Narrative:

While departing herlong airport (heg) in jacksonville; fl; I received conflicting information regarding cecil's (vqq) class D airspace from the jacksonville approach/departure controller. I was acting as flight instructor on a training flight with a student who was practicing various instrument approachs and holds in preparation for his check ride. Our fleet is equipped with the garmin G1000 avionics system; and consists of mostly new model cessna's. I recently updated the unit's IFR certified GPS and found that the small amount of class G airspace around the herlong airport had expanded. Previously the airspace was so small that it made flying and teaching traffic patterns at herlong nearly impossible without coordination with cecil (vqq) tower whose class D surrounds herlong to the west and southwest. I contacted one of the tower controllers at cecil about the change; they confirmed that it was accurate. During the flight on this day; I had the GPS zoomed in to a level that made remaining outside of the class D airspace very easy. After departure I instructed my student to contact jax departure to pick up our IFR clearance. The controller told us to remain outside class D airspace until radar idented. Shortly thereafter the controller stated that we were inside of cecil's class D airspace southwest of the herlong airport; when my GPS clearly indicated that we were about a mi from the boundary of said airspace. The controller said not to worry; he wasn't going to 'write me up' for the incursion. I questioned the controller briefly about the recent change in airspace surrounding herlong; it seemed as if he had no idea what I was talking about. On our return to herlong I called cecil tower once again about the airspace and briefly explained the situation that I experienced earlier. The tower controller said that the change was not to be officially published until the next chart cycle at the end of august. What is confusing me is if a change in airspace takes place; and a navigation data update depicts this change before it is 'officially published' the next month; how is that GPS really suitable for IFR use? I really think that pilots and controllers need to be on the same page as far as changes in procedures and airspace. Also; I think that IFR mapping companies should release chart updates that are coordinated with the government's updates so small problems like this don't arise.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR PLT OF C172 RECEIVES CONFLICTING INFORMATION FROM ATC SOURCES AS TO THE ACTIVATION DATE OF THE RECONFIGURATION OF THE VQQ CLASS D. SECOND CTLR ADVISES THE ACFT HAD VIOLATED THE AIRSPACE WHILE THE UP-TO-DATE GPS CLEARLY INDICATED THEY HAD NOT.

Narrative: WHILE DEPARTING HERLONG ARPT (HEG) IN JACKSONVILLE; FL; I RECEIVED CONFLICTING INFO REGARDING CECIL'S (VQQ) CLASS D AIRSPACE FROM THE JACKSONVILLE APCH/DEP CTLR. I WAS ACTING AS FLT INSTRUCTOR ON A TRAINING FLT WITH A STUDENT WHO WAS PRACTICING VARIOUS INST APCHS AND HOLDS IN PREPARATION FOR HIS CHK RIDE. OUR FLEET IS EQUIPPED WITH THE GARMIN G1000 AVIONICS SYS; AND CONSISTS OF MOSTLY NEW MODEL CESSNA'S. I RECENTLY UPDATED THE UNIT'S IFR CERTIFIED GPS AND FOUND THAT THE SMALL AMOUNT OF CLASS G AIRSPACE AROUND THE HERLONG ARPT HAD EXPANDED. PREVIOUSLY THE AIRSPACE WAS SO SMALL THAT IT MADE FLYING AND TEACHING TFC PATTERNS AT HERLONG NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT COORD WITH CECIL (VQQ) TWR WHOSE CLASS D SURROUNDS HERLONG TO THE W AND SW. I CONTACTED ONE OF THE TWR CTLRS AT CECIL ABOUT THE CHANGE; THEY CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS ACCURATE. DURING THE FLT ON THIS DAY; I HAD THE GPS ZOOMED IN TO A LEVEL THAT MADE REMAINING OUTSIDE OF THE CLASS D AIRSPACE VERY EASY. AFTER DEP I INSTRUCTED MY STUDENT TO CONTACT JAX DEP TO PICK UP OUR IFR CLRNC. THE CTLR TOLD US TO REMAIN OUTSIDE CLASS D AIRSPACE UNTIL RADAR IDENTED. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE CTLR STATED THAT WE WERE INSIDE OF CECIL'S CLASS D AIRSPACE SW OF THE HERLONG ARPT; WHEN MY GPS CLRLY INDICATED THAT WE WERE ABOUT A MI FROM THE BOUNDARY OF SAID AIRSPACE. THE CTLR SAID NOT TO WORRY; HE WASN'T GOING TO 'WRITE ME UP' FOR THE INCURSION. I QUESTIONED THE CTLR BRIEFLY ABOUT THE RECENT CHANGE IN AIRSPACE SURROUNDING HERLONG; IT SEEMED AS IF HE HAD NO IDEA WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT. ON OUR RETURN TO HERLONG I CALLED CECIL TWR ONCE AGAIN ABOUT THE AIRSPACE AND BRIEFLY EXPLAINED THE SITUATION THAT I EXPERIENCED EARLIER. THE TWR CTLR SAID THAT THE CHANGE WAS NOT TO BE OFFICIALLY PUBLISHED UNTIL THE NEXT CHART CYCLE AT THE END OF AUGUST. WHAT IS CONFUSING ME IS IF A CHANGE IN AIRSPACE TAKES PLACE; AND A NAV DATA UPDATE DEPICTS THIS CHANGE BEFORE IT IS 'OFFICIALLY PUBLISHED' THE NEXT MONTH; HOW IS THAT GPS REALLY SUITABLE FOR IFR USE? I REALLY THINK THAT PLTS AND CTLRS NEED TO BE ON THE SAME PAGE AS FAR AS CHANGES IN PROCS AND AIRSPACE. ALSO; I THINK THAT IFR MAPPING COMPANIES SHOULD RELEASE CHART UPDATES THAT ARE COORDINATED WITH THE GOV'S UPDATES SO SMALL PROBS LIKE THIS DON'T ARISE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.