Threading military airspace
Let’s say you want to fly VFR from Carrizozo Airport (F37) to Roswell International Airport (ROW) in New Mexico, but the sectional chart has plopped a large swath of Military Operations Areas (MOA) between you and your destination. Can you plan a short “Direct-to” flight to ROW or should you skirt around the Beak MOAs?
The answer is: Yes, you can fly through the airspace, but exercise extreme caution. MOAs allow military training activities that include high-speed flight, aerobatic maneuvers, and low-level flight, so you might be wise to check with the controlling ATC facility about its activity status before inadvertently joining simulated combat.
One more word of caution, certain MOAs permit military “lights out” night training. Read more in the Air Safety Institute’s Lights-Out Safety Advisor.
Machteld Smith is a writer for the Air Safety Institute.
Learn more with the Air Safety Institute’s online courses.
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