Looking north along county highway V in Fond du Lac County is just a fraction of the 86 new wind turbines built west of Highway 41, south of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Larger view

The individual towers with the rotors stand nearly 400 feet tall, with an elevation of 1528 MSL in this area. Larger view

As shown on the current Chicago sectional chart, the location of the wind turbines is depicted south of Fond du Lac, with another group built along the eastern shore of Lake Winnebago. Given the high number of individual turbines, the exact individual location of each turbine is not delineated; pilots are reminded to maintain a safe operating altitude as they are inbound to Wittman Field, approximately 31 miles to the north, as well as on the way home from AirVenture Oshkosh. Larger view

As the world adjusts to a new energy reality, renewable energy resources have come to play an increasingly important role. Those of you who have flown to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh from the south in the past decade will recall the two 1448 MSL tall wind turbines located south of Fond du Lac, along U.S. 41. That pair of turbines constructed by Wisconsin Public Service has become a handy navigational landmark. Now, that tall twosome has plenty of company.

To the west of those original twin turbines is an entirely new crop of 86 General Electric wind turbines. Taking advantage of a naturally windy area of the state, the white, 3-bladed, wind-driven generators sprout from the rural fields of southern Fond cu Lac and northern Dodge counties, between U.S. 41 on the east and the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge on the west. Chicago-based energy company, Invenergy LLC, built the wind farm over the past year and claims the project can generate 129 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 40,000 homes.

Each turbine tower stands 262 feet tall, with a rotor diameter of 289 feet, for a combined height above the ground of nearly 400 feet. Given the rolling terrain in that part of the state, pilots should be aware that the obstruction height can reach as high as 1528 MSL, as noted on current Sectional Charts. A similar project with multiple wind turbines has been constructed on the ridge on the east side of Lake Winnebago, topping out at 1538 MSL.