AOPA seeks lower altitude GPS routes in West
By AOPA ePublishing staff
AOPA recently asked members if they need lower minimum en route altitudes (MEAs) on segments of Victor routes they fly, and they responded, with many saying routes are needed in the Pacific Northwest and in the Southwest.
Now AOPA has prepared a formal letter of recommendation asking the FAA to honor those requests.
In its Jan. 31 letter, AOPA praises the FAA’s efforts to establish GPS MEAs for Victor airways in the Northeast and asks the agency to turn its attention to member-requested routes in Washington, Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona.
AOPA has long been working with the FAA to publish GPS MEAs for Victor airways. Because GPS isn’t limited by the line-of-sight requirements of ground-based navaids, GPS MEAs can often be significantly lower, opening valuable airspace and, in some cases, allowing pilots to fly below bad weather and potential icing conditions.
Late in 2007, the FAA published lower GPS MEAs for portions of six Victor routes in the Northeast and announced plans for 39 additional route segments along the East Coast.
January 31, 2008
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