Airspace

Airspace

Flying from the Zapata airstrip early in the morning means dealing with the Laredo controlled airspace and incoming jets at a time when you are doing your best just to stay up. Not only that, but there is a lot of territory down below you that is behind locked gates and its a long walk out. It's hard keeping your wits about you.

Staying far away from the controlled airspace and out of the way of incoming and outgoing air traffic is a major preoccupation for the organizers of the 2002 World Record Encampment. We've got to deal with the FAA and Charlie, the local airport manager, so that they are happy and willing to have us return.

Frankly the fact that we are flying from Zapata and going anywhere near the routes that air traffic take getting into and out of Laredo is a major concern for the FAA and for us. The airport at Laredo is very busy and we do very much endanger ourselves and other pilots by our innocent actions when we fly north from Zapata.

Sure, I know that you and I think that there is no way we are going to hit some airplane. And sure if we get a little close to the controlled airspace there on the east side, well it really doesn't matter that much because the planes are going in and out out of the north and south (afterall the wind blows the same direction every day).

Yah, but, it does matter, and all of us are going to have to take steps to stay away from the airspace and out of the way of air traffic. There is plenty of air traffic coming down the I-35 corridor way outside the controlled airspace and there is no way we want to get in their way. The problem is that there is an incredible temptation to fly toward the Laredo airport because that where the lift seems to be. Now this is not necessarily the case, but it sure feels that way. Of course, this takes you over areas that are way behind locked gates. If you just stayed near the north south road, then you wouldn't be walking out for a long time if you went down early, and you'd stay away from Laredo.

So we've got to accomplish a social goal - staying away from Laredo - that might conflict with our individual goals - staying up and going far. Since I'm sure that in a social setting you'll all agree to our social goal, I'm sure that you understand the we want to make sure that everyone acts in all our collective self interest when they are out there alone.

To help accomplish this goal we are going to do the following things:

1. Everyone gets a bunch of maps that shows the extents of the Laredo controlled airspace. Its radius is 5 nautical miles which equals 5.75 miles or 9.26 kilometers. The maps will show enough detail so that you can see where you have to be to be far enough away when you are in the air. The maps will show the area that you should be flying in going north from Zapata, an area that will keep you away from any conflict with Laredo. We will to show as many ground features as possible so that you can recognize how far away you are. Gary may have a chance to take photos of the area where you should be to the east - at least and we'll have those available.

2. Everyone will get a set of way points that will include the Laredo airport. All you have to do is do a Goto to 1Laredo (the first waypoint) and then make sure that you stay 6 miles away from this point. You can do a Goto back to Zapata after you are safely passed the Laredo airport and incoming plane corridor.

3. You will be towed directly to the east out of the Zapata airstrip for at least two miles. We ask that you head straight north (360 degrees) from where you are let off. This will keep you away from Laredo and put you on a course to get near the north south road ten miles out.

4. The controlled airspace around Laredo is a cylinder, not an upside down wedding cake as one miscreant pilot vainly tried to claim last year. You don't want to get into any of it.

5. We will be contacting the Laredo control tower every morning and advising them of our plans. We will co-ordinate with them and work with them to be sure that they are aware where we are throughout the morning.

6. I will carry an aircraft radio and contact Laredo tower when I am within ten miles of the airport. I will report on other hang glider traffic that I am aware of.

7. We will develop a plan with the local FAA to deal with crossing the I-35 corridor.

8. If your track log shows that you went through controlled airspace irrespective of elevation (see qualification below) you will be automatically disqualified from attending the rest of the WRE or any further WRE's. This means you may not fly over the airspace (see qualification below) as the airspace goes all the way to the ground. WRE organizers may ask for your track log at any time (within 24 hours of your flight), and you have to be able to produce it or you will be disqualified.

9. If you are flying with a 3-d GPS (76S etc) IGC-certified datalogger and can show that you have not entered controlled airspace, even though you have gone over it, there is no penalty.

10. Everyone who is flying in the WRE will sign a statement stating that they understand that they are not to enter or fly over controlled airspace (see qualification above) and that if they violate this rule that they voluntarily agree to no longer attend the WRE and to leave Zapata.

11. Once you get past Laredo the sky is pretty much open and you're out in the wild west. You can forget about the Sheriff and the dangers of other planes. Well, that's true, except that there are some controlled airspace way out there if you fly far. Everyone will get maps and waypoints that described these controlled airspaces. We ask that you don't enter any of these controlled airspaces. You can fly over them if you can stay high enough to stay completely out of them.

12. (I'm sure that I've got to add other things, especially with regard to the corridor and working with the FAA).