Oil and Gas Fields
If you regularly fly in some of the petroleum-rich parts of the country, such as Texas or Louisiana, fields of oil or gas rigs are already a familiar part of the landscape.
While they are extremely common in some areas, they can still make excellent landmarks, sometimes covering wide tracts of land and generally standing out in sharp contrast to the relatively unpopulated surroundings.
Only the largest fields are likely to appear on sectional charts, but many smaller fields are noted on terminal area charts. In some cases, such as Delta Farms south of New Orleans, they so prominent that they are used as VFR reporting points for nearby airports.
Oil and gas fields are identified by a collection of small circles outlined in black. These circles approximate the relative position of each rig or tank. While these rigs may take any of a variety of shapes and forms, it's worth noting that some are quite tall and may be surrounded by support cables that could endanger an aircraft that is flying too low.
Elizabeth A Tennyson
Senior Director of Communications
AOPA Senior Director of Communications Elizabeth Tennyson is an instrument-rated private pilot who first joined AOPA in 1998.
