What Is "Special Military Activity" In SoCal???

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Pilot101

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Pilot101
So whilst flying through the SoCal area I see on the sectional chart a black-ish grey hashed marked area that looks scary like an outline to a MOA or Restricted area and the area/altitude is marked "SPECIAL MILITARY ACTIVITY 90/20 AGL" and that looks real bad so I press and hold on the ForeFlight app in the center of the area expecting the familiar green highlighted airspace region to display the name of this special use airspace, the restrictions, and to also tell me what the heck it is... however nothing comes up on ForeFlight...no name or even any info on the area...like it does not exist.

So not exactly knowing what to do because I cannot circumnavigate the area I climb to 9100 MSL to fly over the area. No biggie. Since I am exceptionally bored on a long trip I cannot resist to dial up Riverside FSS and ask them what it is (I state the location and altitude and describe it on the sectional). Complete silence...then the guy says he does not know what the heck I am talking about even though he sees it printed on the sectional chart (so at least I am not crazy). I tell him the location of the area and tell him that it says "CTC RIVERSIDE..." and he says pretty much "nope...no idea what you are talking about" and I then say "well if you don't know what it is then I don't need to know either" and I continue to motor along just as bored as I was before...

But I cant drop it...SO...Does anybody know what the heck I am talking about???

The area in question is located around, north, and west of the LHS VOR and the olde Google search does not come up with anything either. Of course...not that it means anything however I do not remember ever reading anything about a "Special Military Activity" anywhere...so I wanted to reach out to the brain trust on the internet to achieve great enlightenment...

THANKS!!!
 
Pilot101 said:
So whilst flying through the SoCal area I see on the sectional chart a black-ish grey hashed marked area that looks scary like an outline to a MOA or Restricted area and the area/altitude is marked "SPECIAL MILITARY ACTIVITY 90/20 AGL" and that looks real bad so I press and hold on the ForeFlight app in the center of the area expecting the familiar green highlighted airspace region to display the name of this special use airspace, the restrictions, and to also tell me what the heck it is... however nothing comes up on ForeFlight...no name or even any info on the area...like it does not exist.

So not exactly knowing what to do because I cannot circumnavigate the area I climb to 9100 MSL to fly over the area. No biggie. Since I am exceptionally bored on a long trip I cannot resist to dial up Riverside FSS and ask them what it is (I state the location and altitude and describe it on the sectional). Complete silence...then the guy says he does not know what the heck I am talking about even though he sees it printed on the sectional chart (so at least I am not crazy). I tell him the location of the area and tell him that it says "CTC RIVERSIDE..." and he says pretty much "nope...no idea what you are talking about" and I then say "well if you don't know what it is then I don't need to know either" and I continue to motor along just as bored as I was before...

But I cant drop it...SO...Does anybody know what the heck I am talking about???

The area in question is located around, north, and west of the LHS VOR and the olde Google search does not come up with anything either. Of course...not that it means anything however I do not remember ever reading anything about a "Special Military Activity" anywhere...so I wanted to reach out to the brain trust on the internet to achieve great enlightenment...

THANKS!!!
Click to expand...
They are IR Routes that do some serious stuff. Like Cruise Missile tests. Follow that one by LHS Westbound towards GVO and the South. It starts where they launch a Cruise Missile from a Submarine. IR200. Follow it to the North. It seems to end at the Restricted Area. But keep looking to the North and you'll see it picks up again leaving the Restricted Area East of BIH. I don't think it's been used in many years. Doesn't surprise me the FSS guy didn't have clue. They should, but oh well.
 
I have no idea, but...

IR425/IR200 and VR1293 seem to be at the core of that space and point somewhat in the direction of KMHV.

Maybe call Mohave "Spaceport" tower, since it's continuously attended, and explain you're a GA pilot that likes to potter through there and what deference should you be giving that airspace anyway? maybe whoever is in the tower there will know something.
 
I'm kinda surprised that is still there. That is a very old route for sub launched cruise missiles and it has been there since the '70s. I used to know the code name for it, but I have forgotten it.

I got to see it in use when it began operation and was not yet on the map for security reasons. The technology used to mark the landfall visual update panels was the very first generation of a portable GNSS (before it was widely known as GPS). It was a large suitcase with a weird looking radio receiver in it with gas discharge tubes that displayed Lat/Long coordinates.

The "vehicles" would have a two ship fighter escort to keep a visual lookout for "contingencies." I'm sure there is plenty of detailed declassified info available somewhere on this SUA.
 
hah there was a tomahawk nose cone that used to be in an office of mine in Fallon, which was the end state of one of these tests.
 
35 AoA said:
hah there was a tomahawk nose cone that used to be in an office of mine in Fallon, which was the end state of one of these tests.
Click to expand...
They're always in the last place you look...
 
IK04 said:
I'm kinda surprised that is still there. That is a very old route for sub launched cruise missiles and it has been there since the '70s. I used to know the code name for it, but I have forgotten it.

I got to see it in use when it began operation and was not yet on the map for security reasons. The technology used to mark the landfall visual update panels was the very first generation of a portable GNSS (before it was widely known as GPS). It was a large suitcase with a weird looking radio receiver in it with gas discharge tubes that displayed Lat/Long coordinates.

