Lateral boundaries of the temporary flight restriction (TFR) at Disney World in Orlando, Florida, will be added to the next editions of the Orlando/Tampa terminal area chart and the Jacksonville sectional chart on Aug. 18. The TFR at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, will appear on the Los Angeles sectional and terminal area charts on June 23 and on the Los Angeles helicopter route chart June 26.
The two airspace areas—to be depicted with a blue circle, subdued terrain colors, and notes describing vertical dimensions—are categorized as "special security notice permanent continuous flight restriction areas."
“AOPA, and many others, have requested the charting of these TFRs to increase pilots’ awareness of them,” said Rune Duke, AOPA director of airspace and air traffic. He added that after the areas appear on charts, pilots should continue to make frequent and meticulous checks of notices to airmen before flight operations in the areas.
The TFRs at the Disney facilities were issued by the FAA in 2003 at the direction of Congress—among several airspace restrictions established following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Since then, AOPA has strongly advocated for publishing congressionally mandated TFRs as an essential resource for operator awareness in the affected areas.
Other charted TFRs that, despite their temporary designation are permanent in nature, include the Washington, D.C. Special Flight Rules Area and Flight Restricted Zone; and airspace around and overlying the prohibited area at Camp David in Maryland and the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Additional efforts to improve TFR graphics are being studied in an industry committee convened by the FAA in response to AOPA’s concerns about inconsistencies and errors in TFR depictions.
“For example, another area of focus is sporting event TFRs, where providing graphics and more information on the locations impacted would be helpful,” Duke said.
AOPA also is co-leading an RTCA TFR task group, and is continuing to advocate for a TFR overhaul to make them easier to understand.
“TFRs affect all pilots, and adding them to charts makes them more conspicuous, heightening awareness. No longer will pilots have to draw the circle for these TFRs on their sectionals,” Duke said.
