FAR 91.130 and the Definite Article

On 8 Feb 2006 14:05:06 -0800, "Mike Granby" wrote:


Concerening arrival and flight through Class C airspace...

91.130(c)(1) Each person must establish two-way radio communications
with the ATC facility [...] providing air traffic services prior to
entering that airspace and thereafter maintain those
communications while within that airspace.

Note the use of "THE" in reference to the ATC facility to which one has
to talk. Does this mean THE specific ATC facility controlling the Class
C airspace? Or just the ATC facility providing services to you at the
time? In other words, if you blunder into Class C while talking to
Center on VFR advisories, either perhaps because they forgot to hand
you off or because you wandered off altitude and they didn't notice,
would you be ok, or would you be busted?

Mike,

My recollection, which may be incorrect, is that this was a change from the
original wording specifically designed to ensure that the entering pilot
would be talking with the ATC facility actually controlling the Class C
airspace.

In the original proposal establishing CCA, I don't believe that requirement
was present -- only that the pilot be talking with ATC.

I also seem to recall AOPA being against the change, feeling that if the
pilot was talking with any ATC facility, it should be the responsibility of
that facility to coordinate the CCA entry. AOPA lost that fight.


Ron (EPM) (N5843Q, Mooney M20E) (CP, ASEL, ASES, IA)