PAX river - Easton

[Morgan3820]

Weekend trip to Lancaster, PA from New Bern, NC. In the past I have come up the eastern shore via KORF and KSBY but I am having second thoughts. Thinking now western shore turning NE to cross the Bay just past PAX River and then N at Easton. Does anyone have any experience with this airspace with all the restricted airspace and proximity to PAX NAS . I base 12 miles from Cherry Point MCAS and typically have no problems but I view PAX River to be a more congested area. FWIW, I have my SFRA training card, but I do not intend to get near it.

 

[Checkout_my_Six]

there tends to be quite a bit of east/west traffic across the bay....so I'd recommend flight following going up thru this area.

Also, this time of year....water is not survivable. I'd prefer to be further east...over land like your proposed route.

 

[Morgan3820]

Flight following, absolutely!

 

[jpower]

I haven't flown on the Eastern Shore in a while, but that's where I learned how to fly a few years ago, so I'm pretty familiar with it. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong though if my information isn't the most current.

The PAX airspace really isn't that much to deal with, and a lot of the restricted airspace seems to be cold pretty often, with the exception of R-4002. I've gone W29 Bay Bridge to JGG Williamsburg-Jamestown direct a couple of times, right over PAX River NAS. Norfolk Approach will have all the information. I think Potomac sometimes had it on the way down, though I may be mistaken. Also, the SFRA really isn't anything to be concerned about getting close to or even go through. Still, it's a moot point, because I agree with the previous poster about trying to stay away from the water at this point in the year. So I'd stick with what you've always done, though not because of the PAX airspace.

 

[flyingron]

PAX is usually pretty good at getting you transits of the R-areas even when there is activity within them. However, there are times you can't do it. I remember the day I was coming back from dropping C'Ron over at his home base in SBY and I had to detour way down south before they could work me across. Other times they tell you to wait a minute while they coordinate with the guys doing bombing runs over the bay or whatever is going on there.

Just talk to them.

 

[Morgan3820]

Thank you all. Unfortunately, I had to cancel the trip due to mechanical issues thanks again.