WX and MOA's

250blue · August 12th, 2006, 18:08

Will asking for VFR on Top let you go in to an active MOA on an IFR flight plan? If so, this would come in handy for deviating around weather when you are on an airway that is surrounded by or next to an MOA.

rickyrhodesii · August 14th, 2006, 04:29

Interesting question. I think this might differ from facility to facility.

Where I've worked, we allow IFR aircraft to enter active MOAs, with restrictions to the IFR aircraft or the military aircraft. Sure we'd like you to stay clear, but it never hurts to ask. Some MOAs have transition or “safe” altitudes and/or “corridors”, you’ll just have to ask. Like I said, we can also restrict the military aircraft in the MOA. We prefer not to, but sometimes we have too. We’ll have the military aircraft remain below or above your altitude, have them remain east, west, etc. of your course, restrict their operating area.

With VFR on Top, standard IFR separation is not applied, but controllers are still required to provide you with traffic advisories and safety alerts and apply merging target procedures. The pilot is responsible to comply with visibility and cloud restrictions and be "vigilant so as to see and avoid other aircraft." The pilot is also still responsible to adhere to ATC clearances (FAAO 7110.65 7-3-1).

However, (again, depending on the facility) we still have to keep the aircraft in the MOA separated from you, 3/5 miles 1,000 feet.

Generally speaking, if you have to deviate for weather, the military aircraft probably won't be near it either. Cloudy days mean lower MOA ops for us!

Hope this helps.

250blue · August 14th, 2006, 14:07

Thanks that does help. In the area I fly we get a lot of thunderstorms and get "squeezed" by MOA's in the area. Often, it's pretty clear in the MOA and I have wondered if requesting VFR on Top would alleviate the controller of keeping me out of it.

MikeD · August 15th, 2006, 02:07

ATC has queried me many times about letting IFR through the MOA when I've had one active. I'll always do whatever I can to accomodate that; just work up a simple deconfliction plan and it's all good. Helps everyone out, especially in places where MOAs are a good chunk of airspace in the state.