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3 Answers

MOA – Contacting the controlling agency

Asked by: 8251 views ,
Airspace, FAA Regulations, General Aviation

As far s MOA's are concerned I know this; - As VFR it's perfectly legal to fly through one, but it is smart to contact the "controlling agency" to see if it's active or "HOT". -I know I can see if the MOA is active via FSS, but had a question concerning another way to find out.. Say I was flying to an uncontrolled airport (A) from another uncontrolled airport (B). There are two separate controlled airports within 10 miles or so of both departing and arriving airports. Could I just ask for flight following from the controlled airport near my departing airport and blast through the MOA knowing that ATC has my back? (unless they terminate my Flight following) Would this qualify as my contacting the local controlling agency? Or should I refer to the Controlling agency on my sectional? It says the agency (washington cntr), but not the frequency! also just says alt 7,000... does that mean it starts and extends upwards or is that the ceiling? I have already looked in the AIM 3-4-5. If I need to elaborate or provide specific airport identifiers and some sectional pictures I could do that. Also, if I can't and need to contact FSS to request info about the MOA status, how might I go about that? And one last edit on this; would you even recommend going into a MOA when active even when talking to someone?

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3 Answers



  1. Kris Kortokrax on Jun 01, 2015

    In the legend for special use airspace, it states that for MOAs, the altitude shown is the floor of the area, unless otherwise noted. So, your MOA doesn’t exist below 7000′.

    If you look in the back of the A/FD under “Key Air Traffic Facilities”, you will find the phone number for Washington Center is 718-995-5426. It also contains a list of frequencies to contact center, but you would probably want to coordinate sooner than when you are approaching the MOA.

    You probably would not want to be in the MOA when active. There are training operations going on in military aircraft and the assumption is that when active, general aviation aircraft will not be in that airspace. They might not be looking out for you.

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  2. austin.bailey on Jun 01, 2015

    Hey Kris, thanks for the response

    So, I found the list of frequencies under Washington Center in the A/FD, how do I know the correct contact center? Just the one closest to my location prior to entering the MOA? I guess i wouldn’t even be entering since I plan to fly at 2,500 anyways.
    I would Probably just say “so and so approach is a cessna 172 5 miles northwest of this airport at 2,500 request MOA status?”

    I’ve flown through this MOA before, but I was on a flight plan from a controlled airspace.

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  3. Dan S. on Jun 01, 2015

    Austin,
    You can also get an IFR Enroute chart for your area and locate ARTCC frequencies in blue boxes with stamp-like outer edges. As long as you can read the chart and figure out where you are, use the frequency in the box closest to your location.

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