On Saturday, October 5, 2019 at 10:25:47 AM UTC-7, Ramy wrote:
From AOPA: New MOAs proposed in areas we use heavily during the soaring season.
The high area extends from 13500 to 18000 from the Sierra crest out east past Mt Patterson.
https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/...m_medium=email
Deadline for comments October 18.
This area is a bit of an FAA radar coverage black hole. Looking at the FAA Google Earth ADS-B and radar/SSR coverage map (
https://www.faa.gov/nextgen/equipadsb/research/airspace) there are significant radar coverage gaps up until somewhere between 5,000' and 10,000' AGL (not MSL). FAA radar coverage in that area is likely the approach radar at Reno airport, and the area radar out of Mount Tam/Mill Valley way on the other side of California, the FAA may still tie into the Fallon NAS radar... and if so the implication of less than great coverage in that area may be concerning... it may mean that military controllers don't have great radar coverage either.
I'd hope PASCO and/or the pilot organizations out of Minden, Truckee etc. would be able to track down what military control facility is responsible for watching this airspace, and what radar/SSR coverage they actually have. Is that Fallon RATCF, even if they don't have "control" over it are they watching for MOA activity? That seems pretty useful to understand in making an informed response.
One other question is what are/will be the actual operations procedures for transponder and/or ADS-B Out equipped military aircraft. I would not just assume they will necessarily turn off that equipment, and one good ask may be that they don't, that would be something great to ask folks and to explain that many gliders flying in that area are equipped with 1090ES In via PowerFLARM.
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I'll be talking about ADS-B and Flarm at the PASCO annual meeting on the November 9th. Happy to help out then or otherwise with any of the more technical radar or ADS-B stuff that might help here.
I doubt anybody has much chance of changing the proposed MOA designation, the USMC has to support/use the current mountain training facilities there. It may be more useful to focus on collaboration and joint education with the military.