Quoting mach2is2slowaz (Reply 257):
How much longer does anyone guess before IWA airspace goes from Class D to Class C. I am a hot air balloon pilot who flies in the Chandler area and this could change the locations where I fly from. |
There's no simple answer to that. Long story short, it's at least 4-5 years off. The airspace, as I'm sure you know, is very complex in the easy valley. Converting the airspace to a Charlie means navigating years of legal battles with AOPA and others. There's a reason there hasn't been a new Class C in something like 25 years.
The other complexity is that IWA ATCT is managed by Serco, not the FAA. The FAA has procedures for converting a tower from FAA to contract, but not the other way around (although the FAA never actually had IWA tower...it was US
AF, then ANG, then contract). Its never been done before and no one really knows how to do it. IWA has been the only instance where it is apparent that the FAA will need to take control one of these days. Somehow. They'll want a new tower though, so it means Mesa would have to pony up more than just a new tower cab on the existing structure.
Quoting PHX787 (Reply 258):
I would expect the change to happen maybe when F9 begins service. The more flights at AZA being added, obviously the sooner the airspace will change.
But that's all up to PHX center |
You have much to learn, grasshopper. New airspace takes upwards of two years *minimum* to design and has to go through so many committees and reviews that the process typically takes at least three years. The airspace guys haven't done much of anything with it because they've been tied up with
PRC for a long time now. The new
PRC airspace was due to be implemented last May, but I guess has been held up by god only knows.. It will become radar controlled by P50 whenever it is implemented though, I think maybe in the next chart cycle. Its been in the works for close to four years now. After that, I think the plan is to work on bringing
TUS into P50, then IWA. So, absolutely no chance of it happening any time soon.
PRC is relatively simple compared to the complexities of IWA. Creating new Class C or B airspace means everyone under the sun is going to sue. AOPA thinks the sky is falling (nothing new there), the residents are convinced their dogs will face psychological trauma from increased jet noise, and around here even the reservations get involved. Reservations getting involved is a tricky situation too, because they are in effect sovereign nations. *
IF* it can be done, odds are it won't be implemented until nearly 2020.
And
PHX center? Tisk tisk..
If you're an
ASU student then why are you not in the aviation program? Saying "Poly is in the middle of nowhere" isn't a valid excuse anymore, although it was when I was a freshman.
You ASU kids are making my preferred Paradise Bakery at Tempe Marketplace very crowded.
Unless US is operating a successful NRT operation they won't have any chance at making HND work well, especially given the restrictions at HND.
