ANDY HARRIS, M.D. 

FIRST DISTRICT, MARYLAND 

COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS 

SUBCOMMITTEES 

AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, 

FOOD AND D RUG A DMINISTRATION 

HOMELAND SECURITY 

LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, 

EDUCATION 

Gary A. N orek 

Qtongr.ess of tq.e ~nit.en ~~at.es 

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~a:s4ington, ~(11 20515 

July 27th' 2016 

Manager, Airspace Policy and Regulations Group 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

West Building, Room W12-140 

1200 New Jersey A venue SE 

Washington, DC 20590-0001 

Dear Secretary Foxx: 

1533 LONGWORTH HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20515 

PHONE 202.225.5311 

1 ;5 CHURCHVILLE ROAD, SUITE 1028 

BEL AIR, MARYLAND 21 014 

PHONE 410.588.5670 

212 WEST MAIN STREET, SUITE 2048 

SALISBURY, MARYLAND 21801 

PHONE 443.944.8624 

1 00 0LDE POINT VILLAGE, SUITE 1 01 

CHESTER, MARYLAND 21619 

PHONE 410.643.5425 

WWW.HARRIS.HOUSE.GOV 

I ·write regarding NASA's Wallops Flight Facility (WFF), which is working with the Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA) on an initiative to expand the facility's restricted airspace. Expanding the 

restricted airspace is vital to ensuring safety during hazardous flight operations at the facility. It 

would help facilitate current operations while also attracting new business and mission sets to WFF 

and surrounding areas. 

Therefore, I strongly support the prompt adoption of the proposed rule (FAA Docket No. FAA2015-2776 and Airspace Docket No. 15-AEA-5) for expanding the restricted airspace at 

Chincoteague Inlet, Virginia. This restricted airspace expansion is needed to safely accommodate 

existing and future operational requirements associated with the United States government agencies 

at Wallops Island. As you lmow, those operational requirements serve an extremely vital role in 

national security, national defense, and national protection of life and property from weather events. 

Further, expansion of the restricted airspace is not precedent setting and does not adversely affect 

aircraft en route operations. 

The proposed restricted areas R-6604D and R-6604E abut, but do not include, the existing en route 

low altitude a.llway V -139. If either or both of those two restricted areas are in use, then air traffic 

can continue to flow unimpeded on V -139. Similar conditions already exist elsewhere without 

adversely affecting en route air traffic conditions. 

For example, near the Atlantic coastline in Georgia, the major north-south en route low-altitude 

airway V-37 abuts prohibited area P-50. Prohibited area P-50 overlies the USN nuclear submarine 

base at I<ings Bay, G.eorgia, located just to the north of the town of St. Mary's. Also, near the 

Atlantic coastline in Florida, the major north-south en route low altitude airway V-3 passes through 

restricted area R-2935. Restricted area R-2935, intermittent in use, is associated with operations at 

the NASA I<.ennedy Space Center. 

The proposed restricted areas at Chincoteague Inlet, Virginia are also to be intermittent in use. 

When the restricted areas are not in use, aircraft can pass through those areas without prior 
permission. ASA Wallops Flight Facility already allows uninterrupted aircraft passage through the 

existing restricted areas R-6604A and R-6604B when either or both are not in use. 

Additionally, no private-use airports exist in the proposed restricted areas R-66040 and R-6604E. 

Should a private-use airport later be established, then typically a coordinated plan for its beneficial 

use is instituted. Such private-use airports exist harmoniously in numerous locations within existing 

restricted areas across the United States. 

Thus, allowing the expansion of the restricted airspace does not adversely affect en route air traffic 

flow and is beneficial to the safety and operational requirements of the United States government 

facilities at Wallops Island. Accordingly, I strongly urge, consistent with agency regulations, you to 

adopt the proposed rule (FAA Docket No. FAA-2015-2776 and Airspace Docket No. 15-AEA-5) 

for expanding the restricted airspace at Chincoteague Inlet, Virginia. 

Sincerely, 

CC: 

Gary A. Norek 

Manager, Airspace Policy and Regulations Group 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

West Building, Room W12-140 

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE 

Washington, DC 20590-0001