Are You Ready For Some... TFRs?
The Federal Aviation Administration
says it is prepared to handle the large increase in private planes
expected to fly in and out of the Tampa Bay area for the upcoming
Super Bowl. The FAA expects that as many as 1,000 additional
general aviation aircraft will use the area's airports during Super
Bowl weekend.
The FAA has issued a Notice to Airmen explaining the air traffic
changes that private pilots can expect to encounter around Super
Bowl weekend. The FAA also is asking local and national pilot
organizations to distribute the notice to their members, and
stressed that pilots should refer to the most current NOTAMs before
flying into Tampa Bay on Super Bowl Sunday.
The FAA will implement three separate Temporary Flight
Restrictions around Raymond James Stadium on Super Bowl Sunday.
Private pilots will not be allowed to fly near the stadium for
several hours before, during and after the game. Details of the
restrictions are available here. The
FAA posted the restrictions three weeks before the game so that all
pilots should be aware of them.
Tampa International Airport's east-west runway (9/27) will be
closed for aircraft parking. TPA will provide ramp control service
to ensure that general aviation aircraft are positioned to allow
swift and efficient departures when flights contact FAA air traffic
control for departure clearance.
FAA air traffic controllers from Tampa Tower will staff Fixed
Base Operators at the airport to issue departure clearances to the
pilots. FAA technicians installed Flight Data Input/Output (FDIO)
equipment at both FBOs and ensured that the equipment interfaces
with the tower. This will reduce frequency congestion, and will
allow for orderly and systematic departures after the game.
The FAA anticipates that some general aviation flights will
depart after the game, and the remainder will depart Monday
morning. To meet the increased number of flights air traffic has
increased staffing at Tampa Tower on Sunday morning and evening
shifts and on the Monday morning shift.
The FAA has established arrival and departure procedures for
helicopters into and out of the Tampa Airport without impacting
fixed-wing aircraft operations. Based on parking availability for
general aviation flights, the FAA anticipates that as many as 250
general aviation aircraft may operate at Tampa International
Airport and 300 aircraft at St. Petersburg-Clearwater International
Airport (PIE), both of which have FAA air traffic control
towers.
Lakeland Linder Regional Airport (LAL), which has an FAA-funded
Federal Contract Tower, has parking for 200 aircraft. The FAA will
establish a temporary air traffic control tower at Vandenberg
Airport (VDF) to accommodate up to 180 flights.
The FAA has developed air traffic procedures for departures from
Tampa Bay airports into high-altitude airspace in anticipation of a
significant departure push immediately after the game. The FAA Air
Traffic Control System Command Center in Herndon, VA has
established a General Aviation Program (GAP). GAP enables air
traffic control to monitor the number of flights in Tampa airspace
and meter flights by issuing expected departure times to flights as
necessary.