Story ID: 
Industry Panel Recommends TFR Improvements
By: Kerry Lynch
Caption: The current TFR format can be confusing and lead to violations, AOPA said.
Word Count: 297
An industry-led technical committee has submitted 54 recommendations to the FAA to improve the graphical depiction and dissemination of temporary flight restrictions (TFRs). The FAA had tasked the RTCA Tactical Operations Committee with developing the recommendations after the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association highlighted concerns about inconsistencies and errors in the depiction of airspace in the TFRs. AOPA, which co-chaired the TFR review with Jeppesen, said these problems have resulted in a number of airspace violations.

TFRs are less than 1 percent of total Notams, but “pilots view them as one of the most significant,” the committee said in its report to the FAA. Pilots are increasingly using technology to depict TFRs in a graphical format, but the committee noted “a series of gaps with the FAA’s current processes and technologies for creating and distributing TFRs.” Graphics aren’t always available and sometimes are erroneous. While Notam TFR text is still the only legal source of TFR location information, the information is “often lengthy, not user-friendly and difficult for pilots to understand.” Further, it is difficult to ascertain when sporting-event TFRs are active.

“These issues, and others, prevent pilots from fully trusting and embracing their automation tools in planning for TFRs,” the committee added. “Instead, pilots continue to call and receive phone-based latitude and longitude information about TFRs.”

The committee focused its recommendations on improving the process and tools for origination and transmission of the TFRs, ensuring availability of graphically formatted TFRs that are legal for navigation, addressing the graphical needs of key air traffic users, simplifying and clarifying the text format, and improving education on TFRs.

The FAA, which worked closely with the committee on the TFR review, is expected to respond to the recommendations in early 2017.