Narrative:

On an IFR flight from vnc to X47 in florida, apr/xx/95, I was cleared to descend to 1700 ft about 23 NM from the destination. As we came in VMC conditions and had the airport in sight at about 8 NM, I suggested to cancel IFR. Daytona approach, however, reported traffic and I stayed under IFR until past the traffic in opposite direction. At about 3 NM from the airport we became clear of the traffic and IFR was canceled with approval of frequency change. My blind transmission on 123.0 was 'flagler traffic - seneca approaching from the south, entering downwind runway 11 from overhead.' I maintained the heading to enter the beginning of downwind for runway 11 and was descending to pattern altitude. At about 1 NM from the airports geographical position and slightly west of runway 6 I noticed an airplane coming from about 400 ft climbing vertical at a distance of approximately 500 ft on my 11 O'clock position. Time approximately XX27. After landing I noticed 3 people on chairs watching aerobatics in progress on the west side of runway 6. My concern is the layout of flagler airport, or bunnell, fl, known as X47. I have seen aerobatics performed close to runway 6 and west of this runway. I have no publication of any area reserved for this, nor do I have any warning in the commercial chart publication, or notice in the NOTAMS. The aerobatics are performed in a place where it cuts through the published instrument approach and under or in airway V51, V3, and V437. After the aerobatics school arrived at flagler airport the traffic pattern for runway 24 was changed to a r-hand pattern. Flagler airport hosts for many yrs a sky diving school and the jumpers land in the vicinity of the center of the airport. The most logical situation for flagler airport would be a r-hand pattern for runway 6 where the jumpers get more room and the airplanes will not interfere with these jumpers on the downwind for the runways 6 and 24 as in the present situation. Another amazing situation is the seaplane operation at flagler county airport. The commercial chart publishes a waterstrip of 3000 ft with a heading of 18W and 36W. However, via the airport and via the start of runway 6, a waterski club operates on this lake. My question is, with safety in mind, how can any water sport club get all their transport via the airport, crossing runways and using taxi tracks and on top of this use the same water as the seaplanes do. The watersport on the same lake is growing now and some wkends over 20 jetskies were reported with complaints by the seaplane schools in our local paper. My suggestion is as a request: to change the traffic pattern for runway 6/24 so runway 6 will be r-hand traffic, while runway 24 operates with l-hand traffic. Prohibit any aerobatics in the published line for the instrument approach at X47. Have a definition and assign a use for the lake on or next to the airport. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the purpose of his report was to not complain but to make a friendly observation, of which he did not have full knowledge of their safety implications. To him, he felt that the separation of the various aviation activities could be done in a different manner. One area of concern was the aircraft doing aerobatics near his flight path when on the instrument approach course to the airport. He did think that this was a dangerous area for this activity. However, he did state that ATC had advised that the 'aerobatic box' was being used. He was in VMC and the see and avoid concept would be controling to both aircraft. He wished to correct his report by stating that he was really on the west side of the airport instead of east. This put him closer to the aerobatic designated aerobatic box. He further stated that he is based at this airport but does not participate in an airport advisory group. He was advised that a group of experienced airmen can help airport management formulate traffic pattern rules and surface activity to maintain safety with such a diversified aviation segment all sharing the same airport and adjacent water runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA TWIN OBSERVES AN ACFT CLBING NEARBY VERTLY WHILE ON A VFR APCH TO AN UNCTLED ARPT.

