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“How many of you are balloon pilots?” asks Randy Coller, manager of inspection and enforcement for the Airports Division of the Michigan Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Aeronautics, while calling for a show of hands as he takes a poll of pilot ratings and endorsements represented among his listeners.
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Part of the audience at Plainfield Township Fire Department.
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The Grand Rapids Senior Squadron’s emergency services officer, 2nd Lt. William Reed, discusses Civil Air Patrol before the start of Randy Coller’s presentation.
Photos by 1st Lt. Kevin Jarchow
1st Lt. Kevin Jarchow
Public Affairs Officer
Grand Rapids Senior Squadron
Michigan Wing
MICHIGAN – The unlikely question of “Where is the ‘F’ in Airspace?” topped the agenda when the Grand Rapids Senior Squadron convened March 9.
Randy Coller, manager of inspection and enforcement for the Airports Division of the Michigan Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Aeronautics, was there to answer that query for an audience of nearly 60 at Plainfield Township Fire Department in Grand Rapids. The question furnished the title of the Federal Aviation Administration safety presentation, organized and hosted by the Grand Rapids squadron, that Coller gave as part of the agency’s Wings pilot education and safety program.
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After a brief discussion of Civil Air Patrol and the Michigan Wing by 2nd Lt. William Reed, the senior squadron’s emergency services officer, Coller began the program with a poll of the pilots in attendance, asking them to tell him the certificates and ratings they held. The responses included Air Transport, Commercial, Balloon and Glider.
Aviators are trained to know that U.S. airspace is an alphabet soup of designators ranging from Class A to Class G, Coller told his listeners. The obvious exception is Class F.
He cited two specific reasons for the FAA’s decision to decline the use of that designator:
- U.S. compliance with international standards issued by the International Civil Aviation Organization.
- Class F airspace resembles Class G airspace — everything left over after all other relevant airspace designators are applied to the aeronautical chart—in most respects.
Even so, Coller said, it’s still important for pilots to understand Class F airspace because many nations continue to use it, with Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany serving as prime examples
Coller then discussed the methodology behind how aeronautical charts are constructed. He provided insight on the standardization of the charts and chart symbols, commenting humorously on a few chart oddities as well.
He covered several areas in Michigan of special concern to pilots. With several airports close to the Canadian border, pilots must exercise situational awareness when flying traffic patterns to make sure they don’t violate or overfly the neighboring nation’s airspace. Of particular concern are the Sault Ste. Marie and Grosse Ile airports, Coller said.
The presentation then turned toward the Michigan Aeronautical Chart, or MAC. Coller showed how the chart has evolved since 1985, noting that Michigan is unique because it’s covered by four FAA sectional charts — Chicago, Green Bay, Huron and Detroit. The MAC simplifies navigation for pilots within Michigan by providing them with a free, consolidated chart for the State.
He added that the Bureau of Aeronautics also produces an additional 300 charts specifically for the Michigan Wing, preprinted with search and rescue search grids in light green, each labeled with the appropriate grid designation. Providing CAP pilots with a uniform chart reduces the potential for grid error and provides search uniformity, Coller said.
At the end of the presentation he received a CAP Certificate of Appreciation by Lt. Col. Steve Hickel, squadron commander, for his dedication in providing aviation safety education to Michigan pilots.
The Grand Rapids unit also successfully used the program as a recruiting event and open house. The squadron displayed CAP promotional materials and its direction-finding unit. Several of the pilots in attendance showed interest in joining.
