Transiting Through Airspace

BrewMaster

Well-Known Member
I have a flight coming up that includes a couple of major airports. We will be flying down the Missouri River then the Mississippi. We will be flying through Kansas City's class B and St. Louis' class B. Will I be required to talk to multiple controller's or do you think there is a chance I will just be given a sqauwk code and told to maintain the river at X altitude until clear of the class B airspace?

I won't actually be in the class B airspace most of the time except when going through some of the lower floors.

I guess my main question is how many controllers will I probably be talking to or is it more likely that I will only talk to one?

Any help would be appreciated.....
 
If you request flight following, you will probably keep the same squak code for the whole flight and you will talk to several facilities. Without flight following, I think at the very minimum, you will talk to Kansas City Approach, and St. Louis Approach. If you use flight following like I usually do, some of the additional facilities you will talk to are KC center, Whiteman approach, Mizzou approach, etc.

There is a chance that you will not actually go through the class b airspace in KC though. Depending which runways are in use at MCI, I often get vectored around the airspace when taking off from Lee's Summit and flying NW. I guess it depends where you take off from and where you are headed to.
 
I have a flight coming up that includes a couple of major airports. We will be flying down the Missouri River then the Mississippi. We will be flying through Kansas City's class B and St. Louis' class B. Will I be required to talk to multiple controller's or do you think there is a chance I will just be given a sqauwk code and told to maintain the river at X altitude until clear of the class B airspace?

I won't actually be in the class B airspace most of the time except when going through some of the lower floors.

I guess my main question is how many controllers will I probably be talking to or is it more likely that I will only talk to one?

Any help would be appreciated.....


You don't really need to talk to those guys, just put 7600 in the box and fly where you want!!!:sarcasm::sarcasm::bandit:
 
Here a fun question for you. You got VFR flight following and you're about to enter class B airspace, but you're not cleared to enter class B. Also the frequency is really busy. So what do you do? You might find yourself in this scenario, if you do fly through a class B. Hint you can't turn around.
 
Here a fun question for you. You got VFR flight following and you're about to enter class B airspace, but you're not cleared to enter class B. Also the frequency is really busy. So what do you do? You might find yourself in this scenario, if you do fly through a class B. Hint you can't turn around.

You absolutely can turn around or alter course to remain clear of the class b airspace. Keep trying to contact the controller until you get cleared through the airspace. If possible, you can descend or climb to avoid the airspace, but whatever you do... don't enter the airspace until cleared.
 
Here a fun question for you. You got VFR flight following and you're about to enter class B airspace, but you're not cleared to enter class B. Also the frequency is really busy. So what do you do? You might find yourself in this scenario, if you do fly through a class B. Hint you can't turn around.

It would be best to plan your route so your not in this position... If someone is flying and doesn't have an "out" then i would say they have bigger things at stake.
 
Here a fun question for you. You got VFR flight following and you're about to enter class B airspace, but you're not cleared to enter class B. Also the frequency is really busy. So what do you do? You might find yourself in this scenario, if you do fly through a class B. Hint you can't turn around.


My instructor told me just to do circles until cleared into bravo airspace.
 
Here a fun question for you. You got VFR flight following and you're about to enter class B airspace, but you're not cleared to enter class B. Also the frequency is really busy. So what do you do? You might find yourself in this scenario, if you do fly through a class B. Hint you can't turn around.

And why would you not be able to turn around?

You are not cleared to enter the Class Bravo without clearance, regardless of how busy the freq is.

Unless you've got 7700 on the transponder, of course.
 
There is no way to tell if you will remain on the same code the entire flight. Being VFR, I would assume the chances are better you may not get an official hand off and be asked to squawk VFR. Not a big deal though. Just make another intro call (Type, Position, Altitude, Destination).

And if you are told to squawk VFR, please don't ignore it, and keep your old code and check in with "Grumman 12345, squawking 4347". big pet peeve of mine, and letely I hear a ton of people do it in my area, only to have the NY Controllers yell at them.
 
