"Hot Zone"

ghendr

While looking at an approach plate for an airport I might use (MKL), I came across an area encompassing the end of a taxiway to a long runway that was boxed in by a rectangle with the label of "hot zone." I have seen "hot spot" depicted on other charts, but not "hot zone." Anyone familiar with this term? Is it the same as "hot spot?" I could not find any reference to this term on the FAA web site.
Thanks!

78TARROW

Bet it has something to do with the military presence on the field. Recommend calling the apt mgr to be sure.

Greg S

Well, the abovge post was very enlightening. I have seen areas at an airport where fire fighting and rescue equipment is pre-positioned in the case of an emergency, referred to as a hot zone. This closes off all access to this area by other traffic in that case. I see there is an Army Guard aviation unