(USA) Soaring airspace files from NFD -- now available

Tuno wrote:
Eric,

A good example of where charts differ from (alternate) reality exists
in the area around the Grand Canyon.

If you look at a chart, it says "The airspace overlying the Grand
Canyon National Park below 18,000 feet MSL is subject to special air
traffic rules." That's *all* it says.

The National Flight Database does *not* have any restrictive or
controlled airspaces above the Big Ditch.

But if you dig deep in the FARs, section 93.305 subpart U describes 4
named areas officially designated as Class E in which you cannot fly
below 14,500 feet MSL.

I've looked at the digital charts for OR/WA and I see the areas
you're referring to. I don't know why the charts don't say
"Prohibited", but they are most definitely that subtype in the NFD.

As far as I know, the areas aren't Prohibited. They don't have a
designation of any kind, aren't listed on the sectional charts with the
other SUA (controlling agency, time of use, frequencies, etc), and don't
come up in the NOTAMS. I found this on the AOPA site (NSA = national
security are):

"Pilots are requested to voluntarily avoid flying through an NSA.
When it is necessary to provide a greater level of security, flight
through an NSA may be temporarily prohibited pursuant to the
provisions of 14 CFR 99.7, Special Security Instructions."

The URL is

http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsite...628bangor.html

and the rest of the info is in the blue column on the right. So, perhaps
it comes out as Prohibited because that might happen (by NOTAM) ocasionally.

I can fix it in the sua file, so not a practical problem for me.


--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
* Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly
* "Transponders in Sailplanes" http://tinyurl.com/y739x4
* "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" at www.motorglider.org

Thanks Eric. This is the kind of thing I need to bounce off my FAA
contact ...

2NO