Narrative:

I was nebound at the above location when I spotted the military transport aircraft passing me. His course was approximately parallel to mine and he was about 500-1000 ft to my right. I was concerned about wake turbulence and would have immediately turned left, but that would have put me in lakehurst's (nel) class D. I decided that wake turbulence was not a factor and that no collision hazard existed (the other aircraft was much faster) so I continued on course. Turning right would have put me right under his wake (?). About 1-2 mins later, I encountered his wake turbulence: 2 'chops' about 15 seconds apart. I maintained control and my bank did not exceed 20 degrees. I know it was wake turbulence, because the air was smooth and the 'chops' were sharp and abrupt. I then turned right (remembering that the wind was from the east) and had no further turbulence. Some observations: this alert area (A-200) should be expanded (low-flying, heavy military aircraft frequently operate at low altitudes east of the area). The FAA should more heavily publicize the dangers on alert areas. VFR pilots should be encouraged not to skirt class D airspace unless they have the ATC facility tuned in (if I were prepared, I could have simultaneously turned left and called lakehurst). I had a transponder operating in mode C, 1200. The other aircraft should have been aware of my position and altered his course slightly. Low flying heavy aircraft pose a threat to high aircraft and should be considerate to them! Although I was monitoring mcguire approach (120.25) I was not participating in 'flight following.' I am reluctant to participate due to my unfamiliarity with it. I have been unable to get much information on it from federal pubs (or from private pubs). The FAA should encourage flight following and explain how to use it. It would have prevented this incident. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the most significant contributing causes were his operations so close to the edge of the military special use airspace. Also, he didn't think the military aircraft knew he was there. Finally, the reporter felt he had placed himself at a point he could not turn left because of the lakehurst class D airspace. He said other than not getting himself hemmed in he can't think of anything he would do differently. He said he thought about climbing but figured he did not have a fast enough rate of climb. The changes he would suggest would be to make the alert area bigger to accommodate the military aircraft that regularly operate outside of their airspace. He believes there should be more publicity given to the dangers of skirting closely special use airspace, and the benefits of gaining TA's/ flight following.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE RPTR IN A CESSNA 152 WAS PASSED OFFSET WITHIN A HALF MI BY A LARGE GREEN 4 ENG MIL TRANSPORT. THE RPTR SUBSEQUENTLY CAUGHT 2 ALARMING ABRUPT WAKE ENCOUNTERS ABOUT 10 SECONDS APART. THE CESSNA 152 ROLLED ABOUT 20 DEGS. THE RPTR WOULD HAVE TURNED L AWAY FROM THE TRANSPORT BUT TO DO SO WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE RPTR TO ENTER CLASS D AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I WAS NEBOUND AT THE ABOVE LOCATION WHEN I SPOTTED THE MIL TRANSPORT ACFT PASSING ME. HIS COURSE WAS APPROX PARALLEL TO MINE AND HE WAS ABOUT 500-1000 FT TO MY R. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT WAKE TURB AND WOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY TURNED L, BUT THAT WOULD HAVE PUT ME IN LAKEHURST'S (NEL) CLASS D. I DECIDED THAT WAKE TURB WAS NOT A FACTOR AND THAT NO COLLISION HAZARD EXISTED (THE OTHER ACFT WAS MUCH FASTER) SO I CONTINUED ON COURSE. TURNING R WOULD HAVE PUT ME RIGHT UNDER HIS WAKE (?). ABOUT 1-2 MINS LATER, I ENCOUNTERED HIS WAKE TURB: 2 'CHOPS' ABOUT 15 SECONDS APART. I MAINTAINED CTL AND MY BANK DID NOT EXCEED 20 DEGS. I KNOW IT WAS WAKE TURB, BECAUSE THE AIR WAS SMOOTH AND THE 'CHOPS' WERE SHARP AND ABRUPT. I THEN TURNED R (REMEMBERING THAT THE WIND WAS FROM THE E) AND HAD NO FURTHER TURB. SOME OBSERVATIONS: THIS ALERT AREA (A-200) SHOULD BE EXPANDED (LOW-FLYING, HVY MIL ACFT FREQUENTLY OPERATE AT LOW ALTS E OF THE AREA). THE FAA SHOULD MORE HEAVILY PUBLICIZE THE DANGERS ON ALERT AREAS. VFR PLTS SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED NOT TO SKIRT CLASS D AIRSPACE UNLESS THEY HAVE THE ATC FACILITY TUNED IN (IF I WERE PREPARED, I COULD HAVE SIMULTANEOUSLY TURNED L AND CALLED LAKEHURST). I HAD A XPONDER OPERATING IN MODE C, 1200. THE OTHER ACFT SHOULD HAVE BEEN AWARE OF MY POS AND ALTERED HIS COURSE SLIGHTLY. LOW FLYING HVY ACFT POSE A THREAT TO HIGH ACFT AND SHOULD BE CONSIDERATE TO THEM! ALTHOUGH I WAS MONITORING MCGUIRE APCH (120.25) I WAS NOT PARTICIPATING IN 'FLT FOLLOWING.' I AM RELUCTANT TO PARTICIPATE DUE TO MY UNFAMILIARITY WITH IT. I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO GET MUCH INFO ON IT FROM FEDERAL PUBS (OR FROM PVT PUBS). THE FAA SHOULD ENCOURAGE FLT FOLLOWING AND EXPLAIN HOW TO USE IT. IT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTING CAUSES WERE HIS OPS SO CLOSE TO THE EDGE OF THE MIL SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE. ALSO, HE DIDN'T THINK THE MIL ACFT KNEW HE WAS THERE. FINALLY, THE RPTR FELT HE HAD PLACED HIMSELF AT A POINT HE COULD NOT TURN L BECAUSE OF THE LAKEHURST CLASS D AIRSPACE. HE SAID OTHER THAN NOT GETTING HIMSELF HEMMED IN HE CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING HE WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY. HE SAID HE THOUGHT ABOUT CLBING BUT FIGURED HE DID NOT HAVE A FAST ENOUGH RATE OF CLB. THE CHANGES HE WOULD SUGGEST WOULD BE TO MAKE THE ALERT AREA BIGGER TO ACCOMMODATE THE MIL ACFT THAT REGULARLY OPERATE OUTSIDE OF THEIR AIRSPACE. HE BELIEVES THERE SHOULD BE MORE PUBLICITY GIVEN TO THE DANGERS OF SKIRTING CLOSELY SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE, AND THE BENEFITS OF GAINING TA'S/ FLT FOLLOWING.

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.