 |
Katrina takes out aviation services as well
Greenwood, Mississippi, AFSS limited services
 Image courtesy of NOAA. |
To anyone who's seen the pictures from the Gulf Coast, it will be no surprise that the aviation infrastructure was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina as well.
The Greenwood, Mississippi, Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS) is partially out of service. Telephone calls are being rerouted to AFSS facilities in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and Jackson, Tennessee, and some of the FSS air-to-ground frequencies in Mississippi are out of service.
Some air traffic control facilities are down as well. As of Wednesday morning, some 15 FAA radio transmitters along the Gulf Coast and terminal radars from Keesler Air Force Base near Biloxi, Mississippi, to west of New Orleans are also out of service.
That's part of the reason for the temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) over New Orleans and the Mississippi and Alabama coastlines. The other reason, of course, is to keep the airspace clear for the hundreds of rescue and relief aircraft operating in the area.
AOPA is gathering information on which airports are open and services available. As always, though, you should check notams for current status of the airspace and facilities.
You may also want to call the FBO at your destination airport to ensure specific services you need are available. You can find complete information on every public-use airport in AOPA's Airport Directory Online.
Updated: August 31, 2005, 4:54 p.m. EDT
Related Articles
