Airspace Ops Question

[KE5BM]

Good morning, Controllers. This is a simple "out of curiosity" question. Last week, I took the family down to Virginia for Thanksgiving and I turned the aircraft around next day to return. I took the exact same route to and from. When I was southbound over New Jersey (between CYN and SIE) on Sunday I got handed off to Atlantic Approach. The next day on the northbound return trip over the same area I was worked by McGuire Approach. Any particular reason why I had different controllers? MILAIR traffic/hot restricted areas? Altitude difference? (7500 vs. 6500)

 

[Velocity173]

Unless there’s a McGuire or Atlantic City controller on POA, no way of really knowing the reason.

Logical reasons for talking to a controller one day but not another, is if the facility was closed. Perhaps holiday hours for McGuire.
Also a chance your route didn’t go deep enough into McGuire’s airspace for an obvious handoff. One controller might do a point out to allow you to go through, while another might just do a handoff. I suppose if R5001B was hot, McGuire might want to work you to ensure you remain clear.

 

[Bob Noel]

Altitude could be the reason.

(this is the interweb, we are allowed and almost encouraged to speculate...)

 

[luvflyin]

Good morning, Controllers. This is a simple "out of curiosity" question. Last week, I took the family down to Virginia for Thanksgiving and I turned the aircraft around next day to return. I took the exact same route to and from. When I was southbound over New Jersey (between CYN and SIE) on Sunday I got handed off to Atlantic Approach. The next day on the northbound return trip over the same area I was worked by McGuire Approach. Any particular reason why I had different controllers? MILAIR traffic/hot restricted areas? Altitude difference? (7500 vs. 6500)

Googling I found that the top of Atlantic Approach airspace is 7000. The top of McGuires is 8000. Looks like McGuire has a ‘shelf’ over Atlantic in that area. If you were above 8000 you probably would have been with Center.

 

[Velocity173]

Googling I found that the top of Atlantic Approach airspace is 7000. The top of McGuires is 8000. Looks like McGuire has a ‘shelf’ over Atlantic in that area. If you were above 8000 you probably would have been with Center.

ACY is Atlantic Approach? 7K is pretty low. Might as well call themselves an arrival facility.

 

[KE5BM]

Well that makes sense given my chosen cruise altitudes both ways. I know one of the restricted areas was hot so I thought maybe that could be the reason. I was with McGuire for quite a while northbound...probably about twice as long as I was with Atlantic southbound.

I've done searches for airspace maps in the past but can never seem to find maps detailed enough for what I'm looking for. I'd really like to have a chart of each approach/departure and center sector. I feel it would help with preflight planning a little to have an idea of what frequencies you'll be assigned to. Something more definitive than the boxes on the Sectionals and IFR enroute charts.

 

[midlifeflyer]

I've done searches for airspace maps in the past but can never seem to find maps detailed enough for what I'm looking for. I'd really like to have a chart of each approach/departure and center sector. I feel it would help with preflight planning a little to have an idea of what frequencies you'll be assigned to. Something more definitive than the boxes on the Sectionals and IFR enroute charts.

I've seen that suggestion before. I think the problem is the same as why the published/charted Center frequencies and even many published/charted approach frequencies aren't that helpful except for a cold call. Most facilities have more than one frequency. ATC jurisdictions overlap. Sector responsibility changes. All that can mean can mean you talk to one facility on in one facility or frequency within a facility now and another an hour from now, in the same place at the same altitude, depending on (literally) which way the wind is blowing and traffic density and mix. You might be handed off to three different City Approach sectors when landing at City Airport today, and only one tomorrow Basically, there's no way to be definitive. Too many variables. Too much division of labor at the local and LOA level.

I am also one of those who likes to have frequencies in advance. I have always been very bad with numbers. I transpose them and have little ability to retain them. My head blows up if ATC gives me a new heading, altitude, and frequency at the same time When instructing, I'm big on, "what can you set up now?" when it comes to radios. Even on a 3 hour xc, you may find my COM 2 set for the destination ATIS/AWOS before I take off if I don't expect to use it for something else enroute.

With enroute frequencies I do something else. Yeah, I still try to guess when and whether I will talk to the final approach frequency published on the chart (coming in IFR from the south at my home base, you won't at all). But I discovered I was much more accurate (and had more overall situational awareness) if I just listened. You can tell when ATC is speaking with traffic going in the same direction as you. When they are ahead of me and get handed off, I tune my standby. About 90% accurate.