stupid class a airspace question

deafsound

deafsound

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So class a tops out at FL600, right?
What happens if you take off, fly out over the ocean (international waters), climb to 61,000', and the turn back and overfly the US.
What are the rules about that? Do you have to talk to ATC? Do you have to file an int'l flight plan? Does anyone really care?
Thanks. Just something I've been wondering about for a couple of days.
 
deafsound said:
So class a tops out at FL600, right?
What happens if you take off, fly out over the ocean (international waters), climb to 61,000', and the turn back and overfly the US.
What are the rules about that? Do you have to talk to ATC? Do you have to file an int'l flight plan? Does anyone really care?
Thanks. Just something I've been wondering about for a couple of days.
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NORAD would be very interested. Otherwise, you don't have to talk to anyone, but you better be sure you have a transponder that works to report yer altitude.

I remember Mike Melville saying they took Proteus and White Knight into Class A but kept in touch.
 
you think the russians called atc when they flew over in soyuz? :)
 
The Air Force will be wanting to know how you stole one of their U-2's or SR-71's, or whether you'd be willing to sell them your MiG-25, since there ain't much else operational that can cruise at FL610 (the Concorde and Tu-144 being mothballed). And no, the ADIZ doesn't "top out," so you'll likely be intercepted if they can (don't think any of our current fighter force can get up there) or shot down if they can't. However, if you get that far, you will not be violating any FAR's by operating above FL600 over the CONUS without a flight plan.
 
But you could fly over the DC ADIZ without talking to to anyone if you were at FL601 since that only goes to 17999 :D
 
AdamZ said:
Thats class G airspace. Nuthin says ADIZ can be in Class G
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This is working off year old recollection (and a 52 hour work day), but I thought it was Class E?

If you are up there, just make sure you get on an IFR flight plan before descending again...
 
Here's one that gets awfully darned close to that high!

<H1>Gulfstream Unveils Wide-cabin G650
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By Nigel Moll

March 13, 2008
Aircraft



Ending protracted speculation about how it would address the aging fuselage cross section of its large-cabin business jets, Gulfstream Aerospace this morning unveiled the G650, which will topple (but initially not replace) the G550 from its perch as the top Gulfstream business jet when it enters service in the first half of 2012.

Compared with its predecessor, the G650 will have a longer, three-inches-taller and 14-inches-wider cabin offering 28 percent more volume and a lower cabin altitude (4,850 feet at the FL510 ceiling), a larger baggage compartment, a larger main entry door and 16-percent-larger cabin windows that dwarf the already impressive portholes that have distinguished Gulfstreams ever since the GI turboprop. The G650 will ride on new wings, swept six degrees more than the G550’s. In the cockpit there will be PlaneView II avionics and fly-by-wire flight controls. New Rolls-Royce BR725 engines will propel the 99,600-pound mtow jet, which will have a bfl of less than 6,000 feet at mtow and 3,000-foot landing distance at mlw.
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</H1>
 
I dunno Ron, the Raptor might be pretty close these days. Just a guess though.
 
airspace-chart-large.gif


Definitely Class E above FL600. That raises another interesting question, IMHO. If its class E, you are still in controlled airspace. Could ATC vector you around above FL600?

Lets take this scenario a step further. A SpaceShipOne style fight departs Russia, climbs to 140,000ft or so (whatever takes it to space). It descends over the United States, leaving space and entering the United States directly from above. Flight plan required to avoid the Contiguous US ADIZ bust?
 
Teller1900 said:
This is working off year old recollection (and a 52 hour work day), but I thought it was Class E?

If you are up there, just make sure you get on an IFR flight plan before descending again...
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Your year old recollection beats my week old brain fart. I just studied this a week ago at a CAP meeting and I screwed it up doh. I'm gonna stay below 60K feet till I can remember this simple thing.
 
Whether it's E or G, airspace classification under FAR Part 71 has nothing to do with the Contiguous ADIZ (not to be confused with the DC ADIZ, which operates under different rules), which is actually located outside US airspace and not regulated by the FAA, but is instead enforced by the US Armed Forces and other national security agencies.
 
I bet Chicago Approach would give you flight following>>>:p
 
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