AIM Text
- Pilots can request the status of SUA by contacting the using or controlling agency. The frequency for the controlling agency is tabulated in the margins of the applicable IFR and VFR charts.
- An airspace NOTAM will be issued for SUA when the SUA airspace (permanent and/or temporary) requires a NOTAM for activation. Pilots should check ARTCC NOTAMs for airspace activation.
- Special Use Airspace Information Service (SUAIS) (Alaska Only). The SUAIS is a 24-hour service operated by the military that provides civilian pilots, flying VFR, with information regarding military flight operations in certain MOAs and restricted airspace within central Alaska. The service provides “near real time” information on military flight activity in the interior Alaska MOA and Restricted Area complex. SUAIS also provides information on artillery firing, known helicopter operations, and unmanned aerial vehicle operations. Pilots flying VFR are encouraged to use SUAIS. See the Alaska Chart Supplement for hours of operation, phone numbers, and radio frequencies.
- Special use airspace scheduling data for preflight planning is available via the FAA SUA website.
Source: FAA Aeronautical Information Manual · current edition · paragraph 3-4-9.
Research Notes
AIM 3-4-9 covers Air Traffic Control Assigned Airspace (ATCAA) — temporary airspace assignments for special activities.
ATCAA concept: A block of airspace that ATC assigns to a specific user for a specific period — typically for military training that doesn't fit a published MOA, or for special events. Less common than permanent MOAs but operationally similar.
Identification: ATCAAs are issued via NOTAM. They have lateral boundaries, altitude limits, and effective times.
Reference: AIM 3-4-9.