Narrative:

Over the past 2 yrs, I have been on several long cross country trips under IFR control in positive controled airspace where I have been re-routed due to 'ATC assigned airspace.' due to the nature of our mission requirements, we often operate at the maximum range or endurance of our aircraft. Flight planning is often a combination of victor and jet airways as well as /G direct routing. On occasion, we have been re-rted because of MOA's or other airspace that does not show up on our charts. Usually this is an inconvenience that costs us more time and fuel, but on at least 2 occasions we have reached critical fuel levels and been forced to divert to other airports. (Our in-house procedures call for us to maintain reserves which greatly exceed the requirements of the FAA's fuel to destination, plus alternate, plus an additional 45 mins reserve.) our preflight actions include using current government and commercial high altitude and low altitude en route charts, as well as receiving standard WX briefings from flight service. We also use commercial and internet services to verify the availability of our routing. When we receive our clearance (on the ground), we are typically provided with the routing we have requested (sometimes there are slight routing changes). Our first indication that something is wrong is when we're handed off to another controller (it doesn't matter if we're changing from one center to another or even from center to approach or vice versa), and we're told that we need to copy a new clearance. New clrncs are not uncommon, it is only when we are diverted around large blocks of unmarked airspace, or airspace with a ceiling that is well below our flight level, that this becomes an issue. The controling agency always seems to imply that the airspace is well known and that it is 'our fault' for attempting to fly through there in the first place. When we point out that such airspace isn't charted on high or low altitude charts nor embedded within our current electronic database (commercial manufacturer GPS), we are usually told words to the effect of, 'well, we're sorry about that, but you still have to proceed around the designated airspace.' as I pointed out earlier, this is normally an inconvenience that costs us time and money. However, on 2 occasions, this has caused us to divert to an alternate airport (not our planned IFR alternate) in order to arrive with a safe fuel load. My concern is on 2 levels. First, because we operate with more conservative fuel reserves than are required by the FAA (which are still used up in the re-routing), other pilots that operate within the letter of the regulations will find themselves in a fuel critical situation (or worse, 'hoping' that their fuel load will stretch to their destination). Secondly, there is no reason for this information not to be printed on current charts. Often it is airspace that is already charted, but with different vertical limits (MOA's that only go up to 18000 ft are frequently unavailable up to FL230 and above). I have attempted to find solutions to this problem by contacting the controling agencies as well as flight service and the local FSDO. As I have been unable to reach a workable solution, I am turning to you for assistance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE20 CPR CAPT CONCERN WITH APPARENT FAA RESTR AIRSPACE ACTIVATION THAT CAUSES INCONVENIENCE, COSTING TIME AND MONEY THAT DO NOT APPEAR ON HIS ELECTRONIC COMMERCIAL CHARTS OR NAV EQUIP.

