Narrative:

The hcf (and its forerunner, ZHN) have a long-standing LOA with facsfac pearl harbor establishing various air traffic control assigned airspace (atcaa) areas around hawaii. One of them, over the big island, is known as pele. By the LOA, the established altitudes of pele are 16000 ft to FL290. Pele was established to facilitate entry and exit of tactical jet aircraft from R-3103. Recently (over the last 3 yrs or so) the military has begun requesting (and hcf has been approving) portions of pele from 8000 ft to FL290. This is the area east of 156W, which is referred to as pele low. I have attached a copy of a NOTAM describing all this. My concerns are as follows: non-participating pilots are not made aware of the so-called pele low atcaa's presence. There is a significant amount of fixed and rotary-wing tour operations throughout the area. An international NOTAM is issued (copy attached) under the phzh ICAO location indicator, but that does not reach GA pilots. Neither FSS nor duats briefings include information on this atcaa. I am very concerned that VFR pilots are not aware of the activity, while military pilots may believe that they have airspace protection when in fact they have none. No briefing is provided to controllers when this airspace is planned to be used. No official, written definition of pele low exists. Pele atcaa is depicted on the controller's radar maps, but the division between pele and the so-called pele low is not. The area includes terrain higher than 8000 ft MSL, therefore this atcaa extends to the surface (in class G airspace) in some areas. I have complained to management here at hcf for nearly 3 yrs about this ad hoc use of airspace, but there has been no reaction. Callback conversation with TRACON specialist revealed the following information: a TRACON specialist advised that it is the responsibility of tum, or a facility staff specialist, to ensure timely sector controller notification of notamed airspace. FSS interfacility coordination is effected to ensure a NOTAM is issued. Callback conversation with FSS specialist revealed the following information: an FSS specialist advised that the pele high/low atcaa (air traffic control assigned airspace) is, by definition, known only within the ATC community. When the pele atcaa is coordinated for usage/activation, the information is internally posted to all briefers to ensure verbal dissemination to the effected pilot community. The pele atcaa is generally utilized for participating military aircraft transiting to and from the large restr areas west of hawaii.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HCF CTLR CONCERNED WITH GA PLT MIL RESTR AIRSPACE NOTAM USAGE DISSEMINATION.

Narrative: THE HCF (AND ITS FORERUNNER, ZHN) HAVE A LONG-STANDING LOA WITH FACSFAC PEARL HARBOR ESTABLISHING VARIOUS AIR TFC CTL ASSIGNED AIRSPACE (ATCAA) AREAS AROUND HAWAII. ONE OF THEM, OVER THE BIG ISLAND, IS KNOWN AS PELE. BY THE LOA, THE ESTABLISHED ALTS OF PELE ARE 16000 FT TO FL290. PELE WAS ESTABLISHED TO FACILITATE ENTRY AND EXIT OF TACTICAL JET ACFT FROM R-3103. RECENTLY (OVER THE LAST 3 YRS OR SO) THE MIL HAS BEGUN REQUESTING (AND HCF HAS BEEN APPROVING) PORTIONS OF PELE FROM 8000 FT TO FL290. THIS IS THE AREA E OF 156W, WHICH IS REFERRED TO AS PELE LOW. I HAVE ATTACHED A COPY OF A NOTAM DESCRIBING ALL THIS. MY CONCERNS ARE AS FOLLOWS: NON-PARTICIPATING PLTS ARE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE SO-CALLED PELE LOW ATCAA'S PRESENCE. THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FIXED AND ROTARY-WING TOUR OPS THROUGHOUT THE AREA. AN INTL NOTAM IS ISSUED (COPY ATTACHED) UNDER THE PHZH ICAO LOCATION INDICATOR, BUT THAT DOES NOT REACH GA PLTS. NEITHER FSS NOR DUATS BRIEFINGS INCLUDE INFO ON THIS ATCAA. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT VFR PLTS ARE NOT AWARE OF THE ACTIVITY, WHILE MIL PLTS MAY BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE AIRSPACE PROTECTION WHEN IN FACT THEY HAVE NONE. NO BRIEFING IS PROVIDED TO CTLRS WHEN THIS AIRSPACE IS PLANNED TO BE USED. NO OFFICIAL, WRITTEN DEFINITION OF PELE LOW EXISTS. PELE ATCAA IS DEPICTED ON THE CTLR'S RADAR MAPS, BUT THE DIVISION BTWN PELE AND THE SO-CALLED PELE LOW IS NOT. THE AREA INCLUDES TERRAIN HIGHER THAN 8000 FT MSL, THEREFORE THIS ATCAA EXTENDS TO THE SURFACE (IN CLASS G AIRSPACE) IN SOME AREAS. I HAVE COMPLAINED TO MGMNT HERE AT HCF FOR NEARLY 3 YRS ABOUT THIS AD HOC USE OF AIRSPACE, BUT THERE HAS BEEN NO REACTION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH TRACON SPECIALIST REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: A TRACON SPECIALIST ADVISED THAT IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF TUM, OR A FACILITY STAFF SPECIALIST, TO ENSURE TIMELY SECTOR CTLR NOTIFICATION OF NOTAMED AIRSPACE. FSS INTERFAC COORD IS EFFECTED TO ENSURE A NOTAM IS ISSUED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH FSS SPECIALIST REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: AN FSS SPECIALIST ADVISED THAT THE PELE HIGH/LOW ATCAA (AIR TFC CTL ASSIGNED AIRSPACE) IS, BY DEFINITION, KNOWN ONLY WITHIN THE ATC COMMUNITY. WHEN THE PELE ATCAA IS COORDINATED FOR USAGE/ACTIVATION, THE INFO IS INTERNALLY POSTED TO ALL BRIEFERS TO ENSURE VERBAL DISSEMINATION TO THE EFFECTED PLT COMMUNITY. THE PELE ATCAA IS GENERALLY UTILIZED FOR PARTICIPATING MIL ACFT TRANSITING TO AND FROM THE LARGE RESTR AREAS W OF HAWAII.

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.