Thu, Jun 09, 2005
So Far So Good, Group Says, But It's Still Not Enough
The changes were good, but still
more is needed to make eight proposed military operations areas
(MOAs) in southern Indiana both GA-friendly and suitable for the
military. That's the gist of AOPA's comments on the most recent
versions of the Racer and JPG MOA proposals.
"AOPA supports and appreciates the [military's] cooperation and
collaboration with local airspace users to help mitigate many of
the negative impacts to local VFR and IFR traffic operating to and
from Freeman Municipal, North Vernon, and Madison Municipal
airports," wrote Heidi Williams, AOPA director of air traffic, in
the association's comments on the proposal. "However, AOPA remains
concerned with overall impacts that such a large special use
airspace MOA complex will have on transient traffic as well as the
impacts...on two prominent Victor Airways running between
Indianapolis and Louisville."
AOPA had previously filed comments expressing concern about the
impacts of the MOAs on general aviation operations and recommending
specific modifications. The U.S. Air Force went back to the user
community to solicit more of their input. There were enough changes
that AOPA recommended to the FAA that they "recircularize" the
proposal so that everyone could see the changes in writing and
comment again.
AOPA said that a JPG A MOA boundary
should be modified to align with Interstate 65. "Using an easily
identifiable landmark, such as a major interstate highway...gives
pilots a clear visual reference to identify the MOA boundary in day
and night VFR conditions when the airspace is most likely to be
active," said AOPA. That change would also ensure that GA aircraft
could fly the missed approach procedure for the new ILS to be
installed on Runway 05 at Freeman Municipal Airport even when the
MOA is active.
But the larger impacts remain for aircraft transitioning through
southeastern Indiana, particularly along the route between
Louisville and Indianapolis, and particularly if both Racer and JPG
MOAs are "hot" simultaneously. The proposal creates a special use
airspace complex "that VFR pilots will likely avoid and IFR pilots
will be forced to transit around," AOPA said. The association
recommended activating only selected sections of the MOAs at any
one time.
"AOPA applauds the Indiana Air National Guard for actively
working to mitigate the concerns of the local flying community
through local outreach," said Williams. "The modified proposal is
an excellent example of the positive results that arise from
sponsor and user group interaction."
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