Traffic Service Unreliable - What the Hell is This?!!

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designrs
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Traffic Service Unreliable - What the Hell is This?!!

Post by designrs »

This is the most bizarre announcement that I've ever seen, which compromises safety of all types of aircraft... over multiple states for an entire MONTH!

Dear ForeFlight Customer,

We want to make you aware of the following late breaking NOTAMs that have been issued due to military activities that may affect ADS-B traffic service over Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida beginning 1:00 am EDT September 2, 2015 until midnight EDT October 1, 2015.

The NOTAM numbers are as follows:

5/2817 New York Center (ZNY)
5/2818 Washington Center (ZDC)
5/2819 Jacksonville Center (ZJX)
5/2820 Miami Center (ZMA)
5/2834 NY Oceanic (ZWY)

For reference, here is the text from the ZNY NOTAM:

A0369/15 (FDC 5/2817) - SPECIAL NOTICE...DUE TO MILITARY ACTIVITIES ON 1030/1090 MHZ, THE TRAFFIC ALERT AND COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM (TCAS) AND AUTOMATIC DEPENDENT SYSTEM BROADCAST (ADS-B) SURVEILLANCE MAY BE UNRELIABLE IN THE AIRSPACE OVER THE STATES OF VIRGINIA, NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA, AND FLORIDA, AND EXTENDING APPROXIMATELY 200NM OFFSHORE. PILOTS ARE ADVISED THAT THE TRAFFIC ALERT AND COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM (TCAS) MAY FAIL TO ESTABLISH TRACKS ON NEARBY AIRCRAFT AND MAY FAIL TO RECEIVE TRAFFIC ALERTS (TA) AND/OR RESOLUTION ADVISORIES (RA). FURTHER, PILOTS ARE ADVISED THAT TRACKS MAY FIRST APPEAR WITHIN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THEIR AIRCRAFT AND MAY IMMEDIATELY GO INTO TA/RA STATUS. FALSE ALERTS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE GENERATED BY THIS MILITARY ACTIVITY AND ANY ALERTS SHALL BE TREATED AS REAL. PILOTS ARE ADVISED TO MAINTAIN AN INCREASED VISUAL AWARENESS IN THIS AREA. IF THE PILOT BELIEVES THAT AN AIRCRAFT SHOULD HAVE TRIGGERED AN ALERT, THE INCIDENCE SHOULD BE REPORTED TO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL AT THE EARLIEST OPPORTUNE MOMENT. SFC - FL500, 02 SEP 05:00 2015 UNTIL 01 OCT 04:59 2015. CREATED: 01 SEP 15:13 2015

To view each of these NOTAMs, visit the FAA NOTAM lookup website.

As always, we are on frequency at [email protected] to assist.

—Team ForeFlight
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designrs
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Re: Traffic Service Unreliable - What the Hell is This?!!

Post by designrs »

"... PILOTS ARE ADVISED TO MAINTAIN AN INCREASED VISUAL AWARENESS IN THIS AREA."

Good luck with increased visual awareness... spotting F-16s at high speed, in haze and when the sun is in your face over five states... including Florida which has the most dense air traffic that I've ever seen!

Haven't we had enough mid-air collisions recently?
In July an F- 16 collided with a Cessna in South Carolina.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/07/us/south- ... -incident/

Or is this NOTAM some kind of new "liability waiver" resulting from the same?
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MrMorden
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Re: Traffic Service Unreliable - What the Hell is This?!!

Post by MrMorden »

It really *is* bizarre. They are doing some weird cloak and dagger military operation that is going to potentially disable all aircraft traffic alert systems, across FIVE STATES, for an ENTIRE MONTH...???? :shock:

Just...wow.
Andy Walker
Athens, GA
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designrs
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Re: Traffic Service Unreliable - What the Hell is This?!!

Post by designrs »

The next thing they'll say is:
"GPS & VOR may not be reliable. Please plan all flights by pilotage and dead-reckoning... including increased visual awareness."
:shock:
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drseti
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Re: Traffic Service Unreliable - What the Hell is This?!!

Post by drseti »

Yeah, when I got that notice, my first action was to resolve not to fly over those states for a month.
The opinions posted are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the FAA or its lawyers.
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MrMorden
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Re: Traffic Service Unreliable - What the Hell is This?!!

Post by MrMorden »

drseti wrote:Yeah, when I got that notice, my first action was to resolve not to fly over those states for a month.
Based here in Georgia, I guess I either have to brave the more dangerous skies or stay on the ground. :cry:
Andy Walker
Athens, GA
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designrs
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Re: Traffic Service Unreliable - What the Hell is This?!!

Post by designrs »

That FAA NOTAM is completely unrealistic and compromises the safety of all aircraft, pilots, passengers and military personnel. #FAIL
3Dreaming
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Re: Traffic Service Unreliable - What the Hell is This?!!

Post by 3Dreaming »

designrs wrote:That FAA NOTAM is completely unrealistic and compromises the safety of all aircraft, pilots, passengers and military personnel. #FAIL
Actually the NOTAM does the opposite, because it alerts pilots to the potential problem.
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designrs
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Re: Traffic Service Unreliable - What the Hell is This?!!

Post by designrs »

I thought of that... and I'm not buying that perspective... whatever the problem is, it is just wrong! Possibly unreliable traffic safety systems (multiple) over FIVE states for a MONTH! #FAIL
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Re: Traffic Service Unreliable - What the Hell is This?!!

Post by Flocker »

MrMorden wrote:or stay on the ground. :cry:
Which, of course, is not an option. 8)
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3Dreaming
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Re: Traffic Service Unreliable - What the Hell is This?!!

Post by 3Dreaming »

You know the old saying, don't blame the messenger.

I run a small airport, and we don't close the runway because the NOTAM says it is closed. We close the runway, because it needs to be closed for some reason. The NOTAM is simply there to let pilots know what is going on.
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Re: Traffic Service Unreliable - What the Hell is This?!!

Post by Jim Stewart »

My take on this is that we need a senator or representative with some clout to hold whoever did this accountable.
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drseti
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Re: Traffic Service Unreliable - What the Hell is This?!!

Post by drseti »

Congress is probably who did this, Jim. Foxes guarding the chicken coop.
The opinions posted are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the FAA or its lawyers.
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Wm.Ince
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Re: Traffic Service Unreliable - What the Hell is This?!!

Post by Wm.Ince »

Jim Stewart wrote:. . . "My take on this is that we need a senator or representative with some clout to hold whoever did this accountable." . . .
Hold on there Jim . . . Trump has not been elected yet. . . . :D
Bill Ince
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MrMorden
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Re: Traffic Service Unreliable - What the Hell is This?!!

Post by MrMorden »

Flocker wrote:
MrMorden wrote:or stay on the ground. :cry:
Which, of course, is not an option. 8)
Certainly not a good one! :)

In reality, this *probably* won't cause any issues. But the potential is there. It just seems a wide area and a long time period to be messing around on TCAS and ADS-B freqs.
Andy Walker
Athens, GA
Sport Pilot ASEL, LSRI
2007 Flight Design CTSW E-LSA
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