MOA - Contacting the Controlling Agency

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still learning

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still learning
Hey all, had a question about who I actually contact before entering a MOA. On my sectional it says Washington Center is the controlling agency for this particular MOA. So, I looked in my A/FD and it has a list of ATC control centers that I could contact. Would I just contact the closest one? Also, the phraseology, how would I request status of a MOA? Would it go something like this "So and So approach cessna XXX is a 172, 5 miles northeast of XXX airport at 2,500, requesting status of this MOA"

And yes I know as a VFR guy I can just fly through the MOA regardless of it's status and don't have to talk to anybody, but I'm not trying to have any close calls with an f-16.. pretty sure I'd lose!
 
Call Flight Service on any of the frequencies shown on the sectional; they are in contact with the military entities that use the airspace and know their schedules.

Bob Gardner
 
Just to follow up, I can find the FSS number right above the VOR box of the nearest controlled space right? I'm looking on my sectional and it says 122.1 R above the box.. so if I recall my training I would call up 122.1 and say "xxxx radio cessna xxx transmitting on 122.1 and receiving on 117.0 request this MOA status" is this right? And what do I call them? The airports name and then "radio"? example "Raleigh Radio" ?
 
I normally get flight following if I expect a busy MOA, and they do a pretty good job of keeping me away from the fast stuff, and vice versa.
 
still learning said:
Just to follow up, I can find the FSS number right above the VOR box of the nearest controlled space right? I'm looking on my sectional and it says 122.1 R above the box.. so if I recall my training I would call up 122.1 and say "xxxx radio cessna xxx transmitting on 122.1 and receiving on 117.0 request this MOA status" is this right? And what do I call them? The airports name and then "radio"? example "Raleigh Radio" ?
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You could do that but that's painful, especially since the controlling agency who works the MOA has radar and possibly actually talking to the participants in the MOA. ATC will most likely have your most up to date info on the status.

If you want FF thru the MOA, ATC MAY assist or if you don't want to transition the MOA because it's active, then ATC will help you get around it.

Not all MOAs are created equal. Some are extremely busy while others may technically be "active" there's very little going on in them. You decide as PIC operating under VFR if it's worth the risk.
 
I flew through this MOA last time with flight following, but I had departed from a class Charlie. Could I just look in the A/FD for the nearest ARTCC frequency and call up approach asking them for flight following even though I'm not in their airspace? Because I'll be departing from an uncontrolled airspace travelling to another uncontrolled airport.
 
That is a cool site. My MOA is red on there so it's def. active. Glad I'm brushing up on this. So can anybody tell me if I'm correct about looking in the A/FD for a place to call to get flight following? Also, side note my MOA's bottom is at 7,000 and I'll be flying at 2,500 so I wonder if that makes my little cessna safe from the fighter pilots.
 
still learning said:
That is a cool site. My MOA is red on there so it's def. active. Glad I'm brushing up on this. So can anybody tell me if I'm correct about looking in the A/FD for a place to call to get flight following? Also, side note my MOA's bottom is at 7,000 and I'll be flying at 2,500 so I wonder if that makes my little cessna safe from the fighter pilots.
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If you click on the MOA, it shows the freq to contact Washington Center on. Most likely that's the freq to get FF thru the MOA. That's not 100 % though. Where I used to work (NBC), JAX Center is listed as the controlling agency but in reality JAX had nothing to do with MOA control. Their MOAs are controlled by Beaufort Approach since they're all 10K and below.

The posted freq will at least get you into contact with someone who will provide FF or if they can't, they'll put you in contact with someone who will.

If you're at 2,500 and the base of the MOA is 7K, you won't be a factor for them. The controlling agency provides containment and if there's any "spill out" they'll let you know.
 
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still learning said:
That is a cool site. My MOA is red on there so it's def. active. Glad I'm brushing up on this. So can anybody tell me if I'm correct about looking in the A/FD for a place to call to get flight following? Also, side note my MOA's bottom is at 7,000 and I'll be flying at 2,500 so I wonder if that makes my little cessna safe from the fighter pilots.
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Yep, just call up using the nearest approach or center listed. And at 2.5 below an MOA starting at 7, you're not even in the MOA.
 
The frequency it's giving for my MOA is Washington Center 124.05, in the AF/D under Washington center control towers that freq is for South Boston.... I'm just getting myself more confused now. Could I call Approach from this class delta that is about 30 NM from my route? Would they give me flight following?
 
still learning said:
The frequency it's giving for my MOA is Washington Center 124.05, in the AF/D under Washington center control towers that freq is for South Boston.... I'm just getting myself more confused now. Could I call Approach from this class delta that is about 30 NM from my route? Would they give me flight following?
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Find an airport tha lies under the MOA. Look in the AFD for the approach / center freq. they'll provide FF and any information pertaining to the status of the MOA.
 
