PENSACOLA TRAINING AREAS

The Pensacola Tracon has issued a Letter to Airmen creating training areas within the Tracon's airspace. These training areas replace the old training areas over the Bagdad Peninsula and Garcon Point. This change in the training areas was effective August 10, 2000. The text of the Letter to Airmen is reproduced below.

BACKGROUND: This new Letter to Airmen cancels Pensacola TRACON Letter to Airmen No.00-l. The purpose of reissuing this letter is to emphasize the need for increased awareness on the part of the participants due to the high volume of military training in and around the VFR practice areas.

CANCELLATION: August 10, 2002

The purpose of this Letter to Airmen is to advise all participants of the establishment of VFR practice areas (see airspace attachment) in Pensacola TRACON's airspace. The procedures and areas defined in this letter were the recommendation agreed to by a joint committee of local area flight Schools and the FAA.

Increased Awareness must be maintained by all participants while flying in the Practice Areas described below due to a high volume of military training in and around the practice areas from surface to 17,500 feet

Choctaw VFR Practice Area is described as that area bounded on the north by the Yellow River, on the west by the eastern shore of Blackwater Bay to Escribano Point, turning southeast along the northern shore of East Bay then north along Highway 87 to the Yellow River. The vertical limits are surface to 5,000 feet (MSL) when Choctaw Tower is closed and 2,700 to 5,000 feet (MSL) when Choctaw Tower is open.

Northwest VFR Practice Area is located to the northwest of Pensacola Regional Airport and is defined as that airspace from a point approximately three (3) nautical miles south of the Molino Cross Roads following the powerline to the northwest where it intersects Highway 112. Then due south to the western-most antenna along 1-10 southeastward to a point due north of Coastal airport, then north through Cantonment to the powerline south of Molino. Normal altitudes will be surface to 3,500 feet (MSL). Aircraft should remain at least 1.5 nautical miles west of the line from Coastal to Molino.

Beach VFR Practice Area. This area is bound on the east by the Navarre Bridge west to the intersection of Highway 399 (Midway Antenna) and Highway 98 and from Highway 98 to three (3) nautical miles south of the beach. The normal altitude for this area is surface to 3,000 feet MSL).

Pilots departing Pensacola Regional Airport should advise Pensacola Tower of the particular practice area requested. Pilots departing outlying airports should advise Pensacola TRACON.

Will H. Estes

Air Traffic Manager

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