terminal building with sanitary facilities available to the public.
(2) A hospital heliport shall meet all of the following requirements:
(a) Be reserved solely for air ambulance use or other hospital-related functions.
(b) Have an airport manager, appointed by the hospital heliport owner or operator, who is licensed by the commission within 90 days after his or her appointment.
(c) Have a final approach and takeoff area, the minimum dimensions of which are at least 1½½ times the overall length of the largest helicopter authorized to use the hospital heliport.
(d) Have final approach and takeoff areas positioned to provide a minimum safety region of at least 10 feet or 1/3 of the rotor length of the largest helicopter that will land at the site, measured from the edge of the final approach and takeoff area to the obstacle nearest that area.
(e) Have at least 1 approach or takeoff path that is aligned as nearly as possible with the dominant winds, but that may deviate from that alignment to avoid objects or noise-sensitive areas or use airspace above public lands.
(f) Be capable of being secured to prohibit the inadvertent or unauthorized entry of persons or vehicles.
(g) If the heliport is at ground level, the operational heliport areas shall be fenced or marked with caution signs to prohibit the inadvertent or unauthorized entry of persons or vehicles.
(h) Signs indicating a heliport. The signs shall be located on the heliport''s perimeter.
(i) The touchdown and liftoff area is a paved hard surface.
(j) Have a lighted wind direction indicator.
(k) Provide suitable lighting at the hospital heliport's perimeter for night operations, and that lighting at a minimum includes lights at each corner of the final approach and takeoff area.
(l) Have identification markings present at the hospital heliport site that conform to Federal Aviation Administration standards for hospital heliports.

(3) A hospital helistop shall meet all of the following requirements:
(a) Have a person responsible for the daily operation of the hospital helistop, appointed by the owner or operator of the hospital helistop who, as determined by that owner or operator, meets the minimum standards established by the commission.
(b) Within 90 days after appointing a responsible person who is in charge of the daily operation of the hospital helistop, the owner or operator of the hospital helistop shall provide the commission in writing with the name of the responsible person who is in charge of the daily operation of the hospital helistop and identify the manner in which the commission may contact that responsible person in the event of an emergency.
(c) The hospital helistop is reserved solely for air ambulance use or other hospital-related functions.
(d) Have at least 1 suitable helicopter approach path that is identified and free of obstacles.
(e) Have a wind direction indicator.
(f) Have appropriate permanent or temporary lighting available for night operations.
(g) Have adequate security to prevent bystanders from approaching a helicopter as it lands or departs.
(4) A pilot of a helicopter landing at a hospital helistop or heliport shall receive prior permission to land at the hospital helistop or heliport from the hospital helistop or a responsible person.

History: 1954 ACS 52, Eff. Nov. 15, 1967; 1979 AC; 1985 MR 8, Eff. Aug. 22, 1985; rescinded 1998 MR 6, Eff. June 29, 1998.