Tag Archives: Practice Areas

Training flights and commercial jets at odds for airspace east of IWA

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The blue tracks indicate VFR aircraft squawking 1200, red tracks depict large turbine aircraft arriving or departing IWA, and white tracks represent other aircraft being provided air traffic services by Phoenix TRACON.

The ad-hoc Phoenix Airspace Users Working Group recently issued some stunning graphics  showing just how congested the airspace in and around IWA in the southeastern Phoenix metropolitan area is becoming.

“Pilots operating in the airspace near IWA should be aware of the density of air traffic operations in the area,” writes Phillip D. Thornton, Air Traffic Manager, Phoenix Terminal Radar Approach Control, in a Jan. 18, 2012, Letter to Airmen. The letter becomes effective in 30 days . “Approximately 800 aircraft operations a day transit the airspace depicted above at or below 5,000’ MSL (excluding Phoenix Sky Harbor traffic).”

Download the Letter to Airmen, which contains more graphics indicating the airspace issues. (PDF,  requires Adobe Reader.)

Permalink, where you can discuss this: http://aftw.org/wp/2012/01/iwaairspace/

 

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ATCA’s Aerobatic Box is Hot for Another Two Years

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The ATCA aerobatic training area waiver has been renewed for another two years.

The training area, on the west side of the Estrella Mountains, is displayed in the Airport Facility Directory, and has cautions on the sectional and terminal charts for intensive aerobatic activity.

excerpt of AFD training area chart

The area is primarily used by the German Air Force for initial flight training that includes high performance maneuvers, spin training, and formation flying.

Frequency 128.92 should be used when in this area. The ATCA flight ops number is (623) 932-1650 for hours of operation.

PDF iconDownload a copy of the Airport Facility Directory description of the training area here. (588 KB PDF, requires the free Adobe Reader.)

Popularity: 37%

Restricted Area R2310 – Incursions

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The US Army is asking for assistance in increasing awareness of the status of Restricted Area R2310 north of Florence Arizona.

In addition to the area being used for live fire munitions training, the airspace is  increasingly being  used for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) training. The UAVs in this area are not the Predator class type aircraft you may be familiar with but various smaller models used for tactical purposes in remote theatres of operation.

As many of you know, the use of UAVs are increasing in the National Airspace System. R2310 is being scheduled much more than it has been historically in order to support this training.

There have been several events recently in which GA aircraft have encroached on the restricted area, particularly near the  launch and recovery area. Recently a UAV operating within R2310 came within several hundred feet of a GA aircraft operating within the restricted area when it was NOTAMed active.

In conversation with the Army representative, it was determined that the launch and recovery area is located at the extreme southwest corner of R2310 north of Florence. Though the UAV is cleared to operate out of sight within the entire Restricted Area as NOTAMed, visual confirmation of R2310 incursions by GA aircraft where observed there. It is important to note that there is no buffer on the airspace and the UAV may operate up to its lateral and vertical limits.

Detailed .pdf and .ppt Graphics are below:

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