AIM

8/15/19

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Special Use Airspace

of such warning areas is to warn nonparticipating
pilots of the potential danger. A warning area may be
located over domestic or international waters or both.

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5. Military Operations Areas

a.

MOAs consist of airspace of defined vertical

and lateral limits established for the purpose of
separating certain military training activities from
IFR traffic. Whenever a MOA is being used,
nonparticipating IFR traffic may be cleared through
a MOA if IFR separation can be provided by ATC.
Otherwise, ATC will reroute or restrict nonparticipat-
ing IFR traffic.

b.

Examples of activities conducted in MOAs

include, but are not limited to: air combat tactics, air
intercepts, aerobatics, formation training, and
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altitude tactics. Military pilots flying in an active

MOA are exempted from the provisions of 14 CFR
Section 91.303(c) and (d) which prohibits aerobatic
flight within Class D and Class E surface areas, and
within Federal airways. Additionally, the Department
of Defense has been issued an authorization to
operate aircraft at indicated airspeeds in excess of
250 knots below 10,000 feet MSL within active
MOAs.

c.

Pilots operating under VFR should exercise

extreme caution while flying within a MOA when
military activity is being conducted. The activity
status (active/inactive) of MOAs may change
frequently. Therefore, pilots should contact any FSS
within 100 miles of the area to obtain accurate
real-time information concerning the MOA hours of
operation. Prior to entering an active MOA, pilots
should contact the controlling agency for traffic
advisories.

d.

Permanent MOAs are charted on Sectional

Aeronautical, VFR Terminal Area, and the appropri-
ate En Route Low Altitude charts.

NOTE

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Temporary MOAs are not charted.

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6. Alert Areas

Alert areas are depicted on aeronautical charts to
inform nonparticipating pilots of areas that may

contain a high volume of pilot training or an unusual
type of aerial activity. Pilots should be particularly
alert when flying in these areas. All activity within an
alert area must be conducted in accordance with
CFRs, without waiver, and pilots of participating
aircraft as well as pilots transiting the area must be
equally responsible for collision avoidance.

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7. Controlled Firing Areas

CFAs contain activities which, if not conducted in a
controlled environment, could be hazardous to
nonparticipating aircraft. The distinguishing feature
of the CFA, as compared to other special use airspace,
is that its activities are suspended immediately when
spotter aircraft, radar, or ground lookout positions
indicate an aircraft might be approaching the area.
There is no need to chart CFAs since they do not cause
a nonparticipating aircraft to change its flight path.

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8. National Security Areas

NSAs consist of airspace of defined vertical and
lateral dimensions established at locations where
there is a requirement for increased security and
safety of ground facilities. Pilots are requested to
voluntarily avoid flying through the depicted NSA.
When it is necessary to provide a greater level of
security and safety, flight in NSAs may be
temporarily prohibited by regulation under the
provisions of 14 CFR Section 99.7. Regulatory
prohibitions will be issued by System Operations
Security and disseminated via NOTAM. Inquiries
about NSAs should be directed to System Operations
Security.

REFERENCE

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AIM, Para 5

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1, National Security

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9. Obtaining Special Use Airspace

Status

a.

Pilots can request the status of SUA by

contacting the using or controlling agency. The
frequency for the controlling agency is tabulated in
the margins of the applicable IFR and VFR charts.