The FAA has published a final rule effective March 7 amending airway V170 near Devil’s Lake, N.D., to increase its separation from a block of restricted airspace.
The airway modification, requested by the Minneapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center, creates a bend in the airway, and establishes a fix identified by the intersection of radials from two VORs.
AOPA had submitted comments on the route-amendment proposal pointing out that an airway modification—however slight—adds track miles to flights regardless of whether the associated special-use airspace is active or inactive. The association urged the FAA to consider alternatives, possibly making use of NextGen technologies, before resorting to the lengthening of route segments.
“The FAA should use alternative means in the future to ensure that pilots are not needlessly deviated around inactive airspace. GPS waypoints and T-routes are two NextGen options that could be used,” said Tom Kramer, AOPA manager of airspace and modernization.
