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<br />opportunities would likely be reduced. The remaining area of the rim is the vicinity of Happy Jack, <br />located 20 km south of Mormon Lake, where Reclamation conducted a field program in early 1987. <br />As discussed by Super et al. (1989), flight restrictions are minimal in that area. An all-weather road <br />passes through the region (Lake Mary Road), generally along the crestline of the rim, which would <br />provide practical access for project personnel and equipment. <br /> <br />Based on the considerations above, the region around Mormon Lake and Happy Jack is proposed <br />as the most suitable for experimentation. <br /> <br />1.4.2 Aircraft Sampling Over the Selected Experimental Area. - Normal IFR flight <br />procedures established by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) require aircraft to stay at <br />least 600 m above the highest terrain within 8 km of the flight path. Special waivers may be <br />obtained in certain circumstances for reduced separation; for example, only 300 m separation and <br />a 3-km horizontal separation were required for a specific flight path over the valley upwind of the <br />Tushar Mountains in early 1989 (Utah, 1989). Such special waivers require permission by the FAA <br />and can be sought only when the specific terrain, aircraft, navigational aids, and pilots in question <br />have been established. However, discussions with FAA personnel in the Scottsdale Flight Standards <br />District Office suggested that a waver for flight within 300 m of the highest terrain within 3 km of <br />the flight path may be obtainable for the region. of interest, especially if navigational aids are <br />upgraded (e.g., improved Loran-C coverage, addition of a nondirectional beacon). For the purpose <br />of this design document it will be assumed that such a waiver will be obtained. <br /> <br />A more detailed examination of the Happy Jack region indicated that two minor peaks would most <br />interfere with low-level aircraft sampling. These are Mormon Mountain immediately northwest of <br />Mormon Lake, which has a tower rising to 2666 m, and Hutch Mountain at 2601 m located 18.5 km <br />southeast of Mormon Mountain. In practice, when calculating minimum terrain clearance for <br />aviation, the highest ground elevation is rounded up to lthe next 30-m contour. For the higher of <br />the two peaks, this results in a minimum flight altitude of 2990 m. <br /> <br />I <br />r <br /> <br />The general airflow during SLW periods over the Happy Jack area is known to be from the <br />southwest with a secondary maximum from the northeast [fig. 5-5 of Super et a1. (1989)]. <br />Therefore, it would be practical to fly along-the-wind passes lower than 2990 m by staying at least <br />3 km crosswind of these two peaks, that is, along a 12-km-wide corridor centered between them. <br />Flight along a southwest-northeast path would be practical down to about 2800 m in this corridor. <br />Crosswind passes would have to stay above 2990 m when over the crestline of the rim, but could <br />descend as terrain elevation decreases to the southwest or northeast. Surface observations could <br />readily be made near 2270 m within the corridor, or 530 m below the lowest flight altitude, The <br />only alternative for lower flight over this portion of the rim would be to fly along-the-wind passes <br />at least 6 km southeast of Hutch Mountain. However, that region is atypical because the terrain <br />rapidly decreases in elevation towards the south. <br /> <br />1.4.3 Ground Survey for a Target Site. - The region between Mormon Lake and Happy Jack <br />was extensively surveyed on the ground during September 1989. The limited number of existing <br />large clearings within about 2 km of the highway were examined for suitability as the <br />well-instrumented target site. Factors considered included clearing size, orientation and slope, <br />proximity to existing roads and powerlines, stability of the surface for bearing instrumentation <br />systems (many of the clearings become shallow lakes during snowmelt periods), and nearby small <br />sheltered clearings for ice particle and precipitation observations. It was also considered desirable <br />to locate the target within the Verde River Drainage. The best overall site was determined to be <br /> <br />11 <br />