Narrative:

We were inbound to orf from the north on a clear night approximately 15 mi out at 2000 ft. We could clearly see the rotating beacons at navy norfolk (chambers field) but could not see orf international. When we were on a left downwind for runway 5 we could see the beacon. ATC told us that due to the placement of the new rotating beacon near the tower it was blinding the controllers in the tower, so they put a shield on the beacon on the north side of it. That is why we could not see the beacon from the north. I thought the purpose of rotating beacons was to assist pilots in identing an airport at night. With the shield on the beacon it is useless for pilots approaching from the north. With all the military airports in the area we do not need orf's beacon to be partially blocked. The airport should place the beacon in a spot where it is useful to pilots approaching from all directions and not blinding the controllers. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he also worked on the airport as a ramp agent and knows that the airport rotating beacon is shielded. He advised that the rotating beacon had been recently relocated to just south of the tower and just off the airport property. Therefore, when it radiates around to the north it projects into the eyes of the tower controllers, blinding them temporarily every time the beacon made its rotation swing to the north. He believes that it is very disconcerting during night operations approaching from the north to not be able to observe the exact location of the airport among the surrounding light. The aircraft was a dassault falcon, DA10.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A DASSAULT FALCON DA10 COULD NOT SEE THE ARPT ROTATING BEACON AT NIGHT FROM 15 MI N OF THE ARPT UNTIL ON A DOWNWIND LEG FOR LNDG. TWR CTL ADVISED THAT THE ROTATING BEACON HAD BEEN SHIELDED ON THE N SIDE TO KEEP FROM BLINDING THE TWR CTLRS. THIS WAS DONE AFTER THE BEACON WAS RELOCATED TO JUST OFF THE S SIDE OF THE ARPT CLOSER TO THE TWR.

Narrative: WE WERE INBOUND TO ORF FROM THE N ON A CLR NIGHT APPROX 15 MI OUT AT 2000 FT. WE COULD CLRLY SEE THE ROTATING BEACONS AT NAVY NORFOLK (CHAMBERS FIELD) BUT COULD NOT SEE ORF INTL. WHEN WE WERE ON A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 5 WE COULD SEE THE BEACON. ATC TOLD US THAT DUE TO THE PLACEMENT OF THE NEW ROTATING BEACON NEAR THE TWR IT WAS BLINDING THE CTLRS IN THE TWR, SO THEY PUT A SHIELD ON THE BEACON ON THE N SIDE OF IT. THAT IS WHY WE COULD NOT SEE THE BEACON FROM THE N. I THOUGHT THE PURPOSE OF ROTATING BEACONS WAS TO ASSIST PLTS IN IDENTING AN ARPT AT NIGHT. WITH THE SHIELD ON THE BEACON IT IS USELESS FOR PLTS APCHING FROM THE N. WITH ALL THE MIL ARPTS IN THE AREA WE DO NOT NEED ORF'S BEACON TO BE PARTIALLY BLOCKED. THE ARPT SHOULD PLACE THE BEACON IN A SPOT WHERE IT IS USEFUL TO PLTS APCHING FROM ALL DIRECTIONS AND NOT BLINDING THE CTLRS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE ALSO WORKED ON THE ARPT AS A RAMP AGENT AND KNOWS THAT THE ARPT ROTATING BEACON IS SHIELDED. HE ADVISED THAT THE ROTATING BEACON HAD BEEN RECENTLY RELOCATED TO JUST S OF THE TWR AND JUST OFF THE ARPT PROPERTY. THEREFORE, WHEN IT RADIATES AROUND TO THE N IT PROJECTS INTO THE EYES OF THE TWR CTLRS, BLINDING THEM TEMPORARILY EVERY TIME THE BEACON MADE ITS ROTATION SWING TO THE N. HE BELIEVES THAT IT IS VERY DISCONCERTING DURING NIGHT OPS APCHING FROM THE N TO NOT BE ABLE TO OBSERVE THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE ARPT AMONG THE SURROUNDING LIGHT. THE ACFT WAS A DASSAULT FALCON, DA10.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.