Descent below MDA -- what would you do?

"Roy Smith" wrote in message
...

I probably should know this, but now that I (re-)read the above, I see
that there's several ways to parse that sentence with respect to B and C
airspace:

1) Only the inner cylinder that touches the surface is the surface area,
i.e. SVFR is not available in the outer rings of B/C airspace.

2) The boundaries of the surface area are exactly the same (vertical and
lateral) as the B/C airspace. This is what I had always assumed.

3) The surface area includes all the airspace from the edge of the
outermost ring projected down to the surface. This would be extremely
illogical, but it is one possible parsing.

Which is correct?


Prior to airspace reclassification there were control zones within and
distinct from ARSAs and TCAs and SVFR was clearly limited to just the
control zone. If SVFR was now available within the entire Class B or Class
C airspace it would mean a major change that was not mentioned or discussed
during reclassification.

FAR 91.155(c) states, "Except as provided in FAR 91.157, no person may
operate an aircraft beneath the ceiling under VFR within the lateral
boundaries of controlled airspace designated to the surface for an airport
when the ceiling is less than 1,000 feet." Since we're only concerned with
the portion within 1000 feet of the surface scenario 2) would be eliminated.



Is there such a thing as B, C, or D airspace in the US which is not
"designated for an airport"?


I don't know of any Class B or C like that, but there has been some odd
Class D
airspace areas.

One of them was Pearson Field in Vancouver, WA, about seven miles northeast
of Portland International. Pearson had Class D airspace from the surface
to the overlying Portland Class C airspace. Vancouver had no control tower
and was the only airport in the Class D surface area. Vancouver now has a
Class E surface area.

Another one is adjacent to the Seattle Class B surface area on the west
side. This one still exists, you can view it at the following link:

http://makeashorterlink.com/?F27B2314B


A third one was south of the El Toro MCAS which is now closed, the Class D
airspace apparently was dropped when the base closed. Part of this one
didn't even touch the surface. I have old charts which depict this area, I
can post some images if you're interested.

"Steven P. McNicoll" wrote:

A third one was south of the El Toro MCAS which is now closed, the Class D
airspace apparently was dropped when the base closed. Part of this one
didn't even touch the surface. I have old charts which depict this area, I
can post some images if you're interested.

When El Toro closed KSNA lost half of its Class C airspace because of the way
the rules were made piecemeal. It took over a year to get that airspace
modified and redesignated to provide the Class C protection for KSNA that used
to be there when El Toro was operating.

Airspace designations are only as good as the regional airspace staffs
responsible for them.