General Flight Restrictions
View information from the Special Use Airspace Information Service (SUAIS) regarding Alaska Military Operations Areas (MOAs) here and Eielson AFB Mid-Air Collision Avoidance here.
Our flight restrictions for the airspace in Alaska come from the 11th Air Force Alaska Airspace Handbook, 6 Feb 2014.
Generally speaking, supersonic flight is authorized anywhere in the state above 30,000' MSL (Mean Sea Level).
- For the Red Flag airspace, supersonic is permitted above 12,000' MSL or 5,000'.
- AGL (Above Ground Level; whichever is higher) in:
- FOX MOAs (to the south)
- R2202
- YUKON MOAs (to the north) east of the W 146 line.
- The only exception in the YUKON 2 is a 10-mile radius centered on the intersection of Circle Hot Springs Road and Ketchem Road in Central, AK, which only allows supersonic flight above 30,000' MSL.
- To get an idea of where the MOAs are located, see www.skyvector.com, select "World VFR" on the right side and pan over to Alaska (zoom in/out as required).
Nearly all of the time, aircraft are found to be in compliance with the 30,000' altitude restriction. Unfortunately, a few times you may see aircraft at lower altitudes flying at subsonic speeds while another aircraft is going supersonic in the vicinity above 30,000'. Some naturally associate the sonic boom with the lower flying aircraft and get really upset. If a sonic boom ever causes actual damage though, then it was more than likely a lower flying aircraft and we need to hear about it to verify and then take the appropriate actions.
Restrictions Around Urban Areas
There seem to be a lot of misconceptions regarding authorization to go supersonic, particularly in the areas of Central, AK and Delta Junction, AK. Some people think that there is a No-Fly Zone 20 miles around their town, which is not true. Others just think that we are not allowed to go supersonic in their area, which is also not true. Here are the actual restrictions:
Central, AK:
- No-Fly in a 5x11 NM rectangle encompassing the area from Central Airport to Circle Hot Springs Airport from the surface to 10,000' MSL.
- Supersonic flight allowed above 30,000' within a 10NM radius of 65° 31' N, 144° 43' W (approximately the intersection between Circle Hot Springs Road and Ketchem Road) and above 12,000' MSL elsewhere.
Delta Junction, AK:
- No-Fly in a 3 NM radius centered near the intersection of Richardson Hwy and Alaska Hwy up to 1,500' AGL.
Supersonic flight IS permitted above 30,000' EVERYWHERE.
In short, people should expect to hear sonic booms everywhere from aircraft flying above 30,000', especially during RED FLAG-Alaska.
How to File a Noise Complaint
If you would still like to file a noise complaint, you may call the 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office on Eielson at 907-377-2116 or send an email to 354fw.pa.publicaffairs@us.af.mil.
Please ensure you include the information below or we cannot accurately address your concern:
- First, Last Name
- Phone Number
- Address
- E-mail Address
- City, Zip
- Date
- Time of Incident
- Have you file a complaint with us before? Y or N
Type of complaint (select all that apply):
Sonic Boom
Low-flying aircraft
Noise in general
Damage to your property
Other (Please specify)
- Where did this occur?
Over my house
Within 1-5 miles of my house
Other (Please specify)
If you have an exact location that we can map please provide it. If able, use GPS Latitude and Longitude coordinates. Or, use geographic reference such as "East shore of Big Lake"
- What type of aircraft was it?
F-35 (twin tail, gray)
F-16 (single tail, camouflage)
Helicopter
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (Drone)
Other Air Force aircraft (Please specify)
- Please provide generic information such as: propeller driven or jet, single or twin tail, number of engines, color, and direction of flight
Let us know if you'd like a response. At your request, we'll call you or respond via e-mail if you supply an address and phone number.