Effective May 1, the Class Delta around IWA will be in effect from 5 a.m. local time (1200 UTC) until 12 a.m. local time (0700 UTC).
Details of the change for the federal contract tower are contained in a Letter to Airmen, which you can download here. (PDF, requires the free Adobe Reader.)
Fighter Combat has released a chart depicting the areas southeast of Phoenix-Mesa Gateway (IWA) airport in which they are operating Tuesdays through Saturdays.
Please be aware of these areas, their operating times and altitudes and remain vigilant to high-speed aircraft in aerobatic maneuvers.
You can download a full-sized version of the chart overlay here. (10 MB PNG)
Phoenix Approach had just cleared the aircraft for a practice Instrument approach behind South Mountain to Chandler’s Runway 04 Right, when a plane cut across the approach path.
The aircraft on the approach procedure was turning inbound, forcing the pilots to manuever to avoid a collision.
This scenario, and variations of it, is played out a few times a year at DECTU, a waypoint south of South Mountain, where pilots enter their final approach for the RNAV (GPS) Runway 04 Right Instrument Approach Procedure to Chandler Municipal Airport (CHD).
This week, an aircraft “pretty much right at DECTU” passed through 4000 feet MSL, while performing aerobatic maneuvers, according to a high-time pilot who witnessed it. The altitude is the same as that for pilots entering the final approach course for Chandler.
The incident is a reminder for all pilots operating in visual conditions that regulations place responsibility on them to see and avoid other aircraft.
DECTU lies in the middle of popular flight-training airspace east of the Estrella Mountains and south of South Mountain. It’s a prime location for a possible midair collision between pilots on practice Instrument approaches into CHD and those doing airwork.
So, how do you reduce the chance of ruining your day with a near-miss or, worse, a midair collision? Here are a few basic tips:
1. Know your airspace ahead of time. Study the charts and plan accordingly for the type of airwork you will be doing. Performance maneuvers near waypoints, airways, and controlled airspace is probably not a good idea.
2. Get on frequency for the area, or even multiple frequencies. For the South Practice Area behind South Mountain, the flight-training frequency is 122.85 Mhz. Make accurate position reports frequently and especially before entering a training maneuver. If you are near an airport or charted waypoints, monitor the frequency of the controlling agency. In this case Phoenix Approach and/or Chandler Tower.
3. Clear the area! Remember to always do clearing turns before starting any maneuver.
4. If you are a pilot practicing an Instrument approach, remember that you still also have the responsibility to see and avoid other aircraft, even if ATC clears you for the practice approach procedure. If under the hood, make sure that your safety pilot maintains a vigilant scan for other aircraft outside.
Add your own comments below on your experiences in the practice areas, or things you’ve learned on how to avoid a close call.
Thanks to Gleim Publications Inc., the next attendees to this week’s AFTW meeting have a chance to win a free online course with this flight-training course leader.
Gleim Chief Pilot Scott Krogh says the “door prize” for those who show up at AFTW meetings is to show appreciation for the work the organization has done to improve both flight safety and the quality of flight training in Arizona.
Each meeting will include a certificate to be given out randomly to a lucky participant for online learning courses. They include:
These online courses also qualify for FAA WINGS credit.
So, show up at the next meeting — this Wednesday, Jan. 9, at the Scottsdale FSDO at 9:30 a.m. — and you might just win one of these free courses.
Special thanks to Gleim for their support of the AFTW!
Here are the minutes of the Sept. 12 AFTW monthly meeting at the Scottsdale Flight Standards District Office. Thank you Terry Brandt for putting these together!
AFTW Meeting 12 September 2012 at SDL FSDO.
There was one school represented, one CFI, one DPE, one from Casa Grande Airport Advisory Committee.
Airspace:
1. Congested areas/bottlenecks should keep us alert and looking for ways to avoid potential problems. We may be able to de-conflict the areas by varying altitudes and ground tracks. Areas noted where we want to continue to watch and modify as necessary are in and around CGZ and TFD, around Apache Junction (landfill and Renaissance Festival), and west of DVT runways to the 101.
2. Aerobatic Boxes. We have been notified of two recent renewals for one at P48 and one west of the southwest side of the Estrella Mts (http://aftw.org/wp/2012/08/atcas-aerobatic-box-south-of-goodyear-is-hot/ ). Boxes are shown in the AFD and on the Training area maps on the AFTW web site. (http://aftw.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/TAC43a_V1_01.pdf ).
3. The Radio Station KCKY continues to be used for approaches, holds, tracking and arcing. Because of the high volume of VFR traffic and published approaches in the area AFTW continues to recommend we discontinue use of unpublished procedures at this facility.