Got an airspace question? AOPA Air Safety Foundation has the answer in a flash(card)

Got an airspace question? AOPA Air Safety Foundation has the answer in a flash(card)

Whether you're a flight instructor, a seasoned pilot, or a student still trying to make sense of today's complex airspace environment, the latest offering from the AOPA Air Safety Foundation is just what you need.

Airspace Flash Cards help pilots and instructors learn or teach the different types of airspace. Each of the 20 cards includes a full-color example of how the airspace is charted, a description of its characteristics, and a question for discussion.

"Pilots in the United States enjoy a freedom to fly where they want that is unequaled almost anywhere in the world," said Bruce Landsberg, executive director of the AOPA Air Safety Foundation. "But with that freedom comes the responsibility to understand and operate appropriately in the many different classes of airspace. Our new Airspace Flash Cards offer a simple way to drill those requirements."

The set includes the four most common types of airspace most pilots are likely to encounter (Classes B, C, D and E), as well as other more restrictive airspace that requires special attention when planning and then taking a flight, such as restricted or prohibited airspace, special conservation areas, and national security areas. Questions on each card and supplemental questions available online (www.asf.org) are designed to spark discussion between an instructor and a student, or between pilots reviewing airspace requirements.

The flash cards are the latest in the Air Safety Foundation's ongoing efforts to make sure pilots understand airspace issues. It started with a Safety Advisor on airspace and was followed by an online course, "Know Before you Go."

"Understanding airspace is not just a regulatory requirement," said Landsberg. "It's also a safety issue. Knowing whether or not you can enter certain airspace and what to expect as you do reduces the risk of confusion."

A downloadable version of the AOPA Air Safety Foundation Airspace Flash Cards is available online. Simply scroll down to "Airspace Flash Cards" for both the flash cards and the supplemental discussion questions. Printed copies of the flash cards are also available in limited quantities by calling the AOPA Air Safety Foundation at 800/638-3101. If you want the full airspace treatment go to the Airspace Hot Spot on the ASF Web site.

The AOPA Air Safety Foundation, the world's largest nonprofit general aviation safety organization, was founded in 1950 solely to help general aviation pilots improve flight safety. Since that time, the GA total accident rate has dropped by more than 90 percent despite a large increase in GA flight hours. ASF produces live seminars, online interactive courses, videotapes, written Safety Advisors, and other aviation safety materials for free distribution to all GA pilots.

Foundation safety outreach efforts are funded through voluntary donations by AOPA members and tax-deductible contributions from individual pilots and companies interesting in promoting general aviation safety.

06-1-010

January 10, 2006