Narrative:

During our 'altrv' mission between WI58 and R-2906/2907, there were aircraft missions overhead st augustine, mayport, and gainesville, fl. These missions required the aircraft to have a block altitude of 16000-19000 ft and stay within 10 mi of the area they were working. These missions made it impossible to get daytona and orlando area arrs down. We were briefed that if we had to move the aircraft or restrict the block, then the mission would be a failure and the aircraft would be back. So we did everything possible to accommodate them. On sep/tue/03, one of these flts came in over st augustine. With the altimeters at 29.90, 18000 ft was not available, so I restr the flight 16000-17000 ft. I was told by management to assign the flight 17000-20000 ft and tell the pilot to keep altimeter on 29.90. He said that we could then take aircraft underneath at 16000 ft. I refused and told management I would not unless ordered to. Aircraft 18000 ft and above are to use 29.92 and they wanted me to tell an aircraft to violate that. Management did back off, but only when I threatened to call the hotline. Normally when an atcaa or MOA is active with low altimeters, we assign the aircraft a thousand ft less, but still have to block the lower altitude. The 'altrv' was never assigned 17000-20000 ft and we were told we could still go under it at 15000 ft. There are a lot more issues concerning this mission. Since the islands in puerto rico are no longer available, this is the new bombing area for the military. This is a major impact on a very busy airport (mco). It closes a departure completely, occasionally closes an arrival, and definitely requires aircraft to stay low much longer than normal. All of this with no preplanning, no input from natca or management, and no definite answers on how to miss this airspace. Proposed solutions: 1) better coordination and briefings on future missions. 2) clarification on separation standards from altrv's. 3) don't 'bend the rules.' 4) ensure flow control is issued in advance. 5) change altitudes on altrv either higher or lower and less altitudes in the block. Should not include 18000 ft. 6) move the altrv either north or south of present position. 7) move or eliminate other missions over st augustine and mayport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZJX CTLR QUESTIONS MIL BLOCKED AIRSPACE PROCS AND THE IMPACT IT HAS ON ARR AND DEP RTES AT MCO.

Narrative: DURING OUR 'ALTRV' MISSION BTWN WI58 AND R-2906/2907, THERE WERE ACFT MISSIONS OVERHEAD ST AUGUSTINE, MAYPORT, AND GAINESVILLE, FL. THESE MISSIONS REQUIRED THE ACFT TO HAVE A BLOCK ALT OF 16000-19000 FT AND STAY WITHIN 10 MI OF THE AREA THEY WERE WORKING. THESE MISSIONS MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO GET DAYTONA AND ORLANDO AREA ARRS DOWN. WE WERE BRIEFED THAT IF WE HAD TO MOVE THE ACFT OR RESTRICT THE BLOCK, THEN THE MISSION WOULD BE A FAILURE AND THE ACFT WOULD BE BACK. SO WE DID EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO ACCOMMODATE THEM. ON SEP/TUE/03, ONE OF THESE FLTS CAME IN OVER ST AUGUSTINE. WITH THE ALTIMETERS AT 29.90, 18000 FT WAS NOT AVAILABLE, SO I RESTR THE FLT 16000-17000 FT. I WAS TOLD BY MGMNT TO ASSIGN THE FLT 17000-20000 FT AND TELL THE PLT TO KEEP ALTIMETER ON 29.90. HE SAID THAT WE COULD THEN TAKE ACFT UNDERNEATH AT 16000 FT. I REFUSED AND TOLD MGMNT I WOULD NOT UNLESS ORDERED TO. ACFT 18000 FT AND ABOVE ARE TO USE 29.92 AND THEY WANTED ME TO TELL AN ACFT TO VIOLATE THAT. MGMNT DID BACK OFF, BUT ONLY WHEN I THREATENED TO CALL THE HOTLINE. NORMALLY WHEN AN ATCAA OR MOA IS ACTIVE WITH LOW ALTIMETERS, WE ASSIGN THE ACFT A THOUSAND FT LESS, BUT STILL HAVE TO BLOCK THE LOWER ALT. THE 'ALTRV' WAS NEVER ASSIGNED 17000-20000 FT AND WE WERE TOLD WE COULD STILL GO UNDER IT AT 15000 FT. THERE ARE A LOT MORE ISSUES CONCERNING THIS MISSION. SINCE THE ISLANDS IN PUERTO RICO ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE, THIS IS THE NEW BOMBING AREA FOR THE MIL. THIS IS A MAJOR IMPACT ON A VERY BUSY ARPT (MCO). IT CLOSES A DEP COMPLETELY, OCCASIONALLY CLOSES AN ARR, AND DEFINITELY REQUIRES ACFT TO STAY LOW MUCH LONGER THAN NORMAL. ALL OF THIS WITH NO PREPLANNING, NO INPUT FROM NATCA OR MGMNT, AND NO DEFINITE ANSWERS ON HOW TO MISS THIS AIRSPACE. PROPOSED SOLUTIONS: 1) BETTER COORD AND BRIEFINGS ON FUTURE MISSIONS. 2) CLARIFICATION ON SEPARATION STANDARDS FROM ALTRV'S. 3) DON'T 'BEND THE RULES.' 4) ENSURE FLOW CTL IS ISSUED IN ADVANCE. 5) CHANGE ALTS ON ALTRV EITHER HIGHER OR LOWER AND LESS ALTS IN THE BLOCK. SHOULD NOT INCLUDE 18000 FT. 6) MOVE THE ALTRV EITHER N OR S OF PRESENT POS. 7) MOVE OR ELIMINATE OTHER MISSIONS OVER ST AUGUSTINE AND MAYPORT.

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.