Narrative:

Departure gpm, destination lbl. While operating VFR on flight following with ZFW, I queried ZFW about flying through sheppard MOA-1 and was advised the MOA wasn't active at present time and to continue to destination, and shortly after was handed off to sheppard approach. Communication with sheppard approach was normal and flight continued through the MOA. While scanning, my eye caught movement directly in front descending below our aircraft, while watching I realized a military T37 or T38 was going into a vertical climb in front of us and as it did a loop through our altitude (10500 ft) less than a mi away, and then the trainer proceeded easterly at a high rate of speed. I called sheppard and advised him we had the military aircraft in sight doing acrobatics through our altitude at close proximity. Sheppard advised me I was flying through a MOA. I advised him that I was on flight following, and was handed over to him by ZFW. He acknowledged. He then tried 3 or 4 times to contact the trainer (jax 4) before he was able to communicate with the trainer. Sheppard advised the trainer he had passed within 1 mi of a civilian aircraft. Sheppard then advised me to turn left to a westerly heading, which I did. Why? I don't know, as he wasn't handling any other traffic on that frequency. A few mins later, sheppard advised me to contact ZFW on 128.1, which I did. ZFW 128.1 didn't have any idea who I was or where I was. I told him where I was and he changed me to 128.4, where I was reidented and continued on. We were on an assigned transponder code the whole time and I'm not sure why this situation occurred. It's my understanding that flight following, if accepted by ATC provides traffic callout to the VFR pilot, time permitting. Based on xmissions, sheppard wasn't busy and couldn't communicate with the trainers that were operating in a timely manner. I called back to sheppard after he switched me to ZFW, and advised I didn't think what had happened was a very good operation. He acknowledged my transmission and stated, 'I understand, sir.' I'm not too sure now whether I shouldn't have entered the MOA, even though I was cleared by center. I'm sure sheppard wasn't too sure about my status. It was interesting to watch it unfold and enforces the old adage of keeping your eyes outside the aircraft and your ears on at all times.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VFR GA ACFT FROM GPM TO LBL ON FLT FOLLOWING WITH ZFW ENCOUNTERS A MIL ACFT CONDUCTING AEROBATICS MANEUVERS IN AN MOA THAT HE WAS TOLD WAS INACTIVE.

Narrative: DEP GPM, DEST LBL. WHILE OPERATING VFR ON FLT FOLLOWING WITH ZFW, I QUERIED ZFW ABOUT FLYING THROUGH SHEPPARD MOA-1 AND WAS ADVISED THE MOA WASN'T ACTIVE AT PRESENT TIME AND TO CONTINUE TO DEST, AND SHORTLY AFTER WAS HANDED OFF TO SHEPPARD APCH. COM WITH SHEPPARD APCH WAS NORMAL AND FLT CONTINUED THROUGH THE MOA. WHILE SCANNING, MY EYE CAUGHT MOVEMENT DIRECTLY IN FRONT DSNDING BELOW OUR ACFT, WHILE WATCHING I REALIZED A MIL T37 OR T38 WAS GOING INTO A VERT CLB IN FRONT OF US AND AS IT DID A LOOP THROUGH OUR ALT (10500 FT) LESS THAN A MI AWAY, AND THEN THE TRAINER PROCEEDED EASTERLY AT A HIGH RATE OF SPD. I CALLED SHEPPARD AND ADVISED HIM WE HAD THE MIL ACFT IN SIGHT DOING ACROBATICS THROUGH OUR ALT AT CLOSE PROX. SHEPPARD ADVISED ME I WAS FLYING THROUGH A MOA. I ADVISED HIM THAT I WAS ON FLT FOLLOWING, AND WAS HANDED OVER TO HIM BY ZFW. HE ACKNOWLEDGED. HE THEN TRIED 3 OR 4 TIMES TO CONTACT THE TRAINER (JAX 4) BEFORE HE WAS ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE TRAINER. SHEPPARD ADVISED THE TRAINER HE HAD PASSED WITHIN 1 MI OF A CIVILIAN ACFT. SHEPPARD THEN ADVISED ME TO TURN L TO A WESTERLY HDG, WHICH I DID. WHY? I DON'T KNOW, AS HE WASN'T HANDLING ANY OTHER TFC ON THAT FREQ. A FEW MINS LATER, SHEPPARD ADVISED ME TO CONTACT ZFW ON 128.1, WHICH I DID. ZFW 128.1 DIDN'T HAVE ANY IDEA WHO I WAS OR WHERE I WAS. I TOLD HIM WHERE I WAS AND HE CHANGED ME TO 128.4, WHERE I WAS REIDENTED AND CONTINUED ON. WE WERE ON AN ASSIGNED XPONDER CODE THE WHOLE TIME AND I'M NOT SURE WHY THIS SIT OCCURRED. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT FLT FOLLOWING, IF ACCEPTED BY ATC PROVIDES TFC CALLOUT TO THE VFR PLT, TIME PERMITTING. BASED ON XMISSIONS, SHEPPARD WASN'T BUSY AND COULDN'T COMMUNICATE WITH THE TRAINERS THAT WERE OPERATING IN A TIMELY MANNER. I CALLED BACK TO SHEPPARD AFTER HE SWITCHED ME TO ZFW, AND ADVISED I DIDN'T THINK WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS A VERY GOOD OP. HE ACKNOWLEDGED MY XMISSION AND STATED, 'I UNDERSTAND, SIR.' I'M NOT TOO SURE NOW WHETHER I SHOULDN'T HAVE ENTERED THE MOA, EVEN THOUGH I WAS CLRED BY CTR. I'M SURE SHEPPARD WASN'T TOO SURE ABOUT MY STATUS. IT WAS INTERESTING TO WATCH IT UNFOLD AND ENFORCES THE OLD ADAGE OF KEEPING YOUR EYES OUTSIDE THE ACFT AND YOUR EARS ON AT ALL TIMES.

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.