FAA Height Restrictions

[Guest 5th & Main Urbanite]

I noticed while looking closely at the plans for 505CST that Nashville Davidson County still has height restrictions imposed by the FAA.

 

The height limit is now 605 feet which is the height 505CST will be. Granted, the Bellsouth is 617 feet, but at a much lower street level, about 100+ feet below the lot on Church Street where 505 will be built.

 

You may recall one of the opponents of Signature Tower was the FAA. At that time they recommended a building no more than 440 feet for that lot.

 

As I sit on our outdoor breezeway at our building, I noticed Southwest fly's extremely low over the city. Sometimes alarmingly low. It seems they barely make it over the 5th Third Bank Tower. I am sure this is just an illusion, but 505CST would sure seem to be in their flight pattern.

 

Any pilots on here? NVSTNBNA is a pilot. Anyone else?

 

Is the height limit strictly enforced?

[UTgrad09]

I'm not sure what the big deal is with the FAA. The only runway that is directed towards downtown is 13/31. And when I say 'towards', I mean general direction. In a straight line, it would cross very near to Five Points.

I have heard before that 13/31 isn't used as much due to the wind not being right for it a lot of the time (plus it crosses the paths of 3 parallel runways, so it's harder to land multiple planes simultaneously if that runway is in use.

When you see the planes flying 'low' over downtown, they are still a few thousand feet in the air, unless it's one of those ad planes that flies around the Titans games. I don't see why the FAA can't just adjust flight paths a mile or two away from downtown. The tip of the runway is about 5 miles from downtown...it's not like a downtown airport. Logan in Boston is much closer to their downtown, and one of the runways much more directed at it.

But I doubt the FAA would actually be able to stop a building being built 5 miles from an airport.

[dmillsphoto]

I still can't figure out the argument of the FAA. I've flown off and on for years and the planes flying over downtown are generally 2800' AGL to 3500' AGL. PLENTY of room for error, IMHO. 

[smeagolsfree]

Bet you that if Donald Trump wanted to build a Trump Tower, then he would get er done. This is the same stupid nonsense as the Army Corps of engineers trying to stop fishing close to dams and the TVA having too much power. That is also what you get when you have big Government. Too many idiots, running to many other idiots, that look at all of us like we are idiots. Us idiots are the same ones electing all of the other idiots.

[UTgrad09]

Bet you that if Donald Trump wanted to build a Trump Tower, then he would get er done. This is the same stupid nonsense as the Army Corps of engineers trying to stop fishing close to dams and the TVA having too much power. That is also what you get when you have big Government. Too many idiots, running to many other idiots, that look at all of us like we are idiots. Us idiots are the same ones electing all of the other idiots.

Yeah...don't want to get in a big political debate, but I agree. This reeks of someone holding a government job trying to assert their power, even if it is completely unnecessary.

[dmillsphoto]

Just occurred to me, " At that time they recommended a building no more than 440 feet for that lot." would make it ~540 feet. Shorter than Bellsouth spires. This does reek of SPS (stupid person syndrome) and is completely illogical. Why anybody would listen to that person is beyond me.

[smeagolsfree]

I have an idea, let's move the airport.

[UTgrad09]

I have an idea, let's move the airport.

It'd be easier to just move the flight paths.

[bigeasy]

Or we could move downtown?

[nashvillwill]

Come on guys, both of those ideas are ludicrous. All we have to do is elevate the airport a few hundred feet.

[UTgrad09]

Come on guys, both of those ideas are ludicrous. All we have to do is elevate the airport a few hundred feet.

Nah, just stick a ramp on the end of the runway.

[Lexy]

I think it's a silly rule honestly.  13-31 is rarely used.  The flight patterns can be changed easily with a simple study or two and updates to the books.

[timmay143]

Just got back from San Jose.  The planes approach from the south to land and constantly buzz some of the buildings downtown.  I really wouldn't want to work for Adobe, but now I REALLY wouldn't want to work in that building!

 

Picture(s) and video(s) coming!

[fieldmarshaldj]

^I was thinking how much John would hate San Jose. A city of nearly 1,000,000 and its skyline is a small cluster of "shorties." They haven't a single 300-footer and the tallest is only 286 feet. The Batman building (which John thinks is "inadequate") would look like the Empire State Building if it were dropped there !

[nashvillwill]

One of my favorite cites to fly into, although IMO the worst airport in America, is San Diego. You fly so close to downtown it's as if you can see people in their offices!

And hey! Be careful making fun of those "shorties" in San Jose! I built several of those.

[timmay143]

I thought San Jose was very "tall" without being tall.

[nashvillwill]

^^^ I know what you mean. The South Bay is extremely flat, so SJ does kind of "stick up" without really having any supertalls. Also, the mountains surrounding the valley tend to make the talls appear even taller than they really are.

It's kinda neat. I was on a job site earlier this year inspecting some work we had done and I had a 360 degree view of Silicon Valley. From that vantage point, I could see no less than 15 different buildings I had worked on. It was kind of an empowering Tom Hanks moment of "look what I have created!"