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Topics - Brad Littlejohn

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1
General Discussion / FAA releases final VOR Decommissioning Policy
« on: July 27, 2016, 01:06:53 PM »
I was initially going to post this in the main VATSIM forum, but here would be better. I just saw this squawked over at FlightAware:

http://flightaware.com/squawks/view/1/24_hours/popular/56667/FAA_Releases_VOR_Decommissioning_Policy
http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2016-07-26/faa-releases-vor-decommissioning-policy

Quote
FAA Releases VOR Decommissioning Policy
by Kerry Lynch
 - July 26, 2016, 11:53 AM
The FAA formally published its policy including the criteria for selecting hundreds of VOR navigation aids that will be decommissioned over the next decade. The policy, released today, further outlines the process for decommissioning. The agency has selected 308 VORs to be decommissioned as the agency moves to a satellite-based navigational system.

It originally proposed the policy in 2011, and initially indicated plans to decommission more than 500 VORs. Industry groups, including the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, protested, arguing that a larger VOR minimum operational network is necessary to serve as a backup in case there should be a widespread GPS satellite outage.

The FAA then worked with an industry group to refine criteria for VORs that should be saved and established a two-phase timeline for the decommissioning of the VORs. Under the criteria, the FAA has opted to retain VORs to perform ILS, localizer or VOR approaches with 100 nm of locations within the continental U.S.; support international oceanic arrival routes; and provide coverage above 5,000 feet agl. The agency will also retain most in the Western U.S. mountainous area, those required for military use, and those outside the continental U.S. Supplementing that criteria, the FAA considered only agency-owned/operated VORs for discontinuance and decided to retain co-located DME and Tactical Air Navigation systems when VOR service is terminated.

Under the plan, 74 VORs are set for decommissioning through Phase 1, which is ongoing through 2020. Under Phase 2, which is to take place between 2021 and 2025, 234 more VORs will be decommissioned. The FAA last fall received investment plan approval and had announced the list of the first 35 to be decommissioned.

The PDF of the policy is located here. In looking at these, especially regarding the airways that those VORs are on, that would subsequently mean that those segments of that particular airway may be decommissioned as well.

While it doesn't look as bad for my sector (in fact, only preferred non-RNAV routes to airports outside of ZLA would be impacted), I look at an airport like KOMA, and notice a big issue: Nearly every VOR used as a transition to a STAR into KOMA is impacted:

  • ONL: Used on HOWRY1.
  • OBH: Used on HOWRY1
  • SUX: Used on SUX1.
  • PWE: Used on PWE1.
  • FOD: Used on LANTK1.

Only GRI, LNK, DSM, LMN, and STJ were spared (required for arrivals into DSM, MCI, LNK, and OFF). While these would be phased out over a period of time, this would require a complete rewrite of all of the STARs into KOMA.

I'm pretty sure other major airports are impacted as well (DEN is going away, ORD is going away, and that includes if they provide DME and/or TACAN services). It's a huge list, so it may be worth looking at, as this appears to be finalized.

BL.

2
General Discussion / Something for ZMA to think over
« on: January 06, 2011, 02:39:56 PM »

... thanks to Mother Nature. Sector files and scenery updates will probably have to happen for you guys down there, thanks to the N. Pole veering more towards Russia, causing KTPA's runways to be renamed.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2011/jan/05/06...impacts-tampa-/

[!--quoteo--][div class=\\\'quotetop\\\']QUOTE [/div][div class=\\\'quotemain\\\'][!--quotec--]TAMPA - Scientists say the magnetic north pole is moving toward Russia and the fallout has reached -- of all places -- Tampa International Airport.

The airport has closed its primary runway until Jan. 13 to repaint the numeric designators at each end and change taxiway signage to account for the shift in location of the Earth's magnetic north pole.

The closure of the west parallel runway will result in more activity on the east parallel runway and more noise for residential areas of South Tampa.

The busiest runway will be re-designated 19R/1L on aviation charts. It's been 18R/36L, indicating its alignment along the 180-degree approach from the north and the 360-degree approach from the south.

Later this month, the airport's east parallel runway and the seldom used east-west runway will be closed to change signage to their new designations.


The Federal Aviation Administration required the runway designation change to account for what a National Geographic News report described as a gradual shift of the Earth's magnetic pole at nearly 40 miles a year toward Russia because of magnetic changes in the core of the planet.[/quote]

Just a heads up, because Momma Earth made it so.

BL.

3
The Control Room Floor / Anchorage Oceanic
« on: February 10, 2009, 01:38:59 PM »
With the thread below about ZAK, and another one in the ZLA forums about giving Oceanic clearances, I got to wondering.. who controls Anchorage Oceanic, or does that fall under ZAN? One of the long haul flights I like to do is from somewhere in Japan to KLAS, and the route in question follows the A450 airway up through the Aleutians, then cuts over to Vancouver Island. Most of A450 appears to be under Anchorage Oceanic.

So, who runs it?

BL.

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