Travis AFB Sustainability Study Report Final Background Report | Page 80
Because of Travis AFB’s location between Sacramento International Airport
and Oakland International Airport, the airspace above the installation is kept
open for general aviation access. Two‐way communication with air traffic
control must be established before entering class D airspace, but no
transponder is required. Pilots flying under VFR in Class D airspace must
have at least three miles of visibility. They must also maintain a specified
distance from the clouds.
Airspace Control
To help air traffic controllers and pilots deal with varying traffic conditions in
the sky, United States airspace has been separated into six different classes
(A, B, C, D, E, and G), illustrated in Figure 3‐10. These different classes have
different requirements for entry into the airspace, pilot qualifications, radio
and transponder equipment, and Visual Flight Rules (VFR) weather
minimums.
Travis AFB is located within Alert Area A‐682, which is a designated airspace
that may contain a high volume of pilot training or an unusual type of aerial
activity. Military aircraft in this area frequently fly approaches into
Travis AFB from a variety of different altitudes, airspeeds, and directions.
Pilots are advised to be aware when flying in alert areas.
Figure 3‐11 shows the FAA Sectional Chart of the area and shows the Class D
airspace areas described.
Figure 3‐10 Airspace Classification
Within the TSS Study Area, Travis AFB is surrounded by Class D airspace. The
vertical boundary is 2,600 feet above the airport elevation (the ceiling). The
core surface area has a radius of four nautical miles. Class D airspace reverts
to class E or G during hours when the air traffic control tower is closed, or
under other special conditions.
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Travis AFB Profile