On Wed, 23 Apr 2008 17:35:24 GMT, Jay Maynard
wrote in
:

On 2008-04-23, Larry Dighera wrote:
I have found, that when the MOA is scheduled to be active, that
alerting the military to the proposed time and route of your VFR
transition is prudent, courteous, and facilitates coordination of your
flight with their maneuvers.

What method do you use to make sure the right military user gets the
information?

Yeah. It's not always easy to reach the correct military person for a
number of reasons. I have found, that if I am courteous, professional
and persistent, after several hand-offs it's usually possible to speak
to someone who knows what I'm talking about. If they just want to
take a message, that's not good enough. You need to reach a person
who is familiar with the terms you are using, and sounds concerned and
helpful, and willing to provide a plan for coordination of your
transition of the MOA.

First you need to contact FSS, and ask the briefer what the status of
the MOA will be at the time you plan to traverse it. Often the FSS
briefer is able to provide a telephone number of the military contact
from the NOTAM too. If not, you can then consult a chart or ask the
briefer to learn who the MOA controlling agency or contact facility
is. Or if you have Internet access at your then present location, you
can find that official information here from the FAA:
http://sua.faa.gov/sua/Welcome.do?selected=1&order=reset or here
unofficially from the Air National Guard:
http://www.seeandavoid.org/.*

Then you can look up the telephone number in the Airport/Facilities
Directory, and then inquire at that telephone number about how to
reach the correct military person. If that is unproductive, look up
the telephone number for the military facility you believe to be
scheduled to use the MOA, and telephone them, and start inquiring...

It can require a few calls before you get to the right person, but it
will be apparent you've reached the right person when you have.

There are vast aggregated MOAs out west, so this is the technique I
use. If you try to do this in-flight, it's often unproductive. FSS
may not have the status information, or be able to provide you with a
frequency to reach the military controller(s). At least this has been
my experience in the past. Now that FSS is privatized, the situation
may be better (or not). And Mr. McNicoll may have additional input. I
always feel better being in communication directly with the military
controller when within an active MOA, because I know s/he can see
his/her aircraft and mine on his/her scope to provide traffic
advisories, as well as control his/her aircraft to assist in
separating us. ARTCC is unable to do the latter.

It's just good CRM to use all the tools and facilities at your
disposal.

I wonder what information/techniques aviation author Bob Gardner might
have to offer on this subject.


*
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.a...5?dmode=source