Narrative:

One of your people, mr X of NASA, rode my jumpseat on aug/xx/96. I spoke to him about the following, and he advised me to write it up on a NASA report. I feel very strongly that the regulations should be changed for IFR traffic operating below the floor of the class B airspace. We could be violated for excessive speed below the floor. However, if you are going to an airport such as dallas love or chicago midway, etc, which puts you below the floor, it is up to us, the pilots, to know where we are geographically. I feel this is a safety hazard. Why should we have to be concerned about this while under radar control? We have to turn back and forth from one NAVAID for floor and another for navigation to our intended destination. We should not be heads down for this. We should be concerned with WX and traffic avoidance and briefings and checklists. Let the ATC controllers be responsible for our speeds. At the very least, superimpose this airspace on our charts. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he was flying a B737. His suggestion is that the controllers often request the flight crew to keep up their speed, but if they are below the class B floor that is not legal. He feels the controllers should be allowed to control the aircraft and use speeds that are appropriate for separation without restrs. If that is not done then the charting should be changed so that stars and sids depict the floors of the various segments of the class B airspace. Pilots need to be aware of this if expected to remain legal with airspeed restrs. Reporter is very much in favor of the class B airspace limiting VFR traffic within such areas. What he does not like is being heads down when he needs to be looking for traffic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CAPT CONCERN REGARDING RESTR SPD BELOW FLOOR OF CLASS B AIRSPACE AND ATC REQUEST TO KEEP UP YOUR SPD.

Narrative: ONE OF YOUR PEOPLE, MR X OF NASA, RODE MY JUMPSEAT ON AUG/XX/96. I SPOKE TO HIM ABOUT THE FOLLOWING, AND HE ADVISED ME TO WRITE IT UP ON A NASA RPT. I FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT THE REGULATIONS SHOULD BE CHANGED FOR IFR TFC OPERATING BELOW THE FLOOR OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. WE COULD BE VIOLATED FOR EXCESSIVE SPD BELOW THE FLOOR. HOWEVER, IF YOU ARE GOING TO AN ARPT SUCH AS DALLAS LOVE OR CHICAGO MIDWAY, ETC, WHICH PUTS YOU BELOW THE FLOOR, IT IS UP TO US, THE PLTS, TO KNOW WHERE WE ARE GEOGRAPHICALLY. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. WHY SHOULD WE HAVE TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THIS WHILE UNDER RADAR CTL? WE HAVE TO TURN BACK AND FORTH FROM ONE NAVAID FOR FLOOR AND ANOTHER FOR NAV TO OUR INTENDED DEST. WE SHOULD NOT BE HEADS DOWN FOR THIS. WE SHOULD BE CONCERNED WITH WX AND TFC AVOIDANCE AND BRIEFINGS AND CHKLISTS. LET THE ATC CTLRS BE RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR SPDS. AT THE VERY LEAST, SUPERIMPOSE THIS AIRSPACE ON OUR CHARTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE WAS FLYING A B737. HIS SUGGESTION IS THAT THE CTLRS OFTEN REQUEST THE FLC TO KEEP UP THEIR SPD, BUT IF THEY ARE BELOW THE CLASS B FLOOR THAT IS NOT LEGAL. HE FEELS THE CTLRS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO CTL THE ACFT AND USE SPDS THAT ARE APPROPRIATE FOR SEPARATION WITHOUT RESTRS. IF THAT IS NOT DONE THEN THE CHARTING SHOULD BE CHANGED SO THAT STARS AND SIDS DEPICT THE FLOORS OF THE VARIOUS SEGMENTS OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. PLTS NEED TO BE AWARE OF THIS IF EXPECTED TO REMAIN LEGAL WITH AIRSPD RESTRS. RPTR IS VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE LIMITING VFR TFC WITHIN SUCH AREAS. WHAT HE DOES NOT LIKE IS BEING HEADS DOWN WHEN HE NEEDS TO BE LOOKING FOR TFC.

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.