On Feb 16, 2006, Orlando's class B airspace undergo some modifications - mainly moving boundaries and floors around. This is a good thing in my opinion. The airspace was laid out years ago and traffic patterns and volume have changed since then. It's going to be interesting trying to learn all the new boundaries - it took me this long to learn all the existing ones.

Now for the bad news. My home airport, Orlando-Sanford (KSFB), will be changed from a class D to a class C on that date as well. There's a big difference between a D and a C airport. It's more hassle to fly in to and out of a C. The airspace is also twice the radius of a D. What this means is that students will have to fly twice as far to get out of controlled airspace. It also means the local practice areas will be compressed as this new airspace takes a big bite out of them. IMHO, this is not a safe thing - to pack more student pilots into a smaller area. Many people and organizations have complained to the FAA about this, citing these same concerns.

FAA Response: The FAA does not agree.

Of course, it's too late now. February will be an interesting month for pilots in the Central Florida area.