Luke AFB

[Jose]

From AvWeb:
http://www.azcentral.com/community/westvalley/articles/1231gl-nwvsurpluke31Z1.html

> Midair collisions are of vital concern to Luke Air Force Base officials, so [... t]he base is asking West Valley cities, Maricopa County, Phoenix and West Valley legislators to sign a letter petitioning the FAA for a special air-traffic rule.
>
> The problem for Luke is the increasing number of general-aviation aircraft climbing and descending in Luke's airspace every year. Many of those flights rely only on visual flight rules before entering and crossing Luke's airspace.
>
> [...] Luke wants any aircraft entering its airspace to identify itself, its position and its path.
>
> If Luke were successful in getting the special air-traffic rule, it would establish an area in which two-way communications must exist between Luke air-traffic control and all aircraft. It would also require all pilots to obtain an air-traffic control clearance or advisory before entering, and while operating in, Luke's special air-traffic rule area.

Luke has a control tower. I assume Luke is class D airspace (most CT
airports are). How does what they are asking differ from class D
requirements, and why?

Jose
--
You can choose whom to befriend, but you cannot choose whom to love.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

[BTIZ]

Referring to my PHX Sectional Chart.. Luke has a Class D tower snuggled up
against the side of PHX Class B airspace. PHX is in the process of
completing a Class B realignment, besides other changes it would lower the
ceiling of the Class B to 9,000MSL. Details of the Class B change can be
found on the AOPA web pages.

Luke also already has an "Alert Area 231" for intensive student training,
and I am sure Luke has traffic to and from the many Military Operating Areas
north and west of PHX. A-231 does not require mandatory contact with ATC to
transition the area. Also, though not wise, you can transition a MOA in
VFR/VMC conditions without ATC approval.

It appears that Luke may be wanting to instill Class C airspace next to the
PHX Class B and surrounding the Luke Class D. The article does not reflect
how much airspace Luke wants under their control for mandatory contact.

Has anyone forwarded this article to AOPA?

BT

"Jose" > wrote in message
m...
> From AvWeb:
> http://www.azcentral.com/community/westvalley/articles/1231gl-nwvsurpluke31Z1.html
>
>> Midair collisions are of vital concern to Luke Air Force Base officials,
>> so [... t]he base is asking West Valley cities, Maricopa County, Phoenix
>> and West Valley legislators to sign a letter petitioning the FAA for a
>> special air-traffic rule.
>>
>> The problem for Luke is the increasing number of general-aviation
>> aircraft climbing and descending in Luke's airspace every year. Many of
>> those flights rely only on visual flight rules before entering and
>> crossing Luke's airspace.
>>
>> [...] Luke wants any aircraft entering its airspace to identify itself,
>> its position and its path.
>>
>> If Luke were successful in getting the special air-traffic rule, it would
>> establish an area in which two-way communications must exist between Luke
>> air-traffic control and all aircraft. It would also require all pilots to
>> obtain an air-traffic control clearance or advisory before entering, and
>> while operating in, Luke's special air-traffic rule area.
>
> Luke has a control tower. I assume Luke is class D airspace (most CT
> airports are). How does what they are asking differ from class D
> requirements, and why?
>
> Jose
> --
> You can choose whom to befriend, but you cannot choose whom to love.
> for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

[Mike Adams]

"BTIZ" > wrote:

> Luke also already has an "Alert Area 231" for intensive student
> training, and I am sure Luke has traffic to and from the many Military
> Operating Areas north and west of PHX. A-231 does not require
> mandatory contact with ATC to transition the area. Also, though not
> wise, you can transition a MOA in VFR/VMC conditions without ATC
> approval.
>
>

Yes, the issue is VFR traffic in the alert area north and west of Luke, not just the class D airspace. There
is a lot of training traffic from DVT and GEU in this area. Luke approach control is very helpful with traffic
advisories, but they can't help the guys they're not talking to. See
http://www.dvtpilot.com/pdf/Proposed%20LUK%20AirspaceChanges.pdf for more information.

Mike

[BTIZ]

Thanx.. I'll forward that to some PHX glider pilots.
BT

"Mike Adams" > wrote in message
news:OJHuf.5698$jR.5579@fed1read01...
> "BTIZ" > wrote:
>
>> Luke also already has an "Alert Area 231" for intensive student
>> training, and I am sure Luke has traffic to and from the many Military
>> Operating Areas north and west of PHX. A-231 does not require
>> mandatory contact with ATC to transition the area. Also, though not
>> wise, you can transition a MOA in VFR/VMC conditions without ATC
>> approval.
>>
>>
>
> Yes, the issue is VFR traffic in the alert area north and west of Luke,
> not just the class D airspace. There
> is a lot of training traffic from DVT and GEU in this area. Luke approach
> control is very helpful with traffic
> advisories, but they can't help the guys they're not talking to. See
> http://www.dvtpilot.com/pdf/Proposed%20LUK%20AirspaceChanges.pdf for more
> information.
>
> Mike

[Jose]

> Has anyone forwarded this article to AOPA?

I have not... but since it appears on avweb, I suspect AOPA knows about
it. Would that not be a valid assumption?

Jose
--
You can choose whom to befriend, but you cannot choose whom to love.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

[Jay Beckman]

"Jose" > wrote in message
t...
>> Has anyone forwarded this article to AOPA?
>
> I have not... but since it appears on avweb, I suspect AOPA knows about
> it. Would that not be a valid assumption?
>
> Jose

Stacy Howard (the western AOPA rep) is, I believe, on the committee working
on the PHX Class Bravo redesign. IIRC, Phil Boyer intro'd her as such when
he was here for a town hall meeting a couple of months ago.

I know she is on the AZ Governor's Advisory Council on Aviation.


Jay Beckman
PP-ASEL
AZ Cloudbusters
Chandler, AZ

[Rob]

Jose wrote:
> From AvWeb:
> http://www.azcentral.com/community/westvalley/articles/1231gl-nwvsurpluke31Z1.html
> > [...] Luke wants any aircraft entering its airspace to identify itself, its position and its path.

Luke is proposing to create a Special Air Traffic Rule (SATR) area. A
graphic of the boundaries of the proposed area can be found here:

http://www.luke.af.mil/CommunityInterests/MidairCollisionAvoidance/MCA_index.asp

Click "Special Air Traffic Rule (SATR) Proposal".

-R

[Rob]

Rob wrote:
> Jose wrote:
> > From AvWeb:
> > http://www.azcentral.com/community/westvalley/articles/1231gl-nwvsurpluke31Z1.html
> > > [...] Luke wants any aircraft entering its airspace to identify itself, its position and its path.
>
> Luke is proposing to create a Special Air Traffic Rule (SATR) area. A
> graphic of the boundaries of the proposed area can be found here:
>
> http://www.luke.af.mil/CommunityInterests/MidairCollisionAvoidance/MCA_index.asp
>
> Click "Special Air Traffic Rule (SATR) Proposal".
>
> -R

I just realized also that the PHX Class B boundaries shown in this
graphic are the new proposed boundaries, not the existing Class B.

-R