Uncharted MOAs?
AOPA ensures temporary gap in charting won't hurt GA pilots
Pilots flying in southeastern Indiana beware: Two uncharted military operations areas (MOAs) will become effective August 3. The good news is that they likely won't be used until they are charted at the end of December, and the FAA is going to make sure pilots are aware of the airspace before it is used.
"AOPA pushed the FAA to properly notify pilots about the special-use airspace and to address the safety issues associated with slow general aviation aircraft and fast, heavy military aircraft sharing the same airspace," said Heidi Williams, AOPA director of air traffic services.
"The Indiana Air National Guard and the FAA currently are working on an agreement that will allow the guard to use the airspace, but it likely won't be finalized until the airspace is depicted on aeronautical charts."
The two MOAs lie to the west of Cincinnati's Class B airspace and will be located mostly within the area between Franklin Flying Field, Salem, Madison Municipal, and Greensburg-Decatur County airports. The altitudes range from 500 feet agl up to Flight Level 180, but the majority of the MOA sectors will be above 4,000 feet msl.
Those who live in the southeastern Indiana area or will be transiting that area should visit the FAA's Class II notams publication for a graphical depiction of the MOAs along with the boundaries of the airspace expressed in latitude and longitude. Information also will be available soon on the FAA's Web site.
In the near future, the FAA will be sending a notice to all the airports and local fixed base operations in the area, detailing the airspace.
"AOPA, local airspace users, the FAA, and the Indiana Air National Guard have been working together for about two years to design the MOAs so that they would have little impact on GA," Williams said. "This is another step in ensuring the safety of GA pilots."
July 7, 2006
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