SCAUWG – Current Projects

SCAUWG has played a major innovative role helping to shape the character of LA Airspace.

LA TAC Flyway Routes need re-design

Monthly, SCAUWG Current Projects are discussed.

Whether in person or via the teleconferenced meeting option stakeholder professionals and knowledgeable airmen meet to discuss further pathways that can lead to LA Airspace Safety and Efficiency.  Whether the goal is to promote Southern California Airport Runway Safety, to deconflict IFR approach and departure procedures, design safer flight routes that can lesson area TCAS Alerts, and provide improved VFR transit throughout the LA Basin, or promote better noise abatement policy amongst pilots, no challenge has been too large for SCAUWG to tackle.  The venue for SCAUWG is now the entire FAA Western Region.  SCAUWG currently (2022) is working closely with San Diego FSDO FAASTeam and local Flight School Management, and airport stakeholders in order to continue the Training Area Charting Project that SCAUWG.ORG undertook in 2019.  Updating the plotted areas, determining selected altitudes, and refining air to air frequencies in use is the goal.  A series of Zoom conferences, and a serious email feedback campaign was undertaken.  Now in 2023 our San Diego goals are just waiting in line for the same type of frequency project we initiated in Arizona to be realized. Working with the Arizona FAASTeam, ASAG and AFTW (see our Arizona Page, obtaining allocated spectrum is a close by reality. (See Arizona notes below) As soon as Arizona is completed, San Diego's planned frequency allocation process can begin.

FLYWAY CHART

Perhaps one of SCAUWG's Most Important Goals historically, is to influence the redesign of the Los Angeles Flyway Chart, found on the reverse side of the LA TAC.  This important VFR Pilot Route Planning Chart was designed in the early 1990's by SCAUWG Members Jack Norris and Barry Schiff and was up-to-date at that time.  Now, after so many procedures have changed, our position after considerable reflection, is the Flyway Chart's suggested VFR routes and altitudes also must change.

Update 2022:  There have been some pertinent updates to the Flyway Chart.  You can see the most recent under Pilot Stuff > VFR Chart Updates.  SCAUWG's Chart Master Candy Robinson has been continuing the good fight, and continues to score some victories!

The revision of the LA TAC Chart might also be further enhanced if a hybrid design that would combine the LA Area Helicopter Chart and the LA TAC Chart as one production could be published.  SCAUWG has a prototype that depicts what such a chart would look like.

The most recent SCAUWG goals are featured herein via the meeting agendas that follow and detail our Current Projects.

For additional perspective regarding SCAUWG goals we invite you to also refer to the current chart revisions SCAUWG has proposed.

Hawthorne SPACX One/Two Departure (for Noise Abatement)

A Longtime preferred project as protecting our local airports from neighborhood resident criticism is so important. Co-Chairman personally shepherd this endeavor to the reality it became. First there was SPACX One and then SPACXTwo departure for HHR, helping to assure all that real noise abatement is possible. Helping to educate area pilots about the procedure is always an ongoing operation.

AAM

Ongoing:  Advanced Air Mobility - What the Future in Air Separation Safety will demand of us. - This is an important topic that deserves the utmost in attention.  Mike Wilson FAA Aviation Safety - connectU TEAM / UAS Outreach - FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam), AFS-850 - General Aviation and Commercial Division, AFS-800 was invited to address the SCAUWG audience 4/13/2021 in order to help us focus upon the concerns that might seem pertinent. You can access some the Q&A that followed HERE.  Additional authorities continue to address SCAUWG.

ChartAware

A Success! A Brand-New Way to Study the Boundaries of the LA Basin Practice Areas!  This innovative approach will yield the most concise and revealing information about our LA Basin Flight Intensive Training Areas Ever!  Exposed is that the Redlands Area thought to be a large space NE of Redlands Airport, is being updated.  Though a small aerobatic area is presently active and alive there, a newly documented large area for non-aerobatic flight training exists SE of the airport. This area is not currently recognized on the TAC chart.  Our new INTERACTIVE CHART will describe it as well as the other charted areas on the TAC, and the user will be able to overlay the areas on the LA TAC, Sectional, Helicopter, IFR Low and Flyway Charts!  Other "base map" options also exist e.g. a street map, etc.

