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AOPA ePilot Special Edition October 14, 2001 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ==< MOST VFR FLIGHTS TO RESUME IN 15 OF 30 ENHANCED CLASS B AREAS <== Late Saturday night the FAA issued a notam permitting most VFR flight operations in 15 of 30 enhanced Class B (ECB) airspace areas. The full text of the notam is provided below. It is less restrictive than originally thought, and permits VFR operations subject to the following conditions: --Aircraft flying inside ECB airspace must have an operating transponder and squawk VFR code (1200). --Aircraft without a transponder must obtain a waiver for each flight from the air traffic control facility responsible for the ECB airspace. --Aircraft must monitor the "guard" frequency of 121.5 MHz (if equipped) while flying within ECB airspace. The notam will become effective at 1100Z (7 a.m. Eastern time) on Monday, October 15, for Houston, Texas; Kansas City, Missouri; Memphis, Tennessee; New Orleans, Louisiana; and St. Louis, Missouri. On Tuesday, October 16, the following ECB airspaces will be opened at 1100Z (7 a.m. Eastern time): Cleveland, Ohio; Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas; Honolulu, Hawaii; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Phoenix, Arizona. And on Wednesday, October 17, at 1100Z (7 a.m. Eastern time) the following airspace will be opened to VFR operations: Charlotte, North Carolina; Cincinnati, Ohio/Covington, Kentucky; Salt Lake City, Utah; Seattle, Washington; and Tampa, Florida. The notam will also ask pilots to operate their aircraft in a "normal" manner, avoiding circling or loitering. The FAA continues to prohibit news and traffic reporting flights, sightseeing operations, banner towing, and airship/blimp operations inside enhanced Class B airspace. AOPA is continuing to push for the restoration of these flight operations. Plans to open the remaining 15 ECB areas are under way, but no timelines have been established yet. AOPA understands that security at the airports inside these ECB areas will be key to the return of VFR operations. Friday afternoon, senior AOPA staff attended a meeting on groundside security that may eventually play a role in the release of the second group of ECB areas. Andrew V. Cebula, AOPA senior vice president of Government and Technical Affairs, discussed with FAA security officials possible changes that would enable VFR operations in those areas. "We won't rest until the last VFR aircraft is flying," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "We know some things will change, but our goal is to restore all general aviation operations to where we were before the attack while maintaining reasonable levels of security." The full text of Saturday night's notam is below. While this is an official FDC notam, AOPA reminds pilots to check the latest notams prior to any flight operations. In recent weeks, some notams have been modified repeatedly or rescinded. AOPA will continue to post updates promptly on AOPA Online ( http://www.aopa.org/ ). FDC 1/1225 SPECIAL NOTICE NEW NOTAM RE VFR INSIDE ECB FOR REASONS OF NATIONAL SECURITY, EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 15, 2001, UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE, PURSUANT TO TITLE 14 CFR PART 91.139 THE FOLLOWING EMERGENCY AIR TRAFFIC RULES ARE IN EFFECT: U.S. REGISTERED AIRCRAFT CONDUCTING PART 91 AND PART 137 VFR OPERATIONS ARE AUTHORIZED TO OPERATE INSIDE "ENHANCED CLASS B AIRSPACE" AS SPECIFIED IN THE FOLLOWING PROVISIONS: 1) DEFINITION REPEATED: "ENHANCED CLASS B AIRSPACE" REFERS TO THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AND THAT AIRSPACE UNDERLYING AND OVERLYING THE CLASS B AIRSPACE FROM THE SURFACE TO FL180. THIS DEFINITION DOES NOT CHANGE THE ASSOCIATED RULES AND/OR SERVICES PRESCRIBED FOR CLASS B AIRSPACE. ADDITIONALLY, THIS DEFINITION DOES NOT CHANGE THE ASSOCIATED RULES AND/OR SERVICES PRESCRIBED FOR THE UNDERLYING/OVERLYING AIRSPACE. 2) THE FOLLOWING OPERATIONS ARE NOT AUTHORIZED UNDER THIS PROVISION AND REMAIN PROHIBITED FROM OPERATING VFR IN "ENHANCED CLASS B AIRSPACE": NEWS REPORTING, TRAFFIC WATCH, CIVIL AIRCRAFT BANNER TOWING, SIGHTSEEING (IN ROTORCRAFT AND AIRPLANES) CONDUCTED FOR COMPENSATION OR HIRE (UNDER PART 91, PURSUANT TO THE EXCEPTION IN 119.1(E)(2)), AND AIRSHIP/BLIMP OPERATIONS. 3) AIRCRAFT MUST OPERATE USING A CODED RADAR BEACON TRANSPONDER AT ALL TIMES WITHIN THE "ENHANCED CLASS B AIRSPACE", USING NORMAL VFR CODES, I.E. 1200. 4) CAPABLE AIRCRAFT MUST MONITOR THE GUARD FREQUENCY ON 121.5/ 243.0 AT ALL TIMES WITHIN THE "ENHANCED CLASS B AIRSPACE". 5) APPROVAL/WAIVER TO OPERATE WITHOUT A CODED RADAR BEACON TRANSPONDER MUST BE OBTAINED PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT, AND ON A FLIGHT-BY-FLIGHT BASIS, FROM THE LOCAL AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL FACILITY CONTROLLING THE AFFECTED "ENHANCED CLASS B AIRSPACE". 6) EFFECTIVE MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2001, AT 1100 UTC, OPERATIONS ARE APPROVED AS DESCRIBED ABOVE IN THE FOLLOWING "ENHANCED CLASS B AIRSPACE": HOUSTON, TX; KANSAS CITY, MO; MEMPHIS, TN; NEW ORLEANS, LA, AND; ST. LOUIS, MO. 7) EFFECTIVE TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2001, AT 1100 UTC, OPERATIONS ARE APPROVED AS DESCRIBED ABOVE IN THE FOLLOWING "ENHANCED CLASS B AIRSPACE": CLEVELAND, OH; DALLAS-FORT WORTH, TX; HONOLULU, HI; MINNEAPOLIS, MN, AND; PHOENIX, AZ. 8) EFFECTIVE WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2001, AT 1100 UTC, OPERAT- IONS ARE APPROVED AS DESCRIBED ABOVE IN THE FOLLOWING "ENHANCED CLASS B AIRSPACE": CHARLOTTE, NC; CINCINNATI, OH/ COVINGTON, KY; SALT LAKE CITY, UT; SEATTLE, WA, AND; TAMPA, FL. VFR PILOTS IN "ENCHANCED CLASS B AIRSPACE" ARE ENCOURAGED TO OPERATE THEIR AIRCRAFT IN A NORMAL MANNER, AVOIDING AEROBATICS, LOITERING OR CIRCLING, AND UNPREDICTABLE FLIGHT PATHS. PILOTS ARE URGED TO CHECK NOTICES TO AIRMEN (NOTAMS) AND CALL THE LOCAL FLIGHT SERVICE STATION AT 1-800-WX-BRIEF PRIOR TO EACH FLIGHT. END ==< CONTACTING ePILOT <== Contact "ePilot" at ( mailto:epilot@aopa.org ). Having difficulty using this service? Visit the "ePilot Frequently Asked Questions" now at ( http://www.aopa.org/members/files/pilot/epilot/faq.html ). AOPA, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, Maryland 21701. Telephone: 800/USA-AOPA or 301/695-2000 Copyright © 2001. Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.
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