Revised procedures for operating in or near the Hudson River VFR Corridor, also known as the Class B exclusion zone, will go into effect Nov. 19, in time for inclusion on new aeronautical charts, according to FAA. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), among those represented in the New York Airspace Task Force working group convened two weeks ago to offer input on a solution, has applauded the agency's plans.

The recommendations were devised by the working group convened by FAA to review New York airspace procedures following the Aug. 8 midair collision of a Piper PA32 single-engine aircraft and Eurocopter AS350 sightseeing helicopter over the Hudson River. FAA Sept. 2 unveiled the task force's proposed procedures, most of which make current recommended procedures mandatory. On Sept. 3, FAA COO Hank Krakowski explained the main components of the revised airspace.

" The ceiling for the Hudson River VFR corridor, formerly 1,100 ft. above ground level, will change to 1,300 ft. As a result, the floor of the controlled Class B airspace enveloping the corridor rises to 1,300 ft. from 1,100 ft.

" VFR aircraft operating between 1,300 ft. and 2,000 ft., now Class B-controlled airspace, would be required to remain under positive air traffic control and communicate on the appropriate radio frequency. This "new" Class B VFR pathway gives pilots the option to fly over the Hudson River under ATC, instead of flying in the congested exclusionary zone, where some 200 general aviation aircraft operate daily. This new route will be highlighted in updated aeronautical charts, scheduled for publication Nov. 12.

" Aircraft operating under visual flight rules between 1,000 and 1,300 ft. and aircraft operating below 1,000 ft. would be required to use the common radio frequency for the Hudson River VFR corridor and self-announce entry into the corridor, as well as aircraft position, altitude and direction.

AOPA notes that in many instances, such as developing training materials, industry groups like the AOPA Air Safety Foundation have greater flexibility to work swiftly and to target the required audience than the government can through the cumbersome federal regulatory process.

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