Special Use Airspace Status

AIM ¶ 3-4-9 — Special Use Airspace Status

AIM 3-4-9 explains how pilots obtain Special Use Airspace (SUA) status via controlling agencies, NOTAMs, and Alaska's SUAIS. Key checkride knowledge.

In Plain English

AIM 3-4-9 explains how to find out whether Special Use Airspace (SUA) — like MOAs, Restricted Areas, and Warning Areas — is active (hot) or cold before you fly through or near it. Knowing SUA status is critical for safety and legal compliance, especially with Restricted and Prohibited Areas where entry without clearance is prohibited.

Key ways to obtain SUA status:

Contact the using or controlling agency directly. Frequencies for the controlling agency are printed in the margins of IFR and VFR charts.
Check ARTCC NOTAMs — an airspace NOTAM is issued when SUA (permanent or temporary) requires one for activation.
Use the FAA SUA website for scheduling data during preflight planning.

Alaska-specific resource: The Special Use Airspace Information Service (SUAIS) is a 24-hour, military-operated service providing VFR pilots with near real-time information about military flight activity in the interior Alaska MOA and Restricted Area complex, including:

Artillery firing
Known helicopter operations
Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations

VFR pilots in Alaska are encouraged to use SUAIS — see the Alaska Chart Supplement for hours, phone numbers, and frequencies. This is a recommended practice, not a regulatory requirement.

AIM Source Text

FAA AIM ¶ 3-4-9

3-4-9. 3-4-9. Obtaining Special Use Airspace Status Pilots can request the status of SUA by contacting the using or controlling agency. The frequency for the controlling agency is tabulated in the margins of the applicable IFR and VFR charts. An airspace NOTAM will be issued for SUA when the SUA airspace (permanent and/or temporary) requires a NOTAM for activation. Pilots should check ARTCC NOTAMs for airspace activation. Special Use Airspace Information Service (SUAIS) (Alaska Only). The SUAIS is a 24-hour service operated by the military that provides civilian pilots, flying VFR, with information regarding military flight operations in certain MOAs and restricted airspace within central Alaska. The service provides “near real time” information on military flight activity in the interior Alaska MOA and Restricted Area complex. SUAIS also provides information on artillery firing, known helicopter operations, and unmanned aerial vehicle operations. Pilots flying VFR are encouraged to use SUAIS. See the Alaska Chart Supplement for hours of operation, phone numbers, and radio frequencies. Special use airspace scheduling data for preflight planning is available via the FAA SUA website. Previous | Top | Next AIM | ATPUBS | FAA | Send your comments regarding this website.

Oral Exam Questions a DPE Might Ask

Q1How can a pilot determine if Special Use Airspace is active before a flight?

Per AIM 3-4-9, pilots can request SUA status by contacting the using or controlling agency (frequencies are tabulated in the margins of IFR and VFR charts), checking ARTCC NOTAMs for airspace activation, and using the FAA SUA website for scheduling data during preflight planning.

Q2Where do you find the controlling agency's frequency for a piece of SUA?

Per AIM 3-4-9, the controlling agency frequency is tabulated in the margins of the applicable IFR and VFR charts.

Q3What is SUAIS and what information does it provide?

Per AIM 3-4-9, the Special Use Airspace Information Service (SUAIS) is a 24-hour military-operated service for Alaska that provides VFR civilian pilots with near real-time information on military flight operations in certain MOAs and Restricted Areas within central Alaska, including artillery firing, known helicopter operations, and UAV operations. Hours, phone numbers, and frequencies are in the Alaska Chart Supplement.

Related Paragraphs in AIM Chapter 3

Military Operations Areas

¶ 3-4-6