The FLIGHT TRACK feature that illustrates where aircraft fly and at what altitude, has been shown to be an important Flight Planning Feature, but also a useful tool to illustrate to airport neighborhood residents and political office holders that some alleged assertions regarding "airplane noise" might not be accurate, and where the various flights overhead really emanate from.

A version of our new map is available now, though everyday it seems the chart is being improved, It will feature content, images, and when complete will be available for downloads that will be able to be used as overlays on ForeFlight and Garmin Pilot formats. You can view the current VERSION of CHARTAWARE right NOW by Clicking HERE! - More details about ChartAware follow below.

ChartCompare

CHARTCOMPARE is our NEWEST APPLICATION.  Designed by Contributing Editor Michael Carson, ChartCompare allows the user to compare the new version of a LA area Navigation chart to the older version and spot changes immediately, easy and effectively, The user can choose the exact area they wish to visually compare.  This application details EVERY CHANGE made by the FAA, not just those that are published!  You can visit ChartCompare Here.

A project that has recently sought the blessing of SCAUWG is that of the FREEDOM BEACON.  The promoters of the Beacon presented  the idea to Co-Chairman Pat Carey, and the project idea was placed on the July 2020 Meeting Agenda.  SCT also sought information about the Freedom Beacon project from SCAUWG, that by unanimous vote of the meeting participants granted a green light. The project entails High Intensity Lights comprised of 50 7KW Xenon arc lamps mounted in parabolic reflectors at the Pacific Palms Resort in the City of Industry.  SCT (9/2020) is vetting the project seeking info from all aviation entities that might be affected.

Arizona

ARIZONA:  ARIZONA ADDITIONAL FREQUENCY PROJECT - SCAUWG.ORG and SCAUWG has been helping Lee Unger, FAASTeam Rep. & SCAUWG.ORG Contributing Editor & SCAUWG member, who has been very instrumental in the quest to obtain more frequencies for ARIZONA airspace, with the goal of safer airspace separation in mind.  SCAUWG member Mr. Bradfield (FAA) "is being very helpful!! What an opportunity... for Arizona!"  Feb. 2022 - This project is now approaching realization status!

Update July 10, 2023 -  Letter from ASAG to SCAUWG (Southern California Airspace Users Working Group) 

Update Feb. 28, 2022   Air-to-air frequencies for Phoenix, Arizona training areas:

To increase safety in the air and on the ground, Aviation Safety Advisory Group of Arizona, Inc. (ASAG) continues to coordinate a statewide effort to obtain dedicated air-to-air communication frequencies for flight training areas in the Phoenix, Arizona airspace. Patrick Carey, Co-Founder Co-Chairman of Southern California Airspace Users Working Group (SCAUWG)  https://scauwg.org/,  working with Mr. Sydney Bradfield and his FAA WSA Spectrum Engineering Services Office, is trying to successfully obtain air-to-air frequencies for training areas in the Los Angeles airspace; Thanks to Pat Carey's introduction, Mr. Bradfield and his the FAA WSA Spectrum Engineering Services Office are instrumental in Arizona's efforts to request waivers of the Federal Communications Commission for four frequencies.

As ASAG continues our project in Arizona, we are honored to be included in the process as SCAUWG works toward air-to-air frequencies for flight training areas in the San Diego airspace. As in the LA airspace, air-to-air frequencies, approved exclusively for flight training, improve communications, help make the airspace safer and protect those in the air and on the ground from midair collisions.  Arizona thanks Pat Carey and SCAUWG , Mr. Sydney Bradfield and FAA WSA Spectrum Engineering Services Office, the Federal Communications Commission and Aviation Spectrum Resources Inc.(ASRI®) for their continued support.

Update Jan. 09, 2023  Air-to-air frequencies for Phoenix, Arizona training areas:

San Diego & ChartAware

Update MAY 10, 2022   Air-to -Air frequencies for San Diego, CA training areas AND a Revision of the Area Boundaries: 

Proprietary area frequencies are on the way to San Diego as we write, an application is being submitted! SCAUWG has rallied Flight School Owners and Chief Flight Instructors from the Mexican border to Palomar. Together their extensive, collaborative, efforts that spanned several in-person meetings, dozens of emails and many online conferences have yielded a really successful blueprint for currently agreed upon content by the area stakeholders for training area boundaries. These new boundaries will replace those that in 2019 the feedback then received formed the inclusion of the area boundaries in the first version of SCAUWG.ORG's "ChartAware" Flight Planning Application developed by webmaster Ron Berinstein and cartographer Mike Carson.