Velocity173 said:
Find an airport tha lies under the MOA. Look in the AFD for the approach / center freq. they'll provide FF and any information pertaining to the status of the MOA.
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The only airport under the MOA is uncontrolled, they don't have approach.
 
Velocity173 said:
Doesn't matter if it's uncontrolled. What's the airport identifier?
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Looking at Gamecock A MOA controlled by Washington Center. The airport under it is EYF .. brown airport. But I'm going to Lumberton LBT right on the other side of the MOA. It says the FSS would be Raleigh Flight Service Station, is this what you're thinking?
 
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still learning said:
Looking at Gamecock A MOA controlled by Washington Center. The airport under it is EYF .. brown airport. But I'm going to Lumberton LBT right on the other side of the MOA. It says the FSS would be Raleigh Flight Service Station, is this what you're thinking?
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I'm showing Fayetteville Approach on 133.0 for both KEYF and KLBT. Once you get about 1,000 ft up, give Fayetteville a call and they should work you all the way to KLBT at 2,500 ft under radar services or "FF".
 
Velocity173 said:
I'm showing Fayetteville Approach on 133.0 for both KEYF and KLBT. Once you get about 1,000 ft up, give Fayetteville a call and they should work you all the way to KLBT at 2,500 ft under radar services or "FF".
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They would do it that far away? I'd be 70 NM away from Fayetteville when I depart from my airport. I guess I could keep in mind my option to call flight watch on 122.0
 
Forgive me if this is too old school, but flip your sectional over and there is a list of all the towers, restricted, MOAs etc, their vital info such as altitudes and times and the agency's freq.

If you're a VFR pilot you'll always have at least a sectional with you, just flip it over.


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If you're lazy, who ever your on flight following with, if you're into that, can get the info.

If you're into foreflight, touch the MOA and it will give you all the data too.

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But yeah, easy answer for any VFR pilot, look at the sectional.
 
still learning said:
They would do it that far away? I'd be 70 NM away from Fayetteville when I depart from my airport. I guess I could keep in mind my option to call flight watch on 122.0
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Yep. They're not only listed on the AFD for approach services, they're also listed under the approach plate for the IAP for both fields. You're only 27.7 NM from FAY so radar contact at 2,500 ft shouldn't be a problem.

Nothing against FSS but they aren't going to be your best resource for this flight. The ATC facility serving both of those fields will have the most up to date info on MOAs. I rarely use FSS for anything these days...that's coming from a guy whose father and brother are both former FSS employees. :wink2:
 
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Velocity173 said:
Yep. They're not only listed on the AFD for approach services, they're also listed under the approach plate for the IAP for both fields. You're only 27.7 NM from FAY so radar contact at 2,500 ft shouldn't be a problem.

Nothing against FSS but they aren't going to be your best resource for this flight. The ATC facility serving both of those fields will have the most up to date info on MOAs. I rarely use FSS for anything these days...that's coming from a guy whose father and brother are both former FSS employees. :wink2:
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I'm more than 27.7 NM away from FAY. I'm departing from KSUT going to KLBT. So Fay app would be about 70 miles away. If I waited a little it'd decrease the distance a little,but still an excess of 50 NM away.
 
still learning said:
I'm more than 27.7 NM away from FAY. I'm departing from KSUT going to KLBT. So Fay app would be about 70 miles away. If I waited a little it'd decrease the distance a little,but still an excess of 50 NM away.
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Ok, thought you were leaving EYF. In that case you'll contact ILM on 118.25. They'll either hand you off to MYR Approach or directly FAY Approach.
 
Velocity173 said:
Ok, thought you were leaving EYF. In that case you'll contact ILM on 118.25. They'll either hand you off to MYR Approach or directly FAY Approach.
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Thank-you. That's what I was thinking since mksomo said just call the nearest app center and ILM is about 25 nm away from me. Thank-you for your help mcfly. I realize that was a lot of questions.
 
still learning said:
Just to follow up, I can find the FSS number right above the VOR box of the nearest controlled space right? I'm looking on my sectional and it says 122.1 R above the box.. so if I recall my training I would call up 122.1 and say "xxxx radio cessna xxx transmitting on 122.1 and receiving on 117.0 request this MOA status" is this right? And what do I call them? The airports name and then "radio"? example "Raleigh Radio" ?
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Yes. This is called "duplex." Lay hands on a copy of the Airport/Facility Directory and read the Legend pages (in the front) about Communication. Too many pilots learn only how to read individual airport listings and do not refer to the Legend pages. And yes, Raleigh Radio would work just fine. Remember to have the volume turned up on your VOR receiver (I assume that 117.0 is a VOR).

Better yet, buy my book SAY AGAIN, PLEASE.

