In United States
aviation
Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' includes fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air craft such as hot air ...
, a terminal radar service area (TRSA) is a delimited airspace where
radar
Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...
and
air traffic control
Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled airs ...
services are made available to pilots flying under
instrument flight rules
In aviation, instrument flight rules (IFR) is one of two sets of regulations governing all aspects of civil aviation aircraft operations; the other is visual flight rules (VFR).
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) ''Instrument Fly ...
or (optionally)
visual flight rules
In aviation, visual flight rules (VFR) are a set of regulations under which a pilot operates an aircraft in weather conditions generally clear enough to allow the pilot to see where the aircraft is going. Specifically, the weather must be better ...
, to maintain aircraft separation.
TRSAs most often surround busy U.S. airports. In recent years, many of them have been replaced by
Class C or
Class B airspace
Airspace is the portion of the atmosphere controlled by a country above its territory, including its territorial waters or, more generally, any specific three-dimensional portion of the atmosphere. It is not the same as aerospace, which is the ...
.
Terminal Radar Service Area was established as part of a program to create terminal radar stations at selected airports. Because they were not subject to the rulemaking process of 14 CFR Part 91, they do not fit into any existing U.S. classifications of airspace, and have been classified as non-part 71 airspaces. While operating in these airspaces, pilots who choose to participate receive radar services, but participation is not required for VFR operations.
TRSAs encompass a primary airport with a class "D" designation, with the TRSA 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 most VFR (Visual Flight Rules) sectional charts as solid grey with black text.
List of Terminal Radar Service Areas (TRSAs) in the United States
See also
*
List of Class C airports in the United States
Class C is a class of airspace in the United States which follows International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) air space designation. Class C airspace areas are designed to improve aviation safety by reducing the risk of mid-air collisions in ...
*
List of Class B airports in the United States
Class B is a Airspace class, class of airspace in the United States which follows International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) airspace designation. Class B airspace areas are designed to improve aviation safety by reducing the risk of midair c ...
References
Sectional chart example of the Palm Springs, California TRSAFederal Aviation Administration > Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 14: Airspace
*Federal Aviation Administration > Aeronautical Information Manual, Paragraph 3-5-6
Air traffic control
Lists of airports in the United States
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