The FARs Have It: That's A No-No
The Aircraft Owners and Pilot Association related the following
two incidents that occurred recently in the skies near Luke Air
Force Base in Arizona:
When Patrick McCall got an urgent collision avoidance warning
from the TCAS in his Pilatus PC-12, he took evasive action --
turning, diving, and then climbing to avoid the traffic that seemed
to be chasing him across the sky.
When he finally saw the traffic, it was an Air Force F-16
...flying in close formation with his aircraft.
Moments later, Scott Lamoree, flying a Beechcraft Premier jet,
had an eerily similar experience. In letters to the FAA and the Air
Force, both GA pilots said they thought their lives were in extreme
danger.
The pilot advocacy group says the Air Force and the FAA have
promised full investigations into the March 21 incidents that
occurred in a military operations area (MOA) near Luke AFB. And
AOPA is working with both groups to ensure that general aviation
and military aircraft can safely share the skies.
"We have been in frequent contact with both the FAA and the
military in regard to these incidents, and they are being taken
very seriously at the highest levels," said Pete Lehmann, AOPA
manager of air traffic services. "Everyone involved agrees that we
must work together to find ways to safely share airspace and
prevent similar incidents in the future."
AOPA plans to closely follow both
investigations and review their conclusions.
According to the FARs, "No person may operate an aircraft in
formation flight except by arrangement with the pilot in command of
each aircraft in formation." Although military pilots are not bound
by this rule, they are required to abide by similar guidance unless
on a sanctioned intercept mission.
The MOA was active at the time of the incidents, and although
civilian aircraft are allowed to fly through active MOAs, AOPA
encourages its members to avoid active special-use airspace (SUA)
whenever possible.
AOPA also notes the group offers pilots a wide range of
resources to help them safely navigate SUA. For example, pilots may
start with the AOPA Air Safety Foundation’s SUA Safety Quiz.
Then learn more with the foundation’s online course Mission:
Possible -- Navigating Today’s Special Use Airspace. The
course takes about 45 minutes to complete and covers all aspects of
SUA from communications to lights-out operations.
To get the status of SUA along your planned route of flight,
pilots may visit AOPA's web page... where airspace status is
updated every six minutes.