Charting on the MTA

I loved The MTA Song as a kid. You know it: Charlie gets caught a nickel short and left to ride the rails of the Boston subway forever because the fare went up during his morning commute. I loved its joyful ridiculousness, and I loved that my dad would belt it out for us on his old Martin. (He was a beatnik-a hippy before it was cool.) Charlies wife handing him a sandwich always bugged me though. Why didnt she just hand him a nickel so he could get off the train?

jwanwest

Friday, May 05, 2017 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Minimum Turning Altitudes (MTAs) were introduced in 2012 to prevent aircraft from overshooting protected airspace into obstacles during turns, particularly above 10,000 feet MSL.
Despite their purpose, MTAs are largely considered obsolete for modern RNAV navigation, as GPS systems utilize "turn anticipation" to avoid overshoots by initiating turns before the fix.
The article highlights a significant disconnect between current IFR regulations and chart design, which often assume traditional ground-based navigation, and the reality of advanced RNAV flying.
This regulatory lag creates confusion regarding how to apply crossing restrictions and navigate protected airspace effectively with modern avionics, emphasizing the pilot's need for situational awareness.

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I loved “The MTA Song” as a kid. You know it: Charlie gets caught a nickel short and left to ride the rails of the Boston subway forever because the fare went up during his morning commute. I loved its joyful ridiculousness, and I loved that my dad would belt it out for us on his old Martin. (He was a beatnik—a hippy before it was cool.) Charlie’s wife handing him a sandwich always bugged me though. Why didn’t she just hand him a nickel so he could get off the train?

Now I’m older and married, and I understand she might have had a reason.