Seeking comment on the Dona Ana County Airport at Santa Teresa (5T6), Santa
Teresa, NM (across the river from El Paso, TX). Looking to head down there
on Saturday for a horse race (my friend's dad has a horse in the race at
Sunland Park). Any particular comments on the airport or area will be
appreciated! This includes any experience indicating that El Paso Int'l
(ELP) is a "much better" choice, if that's the case.

Three specific questions I've come up with:
1) I've never flown this close to a national border under VFR or in GA;
anything I need to know? If I somehow manage to inadvertently cross it, are
there any negative consequences? Put another way: what's involved w/
crossing an int'l border under VFR?

2) My best route has me "shooting the gap" between R-5103B/C & R-5107A/D.
Just south of Alamogordo-White Sands Regional (ALM) and the Boles VOR/DME
(BWS), in the north part of the gap, there is a patch of (evidently)
controlled airspace, from 500 AGL to 12,000' MSL. Whazzat?? Some sort of
TRSA-like service from Holloman AFB, I'm guessing? Is it mandatory or
voluntary? I don't have my hands on the actual sectional yet, I'm looking at
it on SkyVector.com, so I apologize if there's something about this in the
legend--I've looked but I don't see it....

3) I've excerpted the ODP for 5T6 below; it contains some phrasing I'm
unfamiliar with: "for climb in visual conditions: cross Dona Ana County at
Santa Teresa Airport at or above 6800 before proceeding on course." What
exactly does that mean? I'm guessing "circle as required overhead the field
until reaching 6,800', then on course"; as I say, though, I'm unfamiliar w/
that wording, and I definitely think following ODPs is a Very Good Idea....

Thanks for any answers to the above, or any general info! Doug

Full text of ODP:
SANTA TERESA, NM

DONA ANA COUNTY AT SANTA TERESA

TAKE-OFF MINIMUMS: Rwy 10, std. with a min. climb

of 419' per NM to 8400, or 2800-3 for climb in visual

conditions. Rwy 28, std. with a min. climb of 358' per

NM to 8400, or 2800-3 for climb in visual conditions.

DEPARTURE PROCEDU Rwys 10, 28, for climb in

visual conditions: cross Dona Ana County at Santa

Teresa Airport at or above 6800 before proceeding on

course.


--
Doug
"Where am I to go/Now that I've gone too far?" -- Golden Earring, "Twilight
Zone"
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