The "vehicles" would have a two ship fighter escort to keep a visual lookout for "contingencies." I'm sure there is plenty of detailed declassified info available somewhere on this SUA.
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It looks like it ends here east of ELY. Does that look about right as you remember?

upload_2022-1-9_5-56-23.png
 
The Convair 880 in this post was the airborne telemetry relay for many of those tests.

Nauga,
and his four-barrel smokescreen
 
IK04 said:
I'm kinda surprised that is still there. That is a very old route for sub launched cruise missiles and it has been there since the '70s.
Click to expand...

Once the military gets a hold of any airspace, it is extremely rare they will let it go again.
 
luvflyin said:
looks like there is declassified info out there like @IK04 said. It is declassified isn't it? Do you see any black Suburbans out your window:rofl:
Click to expand...

Definitely declassified. I actually remember reading the NOTAM for this back in 2000. The missiles were sometimes fired from the GoM and F-15/F-16s escorted them into the Elgin ranges.

https://www.navair.navy.mil/node/3056
 
kyleb said:
They couldn't find a less efficient way to do it?
Click to expand...
The Navy had a Convair 880 tanker for many years. It was really easy to spot, you just looked for the aircraft that appeared to be burning coal! It’s offload was not very much.
 
Pilot101 said:
So whilst flying through the SoCal area I see on the sectional chart a black-ish grey hashed marked area that looks scary like an outline to a MOA or Restricted area and the area/altitude is marked "SPECIAL MILITARY ACTIVITY 90/20 AGL" and that looks real bad so I press and hold on the ForeFlight app in the center of the area expecting the familiar green highlighted airspace region to display the name of this special use airspace, the restrictions, and to also tell me what the heck it is... however nothing comes up on ForeFlight...no name or even any info on the area...like it does not exist.

So not exactly knowing what to do because I cannot circumnavigate the area I climb to 9100 MSL to fly over the area. No biggie. Since I am exceptionally bored on a long trip I cannot resist to dial up Riverside FSS and ask them what it is (I state the location and altitude and describe it on the sectional). Complete silence...then the guy says he does not know what the heck I am talking about even though he sees it printed on the sectional chart (so at least I am not crazy). I tell him the location of the area and tell him that it says "CTC RIVERSIDE..." and he says pretty much "nope...no idea what you are talking about" and I then say "well if you don't know what it is then I don't need to know either" and I continue to motor along just as bored as I was before...

But I cant drop it...SO...Does anybody know what the heck I am talking about???

The area in question is located around, north, and west of the LHS VOR and the olde Google search does not come up with anything either. Of course...not that it means anything however I do not remember ever reading anything about a "Special Military Activity" anywhere...so I wanted to reach out to the brain trust on the internet to achieve great enlightenment...

THANKS!!!
Click to expand...

Is the area you're talking about? Asked the same question many moons ago and was told to look at it real careful to see what was on the east side (Edwards AFB) and what was on the west side (Vandenberg AFB) and then ask myself... what sort of activity do you think happens there? :eek::D:cool::)

Capture.JPG
 
The route activities aren’t classified. Maybe back in the day (mid 80s) but not today.

The routes are predicable. West coast IR-200 off shore and spills into China Lake. East Coast IR-30-33 (JAX offshore area), thru north Florida, into the Gulf and penetrates back over land into Elgin R Areas. Both routes are obviously over unpopulated areas in case something goes wrong with the missile. Been going on for almost 40 years.

https://www.navair.navy.mil/node/3056
 
Fun fact....friend of mine worked for Boeing a long time ago. When the first cruise missiles were declared operational, his take was that this was accurate, as long as "operational" meant it would fly 500' off the ground for about 20 seconds before the radar screwed up and sent it into the ground. He was part of the radar team.

Meaning that sometimes these sites are secret because we don't want people to know how good our tech is. Sometimes it's the other way around.
 
Whoa... super happy to see the various responses to my post...

I've have noticed... People always seem to be amazed at the depth of my ignorance on various subjects... glad my cornucopia of ignorance is finally paying off...

Thanks everyone for your valuable experience /information on this subject...
 
Pilot101 said:
Whoa... super happy to see the various responses to my post...

I've have noticed... People always seem to be amazed at the depth of my ignorance on various subjects... glad my cornucopia of ignorance is finally paying off...

Thanks everyone for your valuable experience /information on this subject...
Click to expand...
How’s the ol’ saying go? The more you learn, the more you realize how much you don’t know.
 
>How’s the ol’ saying go? The more you learn, the more you realize how much you don’t know.

Yup welcome to my world.

Another saying that I repeat often is...

You don't know... what you don't know... until somebody walks up and notifies you that you did not know...
 
I know the are of which you speak. When I first started flying my own plane in the area, I asked ATC on the radio about it and they had no idea what I was talking about...even though I was going right through it in their sector. After that I stopped worrying about it. Haha
 
Kinda like when ATC advises that traffic is a "Light Civilian Aircraft." Yeah, the usual response is "Roger, following the Predator." Doh!
 
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