Airspace around major cities will be getting a facelift this year, and pilots have the opportunity to decide what the new airspace will look like.

The FAA will propose modifications to nearly half of the Class B airspace areas across the country (it takes two to three years for a redesign process to be completed). The agency biennially reviews airport operations and airspace needs to identify which areas need to be modified, but the task of modifying 14 Class B areas all at once isn’t the norm. “In the past 10 years, we’ve never seen this many airspace areas being modified at one time,” said Heidi Williams, AOPA senior director of airspace and modernization.

The changes stem from safety concerns related to airliners spilling out of Class B airspace during instrument arrivals. As long as the airliners are within Class B airspace, air traffic control can ensure separation between aircraft; however, once they exit the airspace, ATC can no longer guarantee that separation. In addition, FAA officials told AOPA that some Class B areas were designed in the 1970s and that the airspace needed to be reviewed and changed, if necessary, to keep pace with new procedures and traffic levels.

Some might fear that means Class B airspace will be expanding. But that’s not always the case. AOPA has been aggressively working with the FAA and other airspace users to modify Class B areas in a way that contains instrument procedures while cutting any unneeded portions. So far, the process has started in Chicago, Detroit, Charlotte, Seattle, Philadelphia, Cleveland, New York, and Atlanta; other Class B airspace slated for review and possible modification include Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Miami, Minneapolis, Cincinnati, and Washington/Baltimore.

“Right now, the general aviation community has a huge opportunity to shape Class B airspace around the nation,” Williams said. “AOPA is working to ensure the changes are a positive move for GA operations, and we’ll be alerting pilots of when they can be part of the process and provide input.”

FAA chart covers to get new design

AeroNav Services (formerly NACO), the division of the FAA responsible for development and distribution of aeronautical navigation charts and products, began to introduce new chart cover designs in July. The changes include more readable effective dates and coverage areas, and better use of color to highlight important information. All of the same data will still be available to pilots.

The new designs will affect Sectional Charts, World Aeronautical Charts, Terminal Area Charts, Airport/Facility Directories, as well as charts for instrument flying and other publications. All of the new designs will be phased in by September 2010. No data is being removed from the chart covers, only relocated to other places on the chart. There are currently no plans to make any sweeping changes to the charts themselves.

AOPA participates in the Aeronautical Charting Forum, held biannually to discuss and vet changes to aeronautical charting products. Pilots who would like to provide feedback on the new chart designs can contact AeroNav Services by e-mail).