Airspace E vs G depending on time of day

NoHeat

NoHeat

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I was browsing the AF/D for an airport in Alaska, PATK, where it says:

AIRSPACE: CLASS E svc 1700–0500Z‡ other times CLASS G.

Is this change in airspace each day common? And why does it happen?
 
NoHeat said:
I was browsing the AF/D for an airport in Alaska, PATK, where it says:

AIRSPACE: CLASS E svc 1700–0500Z‡ other times CLASS G.

Is this change in airspace each day common? And why does it happen?
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I'd say part-time Class E surface areas are uncommon. In this case I'd wager it's due to the part-time on-field FSS. There is an ASOS, which is sufficient for the weather observation requirement of a surface area, but it's probably augmented by FSS and those concerned prefer to limit surface area hours to FSS hours.
 
Generally Class E airspace at the surface is provided to add a layer of safety to commercial 135 operations by keeping VFR aircraft out of the traffic pattern when WX is less than 1000 ft and 3sm. Since that restriction is not needed after 5pm each day, the airspace goes to G. This is not uncommon.
 
KFTG changes when the tower closes at 9 pm.
 
Talkeetna can be busy with 135 and 91 traffic during the long summer days. I think it is when the FSS guys and the weather observer goes home.

Alaska does not have a A/FD. It is an orangish book called the supplement. But otherwise it looks and acts like the A/FD.
 
Zeldman said:
Talkeetna can be busy with 135 and 91 traffic during the long summer days. I think it is when the FSS guys and the weather observer goes home.

Alaska does not have a A/FD. It is an orangish book called the supplement. But otherwise it looks and acts like the A/FD.
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That makes sense, about somebody going home.

But there's an instrument approach that has no notation about time of day, so I wonder why it doesn't' remain class E to the ground all the time.

Foreflight labels the info as A/FD, so I didn't know differently, re a printed book.
 
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NoHeat said:
That makes sense, about somebody going home.

But there's an instrument approach that has no notation about time of day, so I wonder why it doesn't' remain class E to the ground all the time.

Foreflight labels the info as A/FD, so I didn't know differently, re a printed book.
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Plenty of instrument approaches at fields where the class E ends at 700 or 1200 agl. It's normal.


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roncachamp said:
I'd say part-time Class E surface areas are uncommon. In this case I'd wager it's due to the part-time on-field FSS. There is an ASOS, which is sufficient for the weather observation requirement of a surface area, but it's probably augmented by FSS and those concerned prefer to limit surface area hours to FSS hours.
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Also possibly related to the FSS hours before the ASOS was installed...Remember back in the good ol' days when it was called a "Control Zone", and was predicated on having a weather observer on duty? There are many Class E surface areas that are still in existence for no other apparent reason.
 
Zeldman said:
Talkeetna can be busy with 135 and 91 traffic during the long summer days. I think it is when the FSS guys and the weather observer goes home.

Alaska does not have a A/FD. It is an orangish book called the supplement. But otherwise it looks and acts like the A/FD.
Click to expand...
There is no AF/D anymore, it has been replaced by chart supplement.
 
MauleSkinner said:
Also possibly related to the FSS hours before the ASOS was installed...Remember back in the good ol' days when it was called a "Control Zone", and was predicated on having a weather observer on duty? There are many Class E surface areas that are still in existence for no other apparent reason.
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In 1972, before ASOS existed, FSS hours were 0800-1600 Friday-Tuesday, but the Control Zone was effective 0545-2145. The weather observer was someone other than FSS.
 
roncachamp said:
In 1972, before ASOS existed, FSS hours were 0800-1600 Friday-Tuesday, but the Control Zone was effective 0545-2145. The weather observer was someone other than FSS.
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Good point.

If you check out KRWF, you'll probably still find Class E to the surface 24 hours a day. No commercial traffic, just a sleepy little rural airport.

But back in the day, it had a 24-hr FSS. At a sleepy little rural airport. ;)
 
MauleSkinner said:
If you check out KRWF, you'll probably still find Class E to the surface 24 hours a day. No commercial traffic, just a sleepy little rural airport.
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A Class E surface area requires communications capability down to the runway surface, weather observations, and a public interest in having controlled airspace at the surface. If that last one seems rather vague to you you're in good company.

But back in the day, it had a 24-hr FSS. At a sleepy little rural airport. ;)
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Back in the day, well before some 400 FSSs were consolidated into about 60 AFSSs, there were many 24-hr FSSs and their predecessor facilities (Air Mail Radio Station 1920, Airway Radio Station 1928, Airway Communications Station 1938, Interstate Airway Communications Station (date unknown), Air Traffic Communications Station 1958 and Flight Service Station in 1960) at sleepy little rural airports. Before direct pilot-controller radio communications with centers, clearances and reports were relayed through these facilities. That's why FSS is addressed as "Radio".
 
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