Moody, local pilots meet to make safer skies

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman S.I. Fielder
  • 347th Rescue Wing Public Affairs
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (ACCNS) --  Several Moody members met with local-area pilots Saturday at Valdosta Regonal Airport, Ga., in an effort to eliminate mid-air collisions above Southern Georgia.

The potential for mid-air collisions is a constant hazard during flight, and research shows the most critical times are three minutes after take-off and eight minutes before landing, according to Moody's Mid-Air Collision Avoidance Handbook.

"Our main goal was to pass out our handbooks and to discuss our flight patterns in the Moody air space," said Capt. Brian Kelly, 347th Rescue Wing flight safety officer. "We decided to have a meeting with the local pilots so we could talk with them and get their feedback."

More than 50 people gathered to discuss the No. 1 cause of mid-air collisions, which is the failure to adhere to the "see and avoid" concept. Pilots must maintain vigilance during flight to avoid other pilots within their air space by constantly scanning for other aircraft.

"We told them where we normally fly so they know where to look to find us," said Capt. Roy Bentley, 479th Flying Training Group T-6A Texan II flight safety officer. "We share the air space, so we want to work together."

One tip offered in the handbook tells pilots if an aircraft doesn't appear to be moving but increases in size, the two aircrafts are on a direct collision course.

The handbook also contains maps of the local-area and how Moody's aircraft utilize the space.

"(This meeting focused on) helping raise awareness about what we do at Moody in order to accomplish our mission successfully," said Captain Kelly.

One of the main concerns for the two groups is the many Military Operating Areas that may be activated within Moody's air space, which restrict civilian pilots' flight to below 7,000 feet during instrumental flight. Research shows most mid-air collisions occur below 8,000 feet, which is below the altitude of an airliner's flight.

"The pilots want to know how they can navigate Moody's airspace easier," said Tech. Sgt. Mark Hopkins, 347th Operations Support Squadron NCO in charge of Air Traffic Control standards and evaluations. "They are concerned with the altitude restrictions imposed upon them due to the Military Operating Areas above Moody and want to know if different routes are available so they can get to their destination easier.

"I understand their concerns, and we are trying to provide better routes of flight for them in our air space," he said. "When they're restricted, they use more fuel which costs them more money."

Another topic discussed was the way Moody uses the air space to accomplish the mission. One of the main concerns was local pilots flying too close to Moody's aircraft during an aerial refueling training mission.

"During past ‘rendezvous', we've had local pilots slowly creep toward us until they were within a mile of our aircraft," said Captain Kelly. "We started getting nervous because we were at landing speed for the C-130.

"We're not maneuverable at that speed," he said. "If (the local pilot) maneuvered the wrong way, we couldn't maneuver out of his way."

The team also made posters with mid-air collision avoidance tips, Moody aircraft's characteristics and other helpful information to display at 11 local-area airports to help local pilots during flight planning.

"We gave the pilots the different patterns we fly, so they know where we are coming from and can avoid us," said Captain Kelly. "We also talked about the performance characteristics of Moody's aircraft, along with pictures for visual recognition.

"We also gave them other quick references in the handbook, so they can carry it with them when flying," he said. "The handbook helps them plan their flight around our schedule. By meeting with the local pilots, we also strengthen our relationship with them."