News and Updates – FAA: NCAA Final Four Information for GA Pilots

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General Aviation pilots who want to fly around Atlanta between April 1 and 7, 2020, should check out the FAAs Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) for special air traffic procedures.

The 2020 Final Four will be played on the first weekend of April, with semifinals onSaturday, April 4,and the National Championship Game onMonday, April 6, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The FAA expects more than 1,000 additional take-offs and landings at Atlanta area airports that week.

Additional unmanned aircraft restrictions will also be in place the first week of April.

Special air traffic procedures to enhance safety and minimize air traffic delays will be in effect for the following airports:

  • Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
  • DeKalb-Peachtree Airport (PDK)
  • Fulton County AirportBrown Field (FTY)
  • Cobb County International Airport (RYY)
  • Gwinnett County Airport (LZU)
  • Newnan Coweta County Airport (CCO)
  • Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport (PUJ)
  • Atlanta Regional AirportFalcon Field (FFC)
  • Henry County Airport (HMP)
  • Griffin-Spalding County Airport (6A2)
  • Covington Municipal Airport (CVC)

Arrival Route Requirements:
The NOTAM includes specific arrival route requirements for jet and turboprop aircraft.

FAA ATC Air Traffic Management Initiatives
Air traffic management initiatives may include:

  • Ground Delay Programs (GDP)
  • Airspace Flow Programs (AFP)
  • Time Based Metering
  • Miles in Trail
  • Airborne Holding
  • Ground Stops
  • Reroutes
  • Altitude Restriction
  • Gate Hold Procedures

Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) for NCAA Mens Final Four April 3 to 6
The FAA will publish multiple Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) centered on Mercedes-Benz Stadium and other downtown Atlanta venues at various times between April 3 and 6. The TFRs will not affect regularly scheduled commercial flights at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). Emergency medical, public safety and military aircraft may enter the TFR in coordination with air traffic control. The FAA will post the full text and graphic depictions of the NCAA Final Four TFRs later in March.

News and Updates – FAA Expands Weather Camera Program to Colorado

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is expanding its highly successful weather camera safety program to Colorado.

The FAA has entered into a cost-reimbursement agreement with the State of Colorado Division of Aeronautics to install weather cameras on 13 Automated Weather Observing Systems (AWOS) in mountainous areas, beginning in the spring of 2020.

These cameras will build on the success of a 20-year-old program in Alaska that has improved safety by providing near-real-time video to pilots from a network of more than 230 cameras across the state. In 1999, the FAA determined that pilots operating under Visual Flight Rules would benefit from actual views of the current weather conditions where they were destined and the FAA Weather Camera Program was born.

The 13 Colorado cameras will be the first to be integrated into the FAA Weather Camera Program outside of Alaska.In addition to the accurate weather information they receive from AWOS, pilots planning to fly above the Colorado Rockies will soon have the abilityto see real-time weather conditions along their routes before they depart their airports.

This effort is made possible through a $226,000 reimbursable agreement between the Colorado Division of Aeronautics and the FAA.Under this agreement, the FAA will assist the state with the camera installations, and the state will own and maintain the cameras. The FAAs weather camera website will display still images that each camera captures.

News and Updates – FAA Seeks Public Comment on Air Traffic Procedure Change at DCA

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WASHINGTON The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is inviting comments until March 30, 2020 on a temporary air traffic procedure change at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) called HOLTB. The HOLTB amended a waypoint by moving it 784 feet southwest in order to move north-flow departing aircraft away from protected airspace while keeping aircraft over the Potomac River.

The FAA implemented the temporary change on January 30, 2020, to enhance national security by reducing the number of incursions from aircraft drifting into the prohibited area.

Based on the initial results of the temporary procedure, the FAA is proposing to permanently implement the amended waypoint for all north-flow departures at DCA.

The FAA is also inviting comments from the public on environmental concerns that should be considered as part of its environmental review for the implementation of the amended waypoint.

Please submit comments by March 30, 2020, using thesubmit comment form. Additional information about the FAAs temporary and proposed change including radar tracks and a noise screen can be found at the following website: https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/community_involvement/dca_p56/

News and Updates – 2019 General Aviation Survey is Open Now

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WASHINGTON The Federal Aviation Administrations (FAA) 42nd Annual General Aviation (GA) and Part 135 Activity Survey is open February 24 to July 10, 2020. This voluntary survey is distributed by mail to a representative sample of GA and on-demand Part 135 aircraft owners and operators. Survey participants may complete the survey online or by mail.

The survey estimates the size, primary use, and flight hours of the 2019 general aviation fleet. This information enables the FAA to track the success of our safety initiatives and to better serve the GA community by evaluating pilots access to the equipment and services that they rely on to navigate and fly safely.

The survey is four pages long and takes 10 to 30 minutes to complete. Individual responses are kept confidential to the extent permitted by law. The FAA receives and publishes only data aggregated to a level where individual responses are no longer identifiable. The independent research firm, Tetra Tech, is conducting the survey on the FAAs behalf. Tetra Tech will mail out the surveys, process responses, analyze the results, and maintain custody of individual responses.

Survey results will be posted on the public website by January 2021.

If you have questions, contact the GA Survey help line, at 1-800-826-1797, or email: infoaviationsurvey@tetratech.com or the FAA at GASurvey@faa.gov.

News and Updates – U.S. Department of Transportation Announces Final Rule to Enhance Air Carrier Pilot Development

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The rule requires specific training for newly-hired pilots and supplemental training for captains.