NOTAM for the whole month of Sept. Could effect Flightaware service, and MLAT directly. Text of NOTAM:::
!FDC 5/2819 ZJX SC,GA,FL…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
1509020500-1510010459
That’s worrying. I’d think with the vast budget and resources of the US Government they’d find a way to hold their exercises without interfering with commerce. Or am I missing something?
PS. 20 year military vet, so no anti-military bias here. Just curiosity.
I am baffled, frankly. Those states, and that area has a lot of air traffic. I don’t know what clear, present, and urgent threat to national security would warrant such an event. There are proving grounds in isolated areas. I am former military ATC. So, I am not bashing either. This had to clear someone’s office at a pay grade that it was worth putting their star or stars on the line.
So who is behind the problem? Lamond said he was told that it’s the U.S. Navy. A naval carrier battle group is conducting an exercise somewhere off the coast.
The wording of the FAA warning suggests the Navy is employing some sort of electronic jamming, said John Cox, a St. Petersburg resident who is a former U.S. Airways pilot and a former safety official at the Air Line Pilots Association,
The Navy did not return calls for comment. U.S. Northern Command, which provides military support to civilian authorities, confirmed the exercise involved the Navy but could not provide additional details.
Cox said the warning is highly unusual — he said he had never seen one like it — but did not think it pointed to any serious safety concern.
“If they thought it a serious safety threat, they’d close off the airspace like they do for rocket launches,” Cox said. “And they’re not doing that.”
Updated NOTAMs appear to be coming with more specificity. Apparently a one-month TCAS holiday was less well received than anticipated. As if they thought about it in the first place. avweb.com/avwebflash/news/FA … 855-1.html
