The Federal Aviation Administration recently released a long-awaited list of redundant or under-utilized instrument approaches that the agency proposes eliminating in the continuing transition to the NextGen satellite-based air traffic system. The plan is to reduce the cost of maintaining unnecessary aspects of the ground-based navigational infrastructure while still providing a viable VOR-network in the event of GPS system failure. The list of 736 VOR and NDB procedures nationwide the FAA proposes to eliminate includes 28 in the state of Alaska.
According to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association blog, the agency is aware that Alaska's aviation infrastructure does not meet the back-up network standard it envisions for the country of having a VOR every 100 nautical miles. However, it has determined the number of instrument approaches at some airports can be reduced. The proposed list for Alaska includes the following:
Atqasuk NDB Runway 24
Bethel VOR/DME Runway 19R
BettlesVOR/DME Runway 01
Cold Bay VOR/DME or TACAN-A
Dillingham VOR/DME Runway 19
Kenai Municipal VOR Runway 19R
Emmonak VOR Runway 34
Fort Yukon VOR/DME or TACAN-A
Galena VOR/DME Runway 25
Gulkana VOR/DME Runway 33
Koyuk NDB/VOR Runway 1
McGrath VOR/DME or TACAN Runway 16, VOR-A
Middleton Island VOR/DME Runway 20
Kotzebue VOR Runway 27, VOR Runway 09, VOR/DME Y Runway 27
Deadhorse VOR Runway 05
VOR/DME Runway 23, VOR/DME Runway 05
Sand Point NDB/DME Runway 13
Shismaref NDB Runway 23
Sitka VOR/DME-A
Soldotna NDB Runway 25, VOR/DME-A
Talkeetna VOR-A
Unalakleet VOR/DME-D
Yakutat VOR/DME Runway 11
If instrument pilots wish to weigh in on the continued use of these procedures, they should submit comments by May 28 either online, or by mail to: Docket Operations, M-30; U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Room W12-140, West Building Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590. AOPA Alaska representative Tom George asks that a copy of those comments be sent to him as well.