AOPA has gone on record opposing Class B airspace proposals for Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP), Minnesota, and Nashville (BNA), Tennessee.
At MSP, the FAA is proposing expanding the Class B airspace, extending the lateral limits from 20 to 30 miles and increasing the ceiling from 8,000 to 10,000 feet msl. In comments to the FAA, AOPA said that would pose a serious operational limitation on pilots overflying the airspace, would hamper flight training activities, and would impact soaring activities at Benson and Stanton airports. AOPA also objected to being excluded from early studies of the proposal.
In Nashville, the FAA is considering replacing the existing Class C airspace with the more restrictive Class B. While the agency hasn't yet issued a formal proposal, AOPA filed a policy memo with the FAA noting that the Nashville ATC tower staff study had not demonstrated a need for Class B airspace, nor had it considered the operational impacts on VFR traffic around BNA. AOPA asked the FAA to stop the proposed airspace action and work with local pilots to resolve air traffic concerns without resorting to regulatory action.
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