MOOSE JAW — The Moose Jaw Municipal Airport Authority (MJMAA) has announced the approval of temporary restricted airspace use time slots in the skies over its runway as the Canadian Forces Snowbirds begin a training collaboration from April 3 to 7.
The announcement was made by MJMAA director Laura Lawrence on behalf of the board and board chair Greg Simpson. The MJMAA said the announcement fulfills its vision of providing support and co-operation with Canadian Forces Base 15 Wing Moose Jaw.
The board thanked the Snowbirds for the "unique opportunity" to host some of their training.
Over the four training days of April 3 to April, there will two windows from 0900 to 1000 CST and from 1300 to 1400 CST.
A Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) will be issued for the airspace restriction. If high-priority aircraft movements such as STARS, police, fire operations, or search and rescue flights require access to the airspace, the Winnipeg Area Control Centre (ACC), which controls parts of Saskatchewan, will call the Snowbirds to co-ordinate early release of the airspace back to NAV CANADA.
No aircraft shall enter the restricted airspace or take-off without permission.
In an email sharing the news with members of Moose Jaw's Flying Club, club president Roger Blager called the training trial run an exciting opportunity for the airport, representing mutually beneficial opportunities for all airport users.
"The timing of these practices both now and possibly in future should represent minimal disruption and inconvenience," Blager advised, while noting that Flying Club members should carefully read the announcement for details, procedures, and radio frequency information.
"In my opinion, the benefits of this far outweigh any negatives," he added.
Snowbird Safety Pilots Erik Temple and Richard MacDougall will be co-ordinating on the ground and monitoring the ground-level 'Sterile Air Display Area' (SADA), which is restricted to essential personnel only. However, normal operations at airport buildings and facilities will not be interrupted, as they are outside the SADA.
