Government Advocacy

FAA issues final rule for Adirondack Airspace Complex

By AOPA ePublishing staff

The FAA has finalized a special-use airspace complex near Fort Drum, N.Y. The new Adirondack Airspace Complex, which takes effect Nov. 20, reconfigures and renames military operations areas and restricted areas, slightly expanding the restricted airspace.

AOPA had objected to the new complex on the grounds that the Air Force had previously submitted a proposal for almost identical airspace nearby.

Although the final rule encompasses the same airspace as the original proposal, the FAA did respond to some of AOPA’s requests.

The FAA agreed to chart the frequencies and phone numbers for the managing agencies, Boston Center and the Eastern Air Defense Sector, to allow pilots to get the most up-to-date information for flight planning. The FAA also agreed to manage the airspace using a system that lets pilots log on to a Web site containing the planned schedules for special-use airspace.

October 2, 2008