AOPA leads safety campaign for Charleston pilots

The poster, which was developed by the institute and shared by the FAA Safety Team, is also being distributed to local airports and flight schools as part of an education campaign.

The campaign comes after the FAA saw an increase in near-midair collisions in the arrival and departure corridors of the main runways at the Charleston International Airport outside of the Class C airspace where heavy jets climb and descend.

Charleston’s airspace is active with nearby general aviation airports including Summerville Airport, Berkeley County Airport, Charleston Executive Airport, and Mt Pleasant Regional-Faison Field. As a joint-use airport, Charleston International Airport itself not only has seen an increase in commercial airline traffic in recent years but is also home to the Boeing 787 final assembly line and the fleets of C–17 aircraft flown by the U.S. Air Force’s 437th Airlift Wing and 315th Airlift Wing.

While what pilots flying under visual flight rules have been doing is completely legal, close calls have occurred when VFR pilots were not in contact with the Charleston approach control and operating above 2,000 feet msl within the corridors.

The poster was designed as part of an education campaign, not a regulatory change, and is intended to encourage pilots to change their behavior in those areas.

“To be clear, we’re not talking about a regulatory change. We’re asking general aviation pilots to take voluntary measures like contacting approach and requesting flight following that will enhance safety for all pilots around Charleston,” said AOPA Air Safety Institute Senior Advisor, AOPA Airport Support Network Volunteer, and former NTSB Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg.