Aviation groups want to help implement real-time SUA notifications

The National Defense Authorization Act, signed on January 1, requires that real-time status of SUA and military operations areas be sent to pilots’ cockpits. The letter was signed by AOPA, other aviation organizations, and such companies as Garmin and ForeFlight, all of which would be key to a successful implementation of the long-desired and much-needed advancement.

“While the FAA and DOD are in discussions on how best to accomplish the real-time notifications that are required by law, the aviation industry has the needed technological skills and experience to help bring this to fruition,” said Jim Coon, AOPA senior vice president of government affairs and advocacy. “We look forward to joining our industry partners at the table in fulfilling this important advancement for aviation and for pilots.”

The AOPA-championed effort to provide aviators with real-time status of MOAs and restricted areas pushed directly into the cockpit will result in enormous savings and environmental benefits for operators of private, commercial, and military aircraft.

A MITRE Corp. study stated that the real-time notification system could provide annual distance savings of 30 million nautical miles, flight time savings of 90,000 hours, and fuel burn savings of $100 million for the different sectors of the aviation industry, and also help the environment by reducing carbon emissions by 300 million kilograms.

Real-time notifications will also deliver safety benefits as some large SUA complexes cannot be avoided when accessing underlying airports. Military training and restricted areas comprise nearly one-fifth of the airspace within the continental U.S. national airspace system. Real-time notifications will not negatively impact military training activities.