Class D airspace takes effect Oct. 17 at Bryant Field

Class D airspace will go into effect Oct. 17 at Bryant Army Airfield in Anchorage, Alaska, in a layout modified in response to concerns expressed by AOPA and other users about the design’s complexity and possible impact on high-volume air traffic northeast of the city.

The FAA responded to the concerns expressed at public information meetings about the original design, announcing that the new Class D airspace will not include areas east of the Glenn Highway. The original plan called for Class D airspace from the surface to 1,600 feet msl in that area.

AOPA credited the FAA for mitigating users’ concerns by eliminating that portion of the design, and urges pilots to make note of the change and its effective date.

AOPA previously had pointed out the need for the FAA to address a recognized need for an overall review of the complex and heavily-used Anchorage airspace, with a goal of design simplification.

Bryant Army Airfield is located just east of Elmendorf Air Force Base, with a restricted area to the north and the nonstandard-configuration Anchorage Class C airspace situated west of both airports, reaching to points well north and south of the city.