The FAA is proposing to replace the Class G airspace at Houston Executive Airport in Brookshire, Texas, with Class D and E airspace to safely manage instrument operations at the airport, where a control tower has been open since October 2014. Members may submit comments to the FAA on the proposal until May 12 as provided below.
According to a notice of proposed rulemaking published March 28, Class D and Class E surface area airspace would extend upward from the surface to and including 2,500 feet msl within a four-mile radius of the airport, excluding airspace west and northwest. Class E airspace would extend from 700 feet above the surface within a 6.6-mile radius of the airport—both airspace designations designed to “accommodate new standard instrument approach procedures for the safety and management of IFR operations at the airport.”
The new airspace designations would be in effect during the operating hours of the control tower, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time.
The Class D airspace would revert to Class E when the control tower is closed. The control tower frequency, 126.975 MHz, would become the airport’s common traffic advisory frequency during those hours.
The airspace proposal follows up several outreach meetings the FAA held for the local aviation community in 2015 in which Yasmina Platt, AOPA Central/Southwest regional manager, participated on behalf of association members. She will submit comments on the proposal.
Members may submit comments by May 12—citing FAA Docket No. FAA-2014-0742 and Docket No. 14-ASW-5 at the beginning of their comments—online or by mail to U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590.
Please share your comments with AOPA.
