Cruising the flight levels, you’re above any of those pesky MOAs. Except some of them have a high-altitude clone that you won’t find on any chart: Behold the ATCAA.
The MOAs Attic
The light jet revolution wasnt televised because it never happened. At least not yet. There has been a quiet proliferation of small kerosene burners on the ramps and in the flight levels, however, and that means more pilots are experiencing the pleasures and pitfalls of life in Class A airspace.
Key Takeaways:
- ATCAA (ATC Assigned Airspace) are unchartable, high-altitude military training areas that often overlie MOAs above 18,000 feet, where military activity receives priority.
- These "stealth airspaces" are used for extensive military exercises, and aircraft operating within them may not be on ATC frequencies or squawking transponder signals, complicating air traffic separation.
- Pilots flying in Class A airspace may experience unexpected re-routes around active ATCAAs due to these military operations and challenges like differing altimeter settings.
- While not on standard charts, ATCAAs can be located on the FAA's special use airspace website by enabling the specific map layer, allowing pilots to plan routes to potentially avoid re-routing.
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