Thanks to some extraordinary work done on behalf of SCAUWG, the incredible contribution made by FAA's Mr. Sydney Bradfield, and the innovative charting capacity that ESRI - ARC/GIS expert Mike Carson has, "ChartAware" will further become the premier source that depicts Flight Training Area boundaries, and provides pilots with the altitudes they are defined by, and the additional safety that air-to-air frequencies will provide the pilots practicing in those areas, or transitioning through them.

SCAUWG.ORG, SCAUWG, Mike Carson and Ron Berinstein also want to recognize, and give gratitude to the San Diego FAA FSDO, and specifically Mr. Randall "Steve" Nelson, FPM, whose vision in 2019 helped to propel this project, and has with continual support, helped to energize the program, and produce the current 2022 results. Also, the SCAUWG family would like to recognize San Diego member Charles Gunderson for his involvement.

"ChartAware" is available as a download and can be displayed via Foreflight and Garmin Pilot, and any other program that can import KML files. The Flight Training areas, both published and unpublished are displayed, and with a touch or click, the airspace and frequency data will appear.  On the SCAUWG.ORG website version, users can also view captured real flight tracks, and the altitudes flown over a 24-hour period mid-week, and weekend. The flight track data provides flight planners advance notice of where expected traffic will probably materialize.

SCAUWG member, and SCAUWG.ORG contributing editor as well as "ChartAware" co-developer Mike Carson, is working on the soon-to-be-completed, and highly anticipated new release now.

ChartAware Update June 2022:   A new Concept in the works.  -  Inspired due to a Safety Seminar presented by SCAUWG Co-Founder Pat Carey and ChartAware co-designed Ron Berinstein recently at Robinson Helicopter in Torrance sponsored by So Cal Rotors, we were reminded that altitudes are not printed on Helicopter Routes depicted on the LA Helicopter Chart, rather they are listed only on the chart boarder, and difficult to access.  Mike Carson, ChartAware co-designer and cartographer will now develop a proof of concept and develop a new overlay designed for helicopter pilots enabling them to touch a chart route ID button and view a pop-up box with the route altitude and any other chosen pertinent information.

FAASTeam Support

A feature of every SCAUWG monthly meeting is the FAASTeam Participation Report. FAASTeam Representatives and Program Manager activity reports are encouraged. Co-Chairman Pat Carey, Webmaster Ron Berinstein, and Member Mike Jesch are active presenters.  Most recently (post-Covid 19) Webmaster/VNY FSDO FAASTeam Lead Representative Ron Berinstein with the support of FAASTeam Manager Dr. Paul Foster reorganized the VNY FSDO FAASTeam organization and via conducting required annual representative training for not only VNY region, but also for LAX, RAL, and LGB regions, many FAASTeam members had their representative status regained.

In early December 2023 SCAUWG/SCAUWG.ORG supported the production of the first VNY FSDO CFI/DPE "SUPER" FORUM. A sold out success, DPEs and CFIs came together via Zoom and shared incredibly valuable information. Keynote Speaker David St. John, DPE, Executive Director SAFE, and FPM Dr, Paul Foster set the tone. The bar was raised continually when each DPE spoke and special guest Danny Grijalva, from Santa Monica Flyers, addressed issues of CFI/Student exchanging aircraft control.

VFR Chart Updates

VFR CHART CHANGES - UPDATES Published - SCAUWG Charting Committee chairman Candy Robinson armed with SCAUWG Member Mike Carson's ChartCompare application is now presenting current updates that note the newly depicted VFR chart changes. These notes contribute to the committee's regular role investigating navigational chart improvement and are regularly responsible for valuable feedback to the FAA in the form of correction information and quality proposals.  As an example, in the June 2022 meeting Candy's notes illustrated the new departure paths from SBD, San Bernadino International, that affect REI, Redlands Airport. You can view Candy's work under PILOT STUFF. Link to it HERE.