Here a fun question for you. You got VFR flight following and you're about to enter class B airspace, but you're not cleared to enter class B. Also the frequency is really busy. So what do you do? You might find yourself in this scenario, if you do fly through a class B. Hint you can't turn around.

You must be cleared into the class B.

If you're VFR, there's no reason you can't make a 360 until the freq clears.
 
If the freq is busy and you decide to turn around, what happens if there is 5 planes behind you? You don't know because ATC is busy talking to another person.
 
If the freq is busy and you decide to turn around, what happens if there is 5 planes behind you? You don't know because ATC is busy talking to another person.

You are VFR its your responsibility to "see and avoid". That being said all 5 planes should be VFR as well, and everybody will be responsible for their own separation.
 
Here a fun question for you. You got VFR flight following and you're about to enter class B airspace, but you're not cleared to enter class B. Also the frequency is really busy. So what do you do? You might find yourself in this scenario, if you do fly through a class B. Hint you can't turn around.


I can not count how many times I have been told "remain clear of class B". I have also been told to remain clear of C airspace I few times too. I would do 360's till I got my clearance. If ATC gives you a heading and Altitude but still has not cleared you into the airspace it is still your fault. Que them for your clearance. How do I know because I got a phone number for the Heading and Altitude thing.

The speed below class B comes up all the time. Approach tells you that you will be under/ leaving class B. Well the speed below B is 200knts, I smokin along at 240 and have to slow down to follow the FAR's. If you ask approach they say to do what you need to stay legal.
 
how bout just climb over the bravo if it is too big of a deal. or go around it. there are always ways out if you think ahead and plan. then again plans change so leave yourself an out!
 
If the freq is busy and you decide to turn around, what happens if there is 5 planes behind you? You don't know because ATC is busy talking to another person.

So what? Use your eyes to see and avoid that traffic. Be at the correct VFR hemispheric altitude.
 
how bout just climb over the bravo if it is too big of a deal....

In a C-172 I was happy to maintain altitude under it.....:D

It wasn't too bad, I lived by just contacting approach and they couldn't get me on 1200 soon enough after flying through the airspace (more because it was pointless and i kept dipping out of coverage, not because i was a hassle) most of the time I was under the shelf anyways, so it went well. Thanks!

I have a deep respect for ATCers, I would hate to talk to me....:crazy:
 
I have a flight coming up that includes a couple of major airports. We will be flying down the Missouri River then the Mississippi. We will be flying through Kansas City's class B and St. Louis' class B. Will I be required to talk to multiple controller's or do you think there is a chance I will just be given a sqauwk code and told to maintain the river at X altitude until clear of the class B airspace?

I won't actually be in the class B airspace most of the time except when going through some of the lower floors.

I guess my main question is how many controllers will I probably be talking to or is it more likely that I will only talk to one?

Any help would be appreciated.....

Without more info I couldn't give an intelligent estimate. Where are you departing from? You'll be handed off at least once going thru the MCI Class B then you'll probably get Mizzou Approach toward the middle of the state and then St Louis Approach.

There is no need to be afraid of Kansas City Class B. Call up Approach as soon as you depart and request VFR flight following at whatever directionally appropriate altitude you want. If the best route would take you through Class B then they will likely clear you thru Bravo without you even asking. If they don't, just request clearance into Bravo. If they can't accommodate you for some reason then they'll tell you to do something different. They may vector you directly over International - which keeps you safely out of the path of heavy metal and is actually kinda cool too. It's no biggie. The KC controllers are notoriously cool.

STL Class B is way more busy but still nothing to be afraid of. If you are getting VFR flight following you will be handed off and be told what to do. You are more likely to get vectored around STL Bravo. Again - no biggie just watch your altitudes, follow their direction and if you want something, request it.
:nana2:
 
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