“You just flew through a military training route.” The controller was agitated. Since whatever had happened had happened, and we were already within 10 miles of Thermal’s nontowered airport, John told the controller we were leaving his frequency to get airport advisories. John then switched our transponder to 1200, the VFR squawk, and changed frequencies.
Sky Kings: A Sporting Chance
Key Takeaways:
- Pilots can inadvertently fly through Military Training Routes (MTRs), especially VR routes not depicted on IFR charts, due to inadequate preflight checks or limited real-time status information.
- VR MTRs, typically below 1,500 feet AGL, pose a significant risk of mid-air collision with high-speed military aircraft that rely on visual separation, which the author deems an "ineffective risk-management system."
- The incident led the author to prioritize flying above 1,500 feet AGL and maintaining ATC contact, advocating for military pilots on VR routes to report to ATC for better real-time awareness for general aviation.
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