Learning Something on a Rainy Morning....Aerobatics and Class B

[Ironflight]

I woke up this morning to sunshine and thunder, with occasional dumps of rain on the runway(along with rainbows!), so it looked like a good morning to stick around and clean up a few loose ends. One of those things I'd been meaning to do was research a debate we had at a recent hangar flying session with regards to aerobatics under the veil of Class B Airspace.

I admit that I have been operating under the influence of what I was told, rather than what I had researched. The good thing is that I was operating more conservatively than I needed to be (rather than the other way around)! Basically, I recall being taught that you weren't allowed to conduct aerobatic flight under the veil of Class B. I vaguely remembered a FAR that addressed this, it sounded reasonably conservative, so I have tried to obey the limitation.

After some web searching while sipping this morning's juice, it turns out that this WAS the FAA's interpretation until several years ago, when a gentleman from Minnesota nd the EAA challenged it. What I found totally amazing is that the FAA issued a letter saying that it had MADE A MISTAKE in it's earlier interpretation, and that the restriction only applies to where the Class B (C and D as well) touches the ground. So it's legally OK to do that roll under the outer ring!

Here is a link to the letter from the FAA.

(I'm sure this is old news to many folks here, but there may be one or two other folks that weren't sure, like I was....)

OK, so now if the rain showers clear up, I can go do a few victory rolls....underneath the outer ring, of course....(and above a safe altitude, not in an airport traffic pattern, not over a populated area, etc.....)

Paul

[Low Pass]

Originally Posted by Ironflight

....(and above a safe altitude, not in an airport traffic pattern, not over a populated area, etc.....)

Paul

...and don't forget about the airways! Fortunately, not too many on the SE side of town.

I'm with you here. It's nice to clear the EFD Delta and start unwinding. That's about as far as I can get without feeling a severe reaction to upright flight.

[AlexPeterson]

The battle around Minneapolis' class B was when they expanded it in size a couple years ago. Someone had an aerobatic plane and was perhaps instructing, and the new huge class B would have forced him a ways out from where he usually practiced. Always nice to see the little guy win those. That air grab probably tripled the volume of the class B here.

[kevinh]

Originally Posted by Low Pass

...and don't forget about the airways! Fortunately, not too many on the SE side of town.

Yeah - Because of the web of airways for SFO, SJC and OAK around here we are left with two small boxes under the SFO class B (one by the coast the other just north of Livermore) - unless we want to head a bit far from town.

[Tom Navar]

Paul: If you happen to come to LOA this year, our new local IAC chapter will have its aerobatic box in place at Dona Ana airport. I hope to see you, schedule permitting.
TN

[Tom Navar]

I keep saying LOA as in boats, when it is LOE, as in Land of Enchantment. Anyhow, you are always welcome at my home in TA50.
Tom

[Ironflight]

Originally Posted by Tom Navar

I keep saying LOA as in boats, when it is LOE, as in Land of Enchantment. Anyhow, you are always welcome at my home in TA50.
Tom

Thanks Tom! We'll see how LOE works out this year - right now, I am supposed to be flying the Hubble servicing mission at that time....but schedules can always slip!

Paul

[lluciani]

Thanks Paul. This is certainly good to know.

On a related topic, there is an aerobatics competition in Brenham, TX at the end of this month. Details are at
http://www.usnationalaerobatics.org/...edContestID=90. There should be a few RVs competing in Basic and Sportsman.