by Tom Hamilton
While most balloonists will seldom wander into Special Use Airspace areas, it is good to be aware of their existence, know how to find them on the sectional chart, and most importantly, to understand the type of operations conducted within the airspace.
Special use airspace consists of that airspace wherein activities must be confined because of their nature, or wherein limitations are imposed upon aircraft operations that are not part of those activities, or both. Except for Controlled Firing Areas, these airspace areas are depicted on aeronautical charts. These areas include: Alert Area, Controlled Firing Area, Military Operations Area, Prohibited Area, Restricted Area and Warning Area.
Alert Area: Airspace that may contain a high volume of pilot training activities or an unusual type of aerial activity, neither of which is hazardous to aircraft. Alert areas are depicted on aeronautical charts for the information of non-participating pilots. All activities within an alert area are conducted in accordance with the FAR's, and pilots of participating aircraft as well as pilots transiting the area are equally responsible for collision avoidance.
Controlled Firing Areas: Airspace wherein activities are conducted under conditions so controlled as to eliminate hazards to non-participating aircraft and to ensure the safety of persons and property on the ground. The distinguishing feature of CFA's, as compared to other special use airspace, is that activities are suspended immediately when spotter aircraft or ground lookout indicate an aircraft might be approaching the area. These areas are not depicted on aeronautical charts since they do not require a non-participating aircraft to change its course.
Military Operations Area: An MOA is an airspace assignment of defined vertical and lateral dimensions established outside positive control areas to separate/segregate certain military activities from IFR traffic and to identify for VFR traffic where these activities are conducted. VFR pilots should exercise extreme caution when flying within an MOA if military activity is being conducted. The activity status of an MOA may change frequently. Therefore, pilots should contact any FSS within 100 miles of the area to obtain real-time information concerning the hours of operation of an MOA.
Prohibited Area: Designated airspace within which the flight of aircraft is prohibited.
Restricted Area: Airspace within which the flight of aircraft, while not wholly prohibited, is subject to restrictions. Restricted areas denote the existence of unusual, often invisible, hazards to aircraft such as artillery firing, aerial gunnery or guided missiles. Penetration of a restricted area without authorization from the using or controlling agency may be extremely hazardous to the aircraft and its occupants.
Warning Area: Airspace that may contain hazards to no-participating aircraft in international airspace.
OTHER AIRSPACE
The following are some miscellaneous airspace terms with which you should be familiar. Included are: Air Defense Identification Zone, Airport Advisory Area, and Military Training Routes.
Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ): The area of airspace over land or water, extending upward from the surface, within which the ready identification, location and control of aircraft are required in the interest of national security.
Airport Advisory Area: The area within 10 statute miles of an airport where a control tower is not operating but where a FSS is located. At such locations the FSS provides an airport advisory service to arriving and departing aircraft. This service consists of providing information concerning wind direction and speed, favored runway, altimeter setting, pertinent known traffic, pertinent known field conditions, airport taxi routes and traffic patterns, and authorized approach procedures. This information is advisory in nature and does not constitute an ATC clearance. It is not mandatory that pilots participate in the Airport Advisory Service.
Military Training Route: Airspace of defined vertical and lateral dimensions established for the conduct of military flight training at airspeeds in excess of 250 knots. IFR and VFR routes are marked on sectional charts. Non-participating pilots are not prohibited from flying within an MTR but extreme caution is urged and pilots should contact FSS for information on activity.
