When the FAA published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on Monday proposing to turn a Washington State TFR into a permanent prohibited zone, AOPA was quick to cry foul. “AOPA has consistently opposed these TFRs in the Puget Sound area because of the adverse operational impact on general aviation, particularly seaplanes using the Hood Canal,” AOPA President Phil Boyer said in a news release. “There is a much less restrictive solution that would satisfy the Navy’s legitimate security concerns.” AOPA told the FAA that an airspace classification called a National Security Area (NSA) would do the trick. “Pilots are requested to voluntarily avoid flying through an NSA,” Boyer said. “And when the threat level is elevated, NOTAMs can be issued to prohibit flight through a particular NSA.” The NPRM would make permanent the current TFR around the U.S. Navy submarine base at Bangor, Wash., over the Hood Canal. The proposed prohibited area, P-51, would extend up to 2,500 feet MSL.
AOPA to FAA: Hands Off Our Airspace, Please
Key Takeaways:
- The FAA proposed making a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) around the U.S. Navy submarine base at Bangor, Washington, a permanent prohibited zone (P-51) extending up to 2,500 feet MSL.
- AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association) strongly opposes this proposal, stating it would have an adverse operational impact on general aviation, especially seaplanes using the Hood Canal.
- AOPA suggests a less restrictive alternative: a National Security Area (NSA), which requests voluntary pilot avoidance but allows for flight prohibition via NOTAMs during elevated threat levels.
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