Big brown area in Texas will soon disappear

[lziegenhals]

I've been lurking on the Pilots of America board for some time, but only recently created an account so I could start posting. I'm planning a trip out to Big Bend Ranch State Park (3TE3) in Texas (just west of Big Bend National Park) in February. They have a nice, long, paved runway right in the middle of the park, which otherwise is basically on the other side of nowhere. It's a great place to spend several days away from just about everything except desert and a big, wide open sky.

The last time I flew out there I was strictly VFR, but I've been instrument rated for the past 6 years. So I've been reviewing some of the past threads on IFR operation in class G airspace since the entire Big Bend area is class G up to 14,500.

That is, until this month. Presidio (KPRS) is getting their very first instrument approach, RNAV A, to be published later this fall. Because of that, the FAA has established a 700' class E area around the airport, and a 1,200' class E area for a 62.5 mile radius around the airport.

That's going to make most of that brown area on the low IFR chart disappear. It looks like some of it on the east side of the area will remain, but the bulk of it will be gone.

Seems kind of sad - "things are always bigger in Texas" as the saying goes. On the other hand, if I do have to file to get there (or get back), it will be nice to be in controlled airspace, and it will be especially nice to have the instrument approach at Presidio if needed, although Marfa and Alpine are not far away.

Lee

 

[SCCutler]

Nice country around there.

Regardless of what the chart shows, don't expect much to change in the way people operate.

--

PS - Welcome to PoA! Tell us more about your lil' ol' self.

 

[aterpster]

I've been lurking on the Pilots of America board for some time, but only recently created an account so I could start posting. I'm planning a trip out to Big Bend Ranch State Park (3TE3) in Texas (just west of Big Bend National Park) in February. They have a nice, long, paved runway right in the middle of the park, which otherwise is basically on the other side of nowhere. It's a great place to spend several days away from just about everything except desert and a big, wide open sky.

The last time I flew out there I was strictly VFR, but I've been instrument rated for the past 6 years. So I've been reviewing some of the past threads on IFR operation in class G airspace since the entire Big Bend area is class G up to 14,500.

That is, until this month. Presidio (KPRS) is getting their very first instrument approach, RNAV A, to be published later this fall. Because of that, the FAA has established a 700' class E area around the airport, and a 1,200' class E area for a 62.5 mile radius around the airport.

That's going to make most of that brown area on the low IFR chart disappear. It looks like some of it on the east side of the area will remain, but the bulk of it will be gone.

Seems kind of sad - "things are always bigger in Texas" as the saying goes. On the other hand, if I do have to file to get there (or get back), it will be nice to be in controlled airspace, and it will be especially nice to have the instrument approach at Presidio if needed, although Marfa and Alpine are not far away.

Lee

All Class G airspace above 1,200, agl, will eventually become a thing of the past. Here are areas that have either been lowered to 1,200, or are in the rule-making stage. This began earlier this year:

 

[lziegenhals]

All Class G airspace above 1,200, agl, will eventually become a thing of the past. Here are areas that have either been lowered to 1,200, or are in the rule-making stage. This began earlier this year:

Wow, it looks like much of the "Wild West" of airspace is indeed disappearing. Is this a concerted effort to eliminate the class G or a result of operational necessity due to new approaches and routes and stuff? I'm guessing it's a bit of both since it seems unlikely they would need a 62.5 mile radius class E transition area around PRS for the new approach, and there are no airways to the east of the airport (although there are several MTRs in that area).

Lee

 

[lziegenhals]

PS - Welcome to PoA! Tell us more about your lil' ol' self.

Thanks for the welcome! I got my ticket in 2001 at SAT (through Wright Flyers which, sadly, is no longer in business), and my instrument rating in 2007. I was a renter until this past spring when I and three other pilots bought a '76 Tiger which we keep at Boerne Stage (5C1) -- about 1/4 mile from my house. As a new airplane owner, I'm finding it hard to keep my mind on work when I'd rather be out flying on these great fall days.

 

[aterpster]

Wow, it looks like much of the "Wild West" of airspace is indeed disappearing. Is this a concerted effort to eliminate the class G or a result of operational necessity due to new approaches and routes and stuff? I'm guessing it's a bit of both since it seems unlikely they would need a 62.5 mile radius class E transition area around PRS for the new approach, and there are no airways to the east of the airport (although there are several MTRs in that area).

Lee

It is several factors. One is the delay in establishing new RNAV approaches at a VFR airport in such areas. It takes more time to cobble together these airspace rules than it does to design and flight check the new approaches. The demand is increasing as remote communities such as Eureka, Nevada wanting the IFR approaches, typically for turboprop air ambulance service.

The large airspace you saw enacted in west Texas is to permit climb and descent from 14,500 from and to the new IFR airport.

Another is to provide more T Routes and random routing in mid-level airspace.

 

[Blatham489]

Thanks for the welcome! I got my ticket in 2001 at SAT (through Wright Flyers which, sadly, is no longer in business), . . . .

Phew, I looked at buying those guys right about that time (2002), glad it didn't work out.