Bob Gardner
 
still learning said:
That is a cool site. My MOA is red on there so it's def. active. Glad I'm brushing up on this. So can anybody tell me if I'm correct about looking in the A/FD for a place to call to get flight following? Also, side note my MOA's bottom is at 7,000 and I'll be flying at 2,500 so I wonder if that makes my little cessna safe from the fighter pilots.
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Then it is a non-issue. If you are not going to penetrate the MOA don't call anyone.

Bob Gardner
 
still learning said:
They would do it that far away? I'd be 70 NM away from Fayetteville when I depart from my airport. I guess I could keep in mind my option to call flight watch on 122.0
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Flight Watch as an entity no longer exists. If 122.0 is listed, just use Raleigh Radio, not Raleigh Flight Watch. (BTW, when there was such a thing as Flight Watch it dealt exclusively with weather, not airspace issues.)

Bob Gardner
 
Another good compliment to Bob's book is The Pilot's Air Traffic Control Handbook by Paul Illman. It's 20 years old but still valid and a quick read on ATC and how they work within the NAS.
 
still learning said:
Hey all, had a question about who I actually contact before entering a MOA. On my sectional it says Washington Center is the controlling agency for this particular MOA. So, I looked in my A/FD and it has a list of ATC control centers that I could contact. Would I just contact the closest one?
Click to expand...

That'll work fine.

Also, the phraseology, how would I request status of a MOA? Would it go something like this "So and So approach cessna XXX is a 172, 5 miles northeast of XXX airport at 2,500, requesting status of this MOA"
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If all you want is the status of the MOA just say the name of the MOA and ask if it's in use. "Metropolis Center, Skyhawk 1234A, is Bushy Beaver MOA in use?" You can omit your position and altitude as they won't affect the answer.
 
I like that See and Avoid .org site.

When VFR, I always pick up FF (I've never had it denied) and I ask center about any MOAs in my path well before I get to them. I usually have a plan for each one in case it's hot - go around, go under, above, or press on.

If one is hot as I get close to it, center will often hand me off to the base controller who is working the MOA and then they will handle me and then give me back to center on the other side. This often happens when I've been on VFR FF which is really nice.

When I'm IFR, of course, I don't ask - they handle it. They either hand me off or route me around or don't even mention the MOA (meaning it's cold or any traffic is under center control and is no factor).
 
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James331 said:
Forgive me if this is too old school, but flip your sectional over and there is a list of all the towers, restricted, MOAs etc, their vital info such as altitudes and times and the agency's freq.
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This is one of the drawbacks of the digital sectionals on moving maps, they stitch them together so you can't view the legends. I had to download the sectional PDF to see what you were talking about. I'm still a student pilot, haven't done navigation yet, and haven't seen a paper sectional before. I'm not sure how many people carry paper with all the tablets floating around these days. They probably try to incorporate the legend info into the functionality like you said in foreflight 'touch the moa', but seems like it would be useful to be able to view it directly. I'm sure there is a digital sectional viewer that does this, but I don't know how to do it.

fyi, got the pdf here: https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/flight_info/aeronav/digital_products/vfr/
 
jimbilly said:
This is one of the drawbacks of the digital sectionals on moving maps, they stitch them together so you can't view the legends. I had to download the sectional PDF to see what you were talking about. I'm still a student pilot, haven't done navigation yet, and haven't seen a paper sectional before. I'm not sure how many people carry paper with all the tablets floating around these days. They probably try to incorporate the legend info into the functionality like you said in foreflight 'touch the moa', but seems like it would be useful to be able to view it directly. I'm sure there is a digital sectional viewer that does this, but I don't know how to do it.

fyi, got the pdf here: https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/flight_info/aeronav/digital_products/vfr/
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Those collars are in ForeFlight, too. You just have to configure it to show them.

Check the section in here called Map Touch:
http://cloudfront.foreflight.com/docs/ff/7.0b2/v7.0 - foreflight mobile pilot guide-reduced.pdf
 
I found out, via another thread here, that on Skyvector you can click the rightmost button on the top (in my case New York) to view the edges of the sectionals. Not always helpful in the air, but might help with ground planning.
 
UngaWunga said:
I found out, via another thread here, that on Skyvector you can click the rightmost button on the top (in my case New York) to view the edges of the sectionals. Not always helpful in the air, but might help with ground planning.
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It's not always the right most... But click on the name of the corresponding sectional, whatever it may be. That works for any chart, too. The "World" charts are stitched together, the rest are individual charts.
 
James331 said:
Forgive me if this is too old school, but flip your sectional over and there is a list of all the towers, restricted, MOAs etc, their vital info such as altitudes and times and the agency's freq.

If you're a VFR pilot you'll always have at least a sectional with you, just flip it over.
Click to expand...

That tells when they might be active, but not if they are. Around here I've found they aren't hot during the hours listed most of the time. I'd hate to make a big deviation for nothing happening.
 
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