The new 2012 FAA VFR aeronautical charts are being updated to provide additional information for aircraft operations in the vicinity of Monterey Bay, Channel Islands, Gulf of the Farallones, and Olympic Coast National Marines Sanctuaries.
In accordance with existing National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) regulations, flight operations below the charted altitude for each sanctuary may harass or disturb marine mammals and seabirds and therefore, violate NOAA regulations (15 CFR Part 922, as amended at 77 FR 3919, Jan. 26, 2012).
The FAA has worked with NOAA to accurately depict the sanctuary boundaries on the affected aeronautical charts and have included a notation that references the NOAA regulations. Look for these additions on the Seattle Sectional, Los Angeles Sectional Terminal Area Chart (TAC), San Francisco Sectional TAC, and World Aeronautical Charts (WAC) CF-16 CG-18 to be released by the FAA in 2012.
CalPilots Editor’s Note: This is probably one of the FAA’s most ill-advised actions in the last decade. Could they possibly figure out a better way to make airspace even more confusing? Further, we have still to determine what the problem this solution seeking an issue is.
More… Here is our response to FAAST on this subject..
In our opinion the FAA DID NOT perform its due diligence duties here in allowing NOAA to dictate airspace regulation. I will ask this question once again.
What is the problem that this ill-advised airspace hack is resolving? Please show us real data, not just environmental hand-ringing information. And since when are we considered guilty until proven innocent?
How are pilots supposed to descend on an over the water instrument approach into Monterey, Marina, Watsonville, Salinas, and Half Moon Bay California without busting these NOAA altitudes? Not to mention the Washington State airports too. What about them?
The FAA should be truly embarrassed about this. This action is truly a Washington DC bureaucracy “ready fire aim” debacle.
Ed Rosiak
President – California Pilots Association
www.calpilots.org
