The FAA has issued its final rule that makes changes to Cleveland, Ohio’s Class B airspace effective April 7.
The final rule, published Feb. 14, expands the existing Class B airspace centered on Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport to ensure containment of all published instrument procedures within its limits. It also assures that aircraft operating under IFR are separated from nonparticipating VFR aircraft operating in the vicinity of the Class B airspace area.
The modified configuration “will support simultaneous arrival and departure operations under VFR conditions and simultaneous IFR approaches during marginal VFR conditions using Precision Runway Monitor/Simultaneous Offset Instrument Approaches (PRM/SOIA),” said the published notice.
AOPA supported most of the changes when the FAA released the notice of proposed rulemaking in early 2010. However, one suggestion made by AOPA and others who commented on the proposal was to establish several VFR flyways in areas where traffic can become compressed. Although the suggested VFR flyways did not become part of the final design, the FAA has forwarded the comments to the Cleveland Tracon for action.
AOPA will follow up with the radar facility in evaluating the need for additional flyways.
