Sylmar Hang Gliding Association

The Marine Corps has a large training area around 29 Palms. They are currently undergoing the required process to expand their area. Take a look at a sectional map. The proposal is to expand the restricted area approximately 20 miles West and 10 miles South of the existing restricted airspace. This comes fairly close to Lucerne Valley (and Black Hawk launch) and well into the North side of the San Bernardino Mountains. There was a seminar conducted by the USMC entitled "A discussion of current and proposed changes to USMC Airspace in the Southern California region." It was in Corona, Tuesday, 22 June.

Tuesday evening I went to the airspace meeting in Corona. It was essentially an information meeting for Corona area general aviation pilots. The speaker was Terry Hansen who is the person who oversees all Marine Corps air space in the SouthWest USA. He is based at Camp Pendleton. For detailed information about the land acquisition and airspace impacts go to:
http://www.marines.mil/unit/29palms/LAS ... fault.aspx

Here is a brief summary of the web site and Mr Hansen's comments.

The process started in 2008. There was a public comment period that ended January 31, 2009. Only comments received by then were included in the Draft EIS. The Draft is expected to come out in November this year. There will then be a 90 day public comment and hearing period. The final EIS is due Summer 2011. So we missed the initial public input period but do have a second chance this fall.

There are two parts to the process. One is land acquisition. It does not appear to me that any of the land alternatives would impact our flying. Some of you with experience flying in that area may have different views and I hope you will express them this fall. The land acquisition does include an area called the Johnson Valley OHV area. Off road folks have apparently been quite vocal about the possible loss of that area.

The air space maps extend well outside the land boundaries. The possible air space restriction would impact our flying. We would not be able to fly in the new restricted air space when it was in use. The estimate is that would be about 40 days per year in 2 or 3 day chunks. This would most likely be on weekends. We can't pick when we fly where, Nature picks that for us. We all know that the air space would be closed just when we want to use it. We need to express out concerns in the fall.

Terry Hansen said that he would welcome the opportunity to come to a club meeting and talk with us. He might bring a couple of air traffic controllers with him. I suggest that we take him up on this offer at a Crestline and/or Sylmar club meeting.

Rather than post Region 3 issues on all club forums, I am using Facebook. To see what I have been doing find William Helliwell on Facebook. Urgent things, like the comment period mentioned above, I will post on club forums at appropriate times.