Narrative: OVER THE PAST 2 YRS, I HAVE BEEN ON SEVERAL LONG XCOUNTRY TRIPS UNDER IFR CTL IN POSITIVE CTLED AIRSPACE WHERE I HAVE BEEN RE-ROUTED DUE TO 'ATC ASSIGNED AIRSPACE.' DUE TO THE NATURE OF OUR MISSION REQUIREMENTS, WE OFTEN OPERATE AT THE MAX RANGE OR ENDURANCE OF OUR ACFT. FLT PLANNING IS OFTEN A COMBINATION OF VICTOR AND JET AIRWAYS AS WELL AS /G DIRECT ROUTING. ON OCCASION, WE HAVE BEEN RE-RTED BECAUSE OF MOA'S OR OTHER AIRSPACE THAT DOES NOT SHOW UP ON OUR CHARTS. USUALLY THIS IS AN INCONVENIENCE THAT COSTS US MORE TIME AND FUEL, BUT ON AT LEAST 2 OCCASIONS WE HAVE REACHED CRITICAL FUEL LEVELS AND BEEN FORCED TO DIVERT TO OTHER ARPTS. (OUR IN-HOUSE PROCS CALL FOR US TO MAINTAIN RESERVES WHICH GREATLY EXCEED THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE FAA'S FUEL TO DEST, PLUS ALTERNATE, PLUS AN ADDITIONAL 45 MINS RESERVE.) OUR PREFLT ACTIONS INCLUDE USING CURRENT GOV AND COMMERCIAL HIGH ALT AND LOW ALT ENRTE CHARTS, AS WELL AS RECEIVING STANDARD WX BRIEFINGS FROM FLT SVC. WE ALSO USE COMMERCIAL AND INTERNET SVCS TO VERIFY THE AVAILABILITY OF OUR ROUTING. WHEN WE RECEIVE OUR CLRNC (ON THE GND), WE ARE TYPICALLY PROVIDED WITH THE ROUTING WE HAVE REQUESTED (SOMETIMES THERE ARE SLIGHT ROUTING CHANGES). OUR FIRST INDICATION THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG IS WHEN WE'RE HANDED OFF TO ANOTHER CTLR (IT DOESN'T MATTER IF WE'RE CHANGING FROM ONE CTR TO ANOTHER OR EVEN FROM CTR TO APCH OR VICE VERSA), AND WE'RE TOLD THAT WE NEED TO COPY A NEW CLRNC. NEW CLRNCS ARE NOT UNCOMMON, IT IS ONLY WHEN WE ARE DIVERTED AROUND LARGE BLOCKS OF UNMARKED AIRSPACE, OR AIRSPACE WITH A CEILING THAT IS WELL BELOW OUR FLT LEVEL, THAT THIS BECOMES AN ISSUE. THE CTLING AGENCY ALWAYS SEEMS TO IMPLY THAT THE AIRSPACE IS WELL KNOWN AND THAT IT IS 'OUR FAULT' FOR ATTEMPTING TO FLY THROUGH THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE. WHEN WE POINT OUT THAT SUCH AIRSPACE ISN'T CHARTED ON HIGH OR LOW ALT CHARTS NOR EMBEDDED WITHIN OUR CURRENT ELECTRONIC DATABASE (COMMERCIAL MANUFACTURER GPS), WE ARE USUALLY TOLD WORDS TO THE EFFECT OF, 'WELL, WE'RE SORRY ABOUT THAT, BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO PROCEED AROUND THE DESIGNATED AIRSPACE.' AS I POINTED OUT EARLIER, THIS IS NORMALLY AN INCONVENIENCE THAT COSTS US TIME AND MONEY. HOWEVER, ON 2 OCCASIONS, THIS HAS CAUSED US TO DIVERT TO AN ALTERNATE ARPT (NOT OUR PLANNED IFR ALTERNATE) IN ORDER TO ARRIVE WITH A SAFE FUEL LOAD. MY CONCERN IS ON 2 LEVELS. FIRST, BECAUSE WE OPERATE WITH MORE CONSERVATIVE FUEL RESERVES THAN ARE REQUIRED BY THE FAA (WHICH ARE STILL USED UP IN THE RE-ROUTING), OTHER PLTS THAT OPERATE WITHIN THE LETTER OF THE REGS WILL FIND THEMSELVES IN A FUEL CRITICAL SIT (OR WORSE, 'HOPING' THAT THEIR FUEL LOAD WILL STRETCH TO THEIR DEST). SECONDLY, THERE IS NO REASON FOR THIS INFO NOT TO BE PRINTED ON CURRENT CHARTS. OFTEN IT IS AIRSPACE THAT IS ALREADY CHARTED, BUT WITH DIFFERENT VERT LIMITS (MOA'S THAT ONLY GO UP TO 18000 FT ARE FREQUENTLY UNAVAILABLE UP TO FL230 AND ABOVE). I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO THIS PROB BY CONTACTING THE CTLING AGENCIES AS WELL AS FLT SVC AND THE LCL FSDO. AS I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO REACH A WORKABLE SOLUTION, I AM TURNING TO YOU FOR ASSISTANCE.

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.