Despite protests, FAA approves Phelps MOA

Despite protests, FAA approves Phelps MOA

Despite the determined opposition of AOPA and area pilots, the FAA has approved the Phelps MOA (military operations area) near the North Carolina coast. The MOA will be implemented August 10 and is located southwest of Dare County Airport on the Outer Banks. It extends from the tops of Restricted Area R-5314 segments G, H, and J to 17,999 feet msl.

The Phelps MOA is to give the military higher altitudes for practice runs in the Dare County Bombing Range.

The Department of Defense and the FAA say they will develop a "memorandum of understanding" to facilitate IFR operations through the special-use airspace into Dare County Airport.

For VFR pilots, the FAA said it will publish range control radio frequencies on aeronautical charts so that pilots can ask the military if the special-use airspace is active. The FAA promises to monitor how well the military responds to civilian requests for airspace status.

Pilots who encounter problems accessing the Dare County Range special-use airspace (Phelps MOA and R-5314) should inform AOPA.

00-2-084x

June 14, 2000