DutchessFlier
Line Up and Wait
I'm posting this for a friend as my request for well reasoned thorough observation about airspace restrictions. No flaming and no judgements please.
Did you know that there can be TFR's posted over stadium events that neither the FSS, Lockheed briefers, or the FAA's website of potential and/or active TFR's show when flight planning. Think about this when you consider flying VFR near a major NCAA division 1 college football event held at one of those mega-college football schools.
Case in point in my neck of the woods:
West Point M.A. has a standing restricted area, which may or may not be hot at any given time. We generally avoid it all the time and stay well outside of it's lateral boundaries when flying VFR. However, when a football game is being played at West Point, the airspace becomes a TFR with lateral boundaries expanded to 3nm radius from the stadium, and 3000ft AGL.
Last weekend, when this pilot was flightplanning, there was no mention of this change to the airspace by the briefer, and nothing indicating the TFR to the pilot. Subsequently, upon landing at the home drome, the classic 'we have a phone number for you to call' request was made to this pilot, upon which he was told that he had violated a TFR at 2800ft just at the eastern edge of the TFR's lateral boundary. When asked about how he was supposed to know about the TFR when it was not in the briefing, or to be found in any of the usual resources, he was told that it's the pilot's responsibility to know when a major sporting event is being held and that the possibility of a TFR exists depending upon the size of the event and location. Note as well, that there's an aera 500 series unit in the plane that depicts pending and active TFR's, and none was showing on the screen, so I am told. The pilot told the agent on the phone that had he been briefed about the airspace restriction he would have, of course, avoided it.
NASA form filed by the pilot, and all of us here have had many discussions since last week about this situation. It really bothers us, and especially that pilot, who is a meticulous airman, that the implication is that somehow we have to know the schedules of these events that could potentially spawn a TFR, but that the TFR may not be readily available to a pilot flying VFR, who then is at risk of an airspace violation.
We don't believe that anything further will happen. However, the catch-22 nature of these things kind of makes the joy and desire to fly less attractive, and seemingly way too restrictive. Don't get me wrong, we all understand the need for security and such, but this may be a bit much.
What's interesting here is the day was beautiful VMC and if he had filed an IFR flight plan for the short trip (48nm), none of this would have happened. He would probably been routed all over the place doubling his route distance and time, as is the nature of flying in the system in the NY metro area.
Not sure what we can do or say about this type of thing, but I guess you just have to be super aware that these things could happen to you.
Did you know that there can be TFR's posted over stadium events that neither the FSS, Lockheed briefers, or the FAA's website of potential and/or active TFR's show when flight planning. Think about this when you consider flying VFR near a major NCAA division 1 college football event held at one of those mega-college football schools.
Case in point in my neck of the woods:
West Point M.A. has a standing restricted area, which may or may not be hot at any given time. We generally avoid it all the time and stay well outside of it's lateral boundaries when flying VFR. However, when a football game is being played at West Point, the airspace becomes a TFR with lateral boundaries expanded to 3nm radius from the stadium, and 3000ft AGL.
Last weekend, when this pilot was flightplanning, there was no mention of this change to the airspace by the briefer, and nothing indicating the TFR to the pilot. Subsequently, upon landing at the home drome, the classic 'we have a phone number for you to call' request was made to this pilot, upon which he was told that he had violated a TFR at 2800ft just at the eastern edge of the TFR's lateral boundary. When asked about how he was supposed to know about the TFR when it was not in the briefing, or to be found in any of the usual resources, he was told that it's the pilot's responsibility to know when a major sporting event is being held and that the possibility of a TFR exists depending upon the size of the event and location. Note as well, that there's an aera 500 series unit in the plane that depicts pending and active TFR's, and none was showing on the screen, so I am told. The pilot told the agent on the phone that had he been briefed about the airspace restriction he would have, of course, avoided it.
NASA form filed by the pilot, and all of us here have had many discussions since last week about this situation. It really bothers us, and especially that pilot, who is a meticulous airman, that the implication is that somehow we have to know the schedules of these events that could potentially spawn a TFR, but that the TFR may not be readily available to a pilot flying VFR, who then is at risk of an airspace violation.
We don't believe that anything further will happen. However, the catch-22 nature of these things kind of makes the joy and desire to fly less attractive, and seemingly way too restrictive. Don't get me wrong, we all understand the need for security and such, but this may be a bit much.
What's interesting here is the day was beautiful VMC and if he had filed an IFR flight plan for the short trip (48nm), none of this would have happened. He would probably been routed all over the place doubling his route distance and time, as is the nature of flying in the system in the NY metro area.
Not sure what we can do or say about this type of thing, but I guess you just have to be super aware that these things could happen to you.
