While preparing to fly in the coming weeks, I was reviewing sectionals for the area I will be flying in and noticed grey circles around class D airspace with altitude designations just like in class B or C. I threw me off until I researched a little more and found out exactly what it was. While it generally will not affect most people, I just wanted to make you aware of this if you should ever encounter it.
Here is what I found in a little research;
In United States aviation, a terminal radar service area (TRSA) is a delimited airspace in which radar and air traffic control services are made available to pilots flying under instrument flight rules or (optionally) visual flight rules for the purposes of maintaining aircraft separation.
TRSAs are most often encountered surrounding busy U.S. airports. In recent years many of them have gradually been replaced by Class C or Class B airspace.
Terminal Radar Service Area was established as part of a program to create Terminal Radar stations at selected airports. Because these were never subject to the rulemaking process of 14 CFR Part 91, they do not actually fit into any of the existing U.S. classifications of airspace and have been classified as non-part 71 airspaces. While operating in these airspaces, a pilot who chooses to participate will receive radar services, but participation is not required for VFR operations.
TRSAs will encompass a primary airport with a class "D" designation and the TRSA will be above other controlled airspace (Typically Class E Airspace) with a typical floor of 700 feet or 1,200 feet AGL (Above Ground Level).
TRSAs are shown on VFR (Visual Flight Rules) sectional charts as a solid black/gray (Depending on the print quality of your chart). See Gulfport, Biloxi (Mississippi) for an example.
Here is what I found in a little research;
In United States aviation, a terminal radar service area (TRSA) is a delimited airspace in which radar and air traffic control services are made available to pilots flying under instrument flight rules or (optionally) visual flight rules for the purposes of maintaining aircraft separation.
TRSAs are most often encountered surrounding busy U.S. airports. In recent years many of them have gradually been replaced by Class C or Class B airspace.
Terminal Radar Service Area was established as part of a program to create Terminal Radar stations at selected airports. Because these were never subject to the rulemaking process of 14 CFR Part 91, they do not actually fit into any of the existing U.S. classifications of airspace and have been classified as non-part 71 airspaces. While operating in these airspaces, a pilot who chooses to participate will receive radar services, but participation is not required for VFR operations.
TRSAs will encompass a primary airport with a class "D" designation and the TRSA will be above other controlled airspace (Typically Class E Airspace) with a typical floor of 700 feet or 1,200 feet AGL (Above Ground Level).
TRSAs are shown on VFR (Visual Flight Rules) sectional charts as a solid black/gray (Depending on the print quality of your chart). See Gulfport, Biloxi (Mississippi) for an example.
