In response to the questions and doubts raised regarding the way of marking wind farms after the entry into force of the Regulation of the Minister of Infrastructure of 12 January 2021 on aviation obstacles, obstacle limiting surfaces and devices of a hazardous nature (Journal of Laws of 2021, item 264), the Civil Aviation Authority provided the following explanations:
– aviation obstacles marked in accordance with the existing requirements of the ordinance of the Minister of Infrastructure of June 25, 2003 on the method of reporting and marking aviation obstacles do not have to be changed immediately. Entities obliged to mark them (day and night) according to the new requirements must do so at the next renovation. Therefore, it is not necessary to immediately change the marking of existing objects that constitute aviation obstacles, including wind farms (par. 61 of the new regulation),
– there is no need to apply again for permission to change the way or type of marking the obstacle. All approvals obtained under the Ordinance of the Minister of Infrastructure of June 25, 2003 on the method of reporting and marking aviation obstacles remain valid (paragraph 61 of the new regulation),
– when the implementation process of the construction of wind turbines has started before the date of entry into force of the regulation (e.g. turbines have already been transported from the production site, production orders have been placed or building permits have been issued for them), and therefore the turbines cannot be marked in a manner consistent with the requirements of the new regulation, until their installation, an application must be submitted to the President of the Civil Aviation Office for a permit to change the manner or type of marking (par. 40 and 41 of the new regulation),
– whereas the currently produced wind turbines are factory painted with light colors in a shade of white (e.g. off-white, papyrus white, light gray), in order to uniformly interpret the requirements of the regulation, the following RAL values are also considered white : 1013, 7035, 7038, 7047, 9001, 9002, 9003, 9010, 9016, 9018.
The above-mentioned RAL palettes are applicable for all aviation obstacles.