CHART INQUIRIES: Should you notice a charting issue that should be explored, you are invited to send that data to us via "Contact SCAUWG."  To send the data to the FAA, you can use the following link:  Aeronautical Inquiries (faa.gov)

FAA ISSUED CHART CHANGES: The FAA often issues notices of future chart changes. SCAUWG.ORG publishes these notices as part of the preface on our INFORMATION WAREHOUSE Pages.

Selected Project Updates

June 2022:   The MAY 2022 PR Goals for FLEET WEEK & SUMMIT AVIATION SAFETY were very successful:

FLEET WEEK: Held May 27-28-29-30. Surface to 1500' - SLI 264 radial @ 9.7 nautical miles - 2 mile radius - military style flights - Should not affect the Torrance straight-in 29R approach - but required area flights to be cautious and avoid the area. NOTAMs were published 72 hours in advance, but SCAUWG.ORG had the details and published the data well in advance.  A No Drone flight area was in effect. Low altitude frequencies will be monitored. Info: Los Angeles Fleet Week | LA Fleet Week | Memorial Day Event | Southern California's Summer Kickoff Event

Dennis Lord, the event producer awarded special credit for helping to make the event safe as well as successful to Santosh Kumar of SCAUWG for his iPad enabled flight tracks giving all accurate info, and to SCAUWG.ORG published the info aviators needed to know.

SCAUWG and SCAUWG.ORG also published, with the assistance of FAA Mission Services the pertinent  TFRs in the LA Area due to the "SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS" wherein many dignitaries from all over the world attended. The dates for the summit were June 6-10, 2022. The TFRs were centered around the downtown LA area and were 1 mile, 3 miles, or 5 miles in circumference.  There were quite a few TFRs!

RESOLVED GOAL: TFRs for Fire Aeras - It was reported that these are currently taking 6 Hours to enact. Our Position is that this if true is far too long, and the system needs a jump start. Also, ATIS and ATC services need to have the data in a timely manner in order to communicate the TFR information. Investigation in progress.

As of 5/16/2022: Investigation by SCAUWG.ORG is that Fire TFRs are issued quickly by ATC (SCT). A trusted authority wrote:  "...as soon as a TFR is filed by CalFire or some other entity, ATC (SCT) is notified pretty quickly.  SCT generally knows about the problem as the fire aircraft are already transiting to a fire location well in advance of any TFRs.  - if there is a time delay in getting a TFR filed it’s with the fire entity not with ATC. - Fire TFR’s are the responsibility of the firefighting entity. Their focus is generally on fighting the fire and a TFR is something they do after they have their assets in place."

June/July 2022 - SCAUWG.ORG has been pro-actively supporting our local airports trying to help defend them from what some might determine as baseless complaints without merit.  We have responded to Congressman Cardenas and Councilwoman Monica Rodriquez. We have supported Rachel Uranga from the LA Times, Flying's Meg Godlewski, and Santa Monica GA supporter, and pilot Eve Lopez. We argued against positions advocated by a VNY neighborhood activist, The Santa Monica City Council, and Pacoima Beautiful. Notes about the SCAUWG.ORG position are available on our SHORT TAKES page.

July/August 2022   SCAUWG is very concerned about the danger that is presently posed by Jet Cargo Traffic at KSBD entering KREI airspace (4 miles away from KSBD) at KREI Traffic Pattern Altitude and at speeds of over 175 mph whilst on their way to land at KSBD. This, without any communication notice to KREI pilots on CTAF or otherwise.  We have documented these flights and their altitudes which seem to not only breach KREI airspace but at times also Riverside and Flabob airports as well. The additional problem is KSBD tower has no radar, and as KREI is a G airspace airport, no radio is even required to land there, let alone ADS-B or Transponder.  SCAUWG is reaching out in order to try and facilitate a resolution and to certainly publicize this issue.

The potential danger at KSBD and KREI was emphasized during a 7/11 Webinar conducted by Webmaster Ron Berinstein and co-chairman Pat Carey addressed to San Diego pilots as organized by San Diego FAASTeam FPM Randall "Steve" Nelson and FAAST Representative Paul Kortopates.

August 2022:  News from Arizona - The FAA Spectrum -  FCC air to air frequencies in PHX flight training areas project continues to progress. The growth of United Aviate Academy (UAA), now with about 180 flight students and projected to have 500 in 2023, reiterates the need for these air to air frequencies.