In the wake of all the changes to the National Airspace System, the AOPA Air Safety Foundation has rewritten and updated two critical Safety Advisors, it was announced today at AOPA Expo 2002 in Palm Springs, California.
Airspace for Everyone has been revised to draw special attention to temporary flight restrictions (TFRs).
"Prior to the September 11 attacks, TFRs were less frequent and usually much smaller than they are today," said ASF Executive Director Bruce Landsberg. "The consequences of violating TFRs, especially national security-related TFRs, are now far more severe, including military interception and the possibility of being shot down."
The airspace Safety Advisor also draws attention to other special-use airspace, such as prohibited areas and military training routes. Prohibited area boundaries are subject to change and may be larger than depicted on aeronautical charts.
Recalling a fatal accident involving an Air Force fighter and a general aviation aircraft, the pamphlet reminds pilots that military aircraft are allowed to operate in excess of 250 knots at low altitude under certain circumstances.
The pilot in command (PIC), not air traffic control or aeronautical charting organizations, have final responsibility for keeping their aircraft out of restricted airspace and out of harm's way.
The second revised Safety Advisor, GPS Technology, has been completely rewritten to reflect changing technology.
GPS Technology is a full-color publication, reflecting the growing use of color moving maps on GPS displays. New enhancements to the GPS system, including WAAS and LAAS (wide area and local area augmentation systems), are explained. The GPS safety advisor also contains a "Tricks and Traps" section to help pilots avoid common mistakes and a frequently asked questions (FAQ) section.
"The FAA plans to scale back ground-based navigation aids and rely more heavily on GPS for all phases of flight navigation," said Landsberg. "It is imperative that pilots not only understand the unit in their aircraft, but the system as a whole. With the increasing use of GPS for routine IFR operation, pilots must learn it as well as they know VOR.
Airspace for Everyone and GPS Technology are available online. Free individual printed copies are available online or by calling 800/USA-AOPA.
The AOPA Air Safety Foundation, the world's largest nonprofit GA safety organization, was founded in 1950 solely to help general aviation pilots improve flight safety. Since that time, the GA total accident rate has dropped by more than 90 percent despite a large increase in GA flight hours.
Foundation safety outreach efforts are funded through voluntary donations by AOPA members and tax-deductible contributions from individual pilots and companies interested in promoting general aviation safety.
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