Narrative: ON AN IFR FLT FROM VNC TO X47 IN FLORIDA, APR/XX/95, I WAS CLRED TO DSND TO 1700 FT ABOUT 23 NM FROM THE DEST. AS WE CAME IN VMC CONDITIONS AND HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT AT ABOUT 8 NM, I SUGGESTED TO CANCEL IFR. DAYTONA APCH, HOWEVER, RPTED TFC AND I STAYED UNDER IFR UNTIL PAST THE TFC IN OPPOSITE DIRECTION. AT ABOUT 3 NM FROM THE ARPT WE BECAME CLR OF THE TFC AND IFR WAS CANCELED WITH APPROVAL OF FREQ CHANGE. MY BLIND XMISSION ON 123.0 WAS 'FLAGLER TFC - SENECA APCHING FROM THE S, ENTERING DOWNWIND RWY 11 FROM OVERHEAD.' I MAINTAINED THE HDG TO ENTER THE BEGINNING OF DOWNWIND FOR RWY 11 AND WAS DSNDING TO PATTERN ALT. AT ABOUT 1 NM FROM THE ARPTS GEOGRAPHICAL POS AND SLIGHTLY W OF RWY 6 I NOTICED AN AIRPLANE COMING FROM ABOUT 400 FT CLBING VERT AT A DISTANCE OF APPROX 500 FT ON MY 11 O'CLOCK POS. TIME APPROX XX27. AFTER LNDG I NOTICED 3 PEOPLE ON CHAIRS WATCHING AEROBATICS IN PROGRESS ON THE W SIDE OF RWY 6. MY CONCERN IS THE LAYOUT OF FLAGLER ARPT, OR BUNNELL, FL, KNOWN AS X47. I HAVE SEEN AEROBATICS PERFORMED CLOSE TO RWY 6 AND W OF THIS RWY. I HAVE NO PUBLICATION OF ANY AREA RESERVED FOR THIS, NOR DO I HAVE ANY WARNING IN THE COMMERCIAL CHART PUBLICATION, OR NOTICE IN THE NOTAMS. THE AEROBATICS ARE PERFORMED IN A PLACE WHERE IT CUTS THROUGH THE PUBLISHED INST APCH AND UNDER OR IN AIRWAY V51, V3, AND V437. AFTER THE AEROBATICS SCHOOL ARRIVED AT FLAGLER ARPT THE TFC PATTERN FOR RWY 24 WAS CHANGED TO A R-HAND PATTERN. FLAGLER ARPT HOSTS FOR MANY YRS A SKY DIVING SCHOOL AND THE JUMPERS LAND IN THE VICINITY OF THE CTR OF THE ARPT. THE MOST LOGICAL SIT FOR FLAGLER ARPT WOULD BE A R-HAND PATTERN FOR RWY 6 WHERE THE JUMPERS GET MORE ROOM AND THE AIRPLANES WILL NOT INTERFERE WITH THESE JUMPERS ON THE DOWNWIND FOR THE RWYS 6 AND 24 AS IN THE PRESENT SIT. ANOTHER AMAZING SIT IS THE SEAPLANE OP AT FLAGLER COUNTY ARPT. THE COMMERCIAL CHART PUBLISHES A WATERSTRIP OF 3000 FT WITH A HDG OF 18W AND 36W. HOWEVER, VIA THE ARPT AND VIA THE START OF RWY 6, A WATERSKI CLUB OPERATES ON THIS LAKE. MY QUESTION IS, WITH SAFETY IN MIND, HOW CAN ANY WATER SPORT CLUB GET ALL THEIR TRANSPORT VIA THE ARPT, XING RWYS AND USING TAXI TRACKS AND ON TOP OF THIS USE THE SAME WATER AS THE SEAPLANES DO. THE WATERSPORT ON THE SAME LAKE IS GROWING NOW AND SOME WKENDS OVER 20 JETSKIES WERE RPTED WITH COMPLAINTS BY THE SEAPLANE SCHOOLS IN OUR LCL PAPER. MY SUGGESTION IS AS A REQUEST: TO CHANGE THE TFC PATTERN FOR RWY 6/24 SO RWY 6 WILL BE R-HAND TFC, WHILE RWY 24 OPERATES WITH L-HAND TFC. PROHIBIT ANY AEROBATICS IN THE PUBLISHED LINE FOR THE INST APCH AT X47. HAVE A DEFINITION AND ASSIGN A USE FOR THE LAKE ON OR NEXT TO THE ARPT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE PURPOSE OF HIS RPT WAS TO NOT COMPLAIN BUT TO MAKE A FRIENDLY OBSERVATION, OF WHICH HE DID NOT HAVE FULL KNOWLEDGE OF THEIR SAFETY IMPLICATIONS. TO HIM, HE FELT THAT THE SEPARATION OF THE VARIOUS AVIATION ACTIVITIES COULD BE DONE IN A DIFFERENT MANNER. ONE AREA OF CONCERN WAS THE ACFT DOING AEROBATICS NEAR HIS FLT PATH WHEN ON THE INST APCH COURSE TO THE ARPT. HE DID THINK THAT THIS WAS A DANGEROUS AREA FOR THIS ACTIVITY. HOWEVER, HE DID STATE THAT ATC HAD ADVISED THAT THE 'AEROBATIC BOX' WAS BEING USED. HE WAS IN VMC AND THE SEE AND AVOID CONCEPT WOULD BE CTLING TO BOTH ACFT. HE WISHED TO CORRECT HIS RPT BY STATING THAT HE WAS REALLY ON THE W SIDE OF THE ARPT INSTEAD OF E. THIS PUT HIM CLOSER TO THE AEROBATIC DESIGNATED AEROBATIC BOX. HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE IS BASED AT THIS ARPT BUT DOES NOT PARTICIPATE IN AN ARPT ADVISORY GROUP. HE WAS ADVISED THAT A GROUP OF EXPERIENCED AIRMEN CAN HELP ARPT MGMNT FORMULATE TFC PATTERN RULES AND SURFACE ACTIVITY TO MAINTAIN SAFETY WITH SUCH A DIVERSIFIED AVIATION SEGMENT ALL SHARING THE SAME ARPT AND ADJACENT WATER RWY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.