Lake City Gateway Airport (KLCQ) in northern Florida, about 50 nautical miles west southwest of Jacksonville, will be getting Class D airspace and Class E surface airspace to go with the tower that has been operating there for years. The field was previously a Class G airport with a tower, but the FAA is proposing the airspace change because “controlled airspace is necessary for IFR operations,” the agency said in its notice of proposed rulemaking.
“Pilots flying in the Lake City Gateway Airport area will have new airspace to get used to, but the procedures for interacting with the tower shouldn’t be new,” said Rune Duke, AOPA director of airspace and air traffic.
The Class D airspace would extend from the surface up to 2,500 feet agl within a 4.2-nautical-mile radius of the airport. Additionally, Class E airspace that had started at 700 feet agl around the airport would start at the surface.
AOPA is reviewing the proposal and reaching out to pilots in the area to determine what impact the airspace change would have on operations. Members are encouraged to review the proposal and provide comments to the FAA while sending a copy via email to AOPA. Comments can be submitted to the FAA online or by mail to: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, West Bldg Ground Floor Rm W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001. Identify docket number FAA-2015-4010 and airspace docket number 15-ASO-11 at the beginning of your comments. Comments are due by Feb. 29.
