Narrative:

I was working the east radar position. Before I took the position; the supervisor had informed me that there may be 3 C172's departing pns to take photos throughout the airspace at 2500 ft. He provided a map that showed the tracks they were supposed to fly -- the tracks pretty much covered the entire airspace. After a few mins; the 3 cessnas departed pns one after the other. One began working just off the departure end of runway 8 (the active runway) at 2500 ft. Another wanted to fly a track that would transition nfj class D airspace as well as enter R2915. The third wanted to work in close proximity to npa at 2500 ft. No coordination had been effected with any of the surrounding; affected facilities. We had to hold jet departures down to 2000 ft off both pns and npa because the cessnas were working off the departure ends of the active runway. Eglin approach (which is the controling facility for R2915) was unaware of the photo missions. We were required to coordination with eglin mission control numerous times as one of the cessnas entered/left the restr area as eglin had active missions (including some live fire) during this time. It's my understanding that pensacola TRACON had the information on these photo missions several days in advance; but no one bothered to coordination/pass on the information to any of the affected facilities. In addition; someone should have at least made an attempt to conduct these missions during periods of low traffic and/or different runway configns. Instead; it was expected that the controllers on the sectors to just work around the photo aircraft. This led to much confusion and extra coordination. And the number of traffic calls that were required were doubled or tripled due to the photo aircraft working in the departure path off all the departures off pns and many of the departures off npa.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: P31 CTLR DESCRIBED FAILED COORD EFFORT WITH ADJACENT FAC BY SUPVRS REGARDING A 3 ACFT PHOTO MISSION.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE E RADAR POS. BEFORE I TOOK THE POS; THE SUPVR HAD INFORMED ME THAT THERE MAY BE 3 C172'S DEPARTING PNS TO TAKE PHOTOS THROUGHOUT THE AIRSPACE AT 2500 FT. HE PROVIDED A MAP THAT SHOWED THE TRACKS THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO FLY -- THE TRACKS PRETTY MUCH COVERED THE ENTIRE AIRSPACE. AFTER A FEW MINS; THE 3 CESSNAS DEPARTED PNS ONE AFTER THE OTHER. ONE BEGAN WORKING JUST OFF THE DEP END OF RWY 8 (THE ACTIVE RWY) AT 2500 FT. ANOTHER WANTED TO FLY A TRACK THAT WOULD TRANSITION NFJ CLASS D AIRSPACE AS WELL AS ENTER R2915. THE THIRD WANTED TO WORK IN CLOSE PROX TO NPA AT 2500 FT. NO COORD HAD BEEN EFFECTED WITH ANY OF THE SURROUNDING; AFFECTED FACILITIES. WE HAD TO HOLD JET DEPS DOWN TO 2000 FT OFF BOTH PNS AND NPA BECAUSE THE CESSNAS WERE WORKING OFF THE DEP ENDS OF THE ACTIVE RWY. EGLIN APCH (WHICH IS THE CTLING FACILITY FOR R2915) WAS UNAWARE OF THE PHOTO MISSIONS. WE WERE REQUIRED TO COORD WITH EGLIN MISSION CTL NUMEROUS TIMES AS ONE OF THE CESSNAS ENTERED/LEFT THE RESTR AREA AS EGLIN HAD ACTIVE MISSIONS (INCLUDING SOME LIVE FIRE) DURING THIS TIME. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT PENSACOLA TRACON HAD THE INFO ON THESE PHOTO MISSIONS SEVERAL DAYS IN ADVANCE; BUT NO ONE BOTHERED TO COORD/PASS ON THE INFO TO ANY OF THE AFFECTED FACILITIES. IN ADDITION; SOMEONE SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST MADE AN ATTEMPT TO CONDUCT THESE MISSIONS DURING PERIODS OF LOW TFC AND/OR DIFFERENT RWY CONFIGNS. INSTEAD; IT WAS EXPECTED THAT THE CTLRS ON THE SECTORS TO JUST WORK AROUND THE PHOTO ACFT. THIS LED TO MUCH CONFUSION AND EXTRA COORD. AND THE NUMBER OF TFC CALLS THAT WERE REQUIRED WERE DOUBLED OR TRIPLED DUE TO THE PHOTO ACFT WORKING IN THE DEP PATH OFF ALL THE DEPS OFF PNS AND MANY OF THE DEPS OFF NPA.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.