Military launches collision avoidance Web site
Nobody likes near misses. Midair collisions even less. Utilizing input from the general aviation community, the Air National Guard has launched a Web site that provides a one-stop portal for all things collision avoidance.
Many recommendations from AOPA and the AOPA Air Safety Foundation were incorporated in the final product.
In the past, information on special-use airspace (SUA), military operations areas, and military training routes was scattered across the Internet. You had to go to individual military base Web sites to compile the information for a cross-country flight.
The new Web site pulls together information from all military midair collision avoidance programs while providing information from military bases that previously didn't have Web-based content. After typing in an airport identifier on the site, you can not only view SUA, but plot the locations of reported near misses and actual midair collisions. While you're at it, also check out the Air Safety Foundation's online course, Mission: Possible - Navigating Today's Special Use Airspace .
Since 1978, there have been an average of 30 midair collisions in the United States each year, resulting in some 75 deaths annually. There are also about 450 near misses reported each year, which may vastly understate the problem.
Members are encouraged to provide feedback on the new See and Avoid site.
June 1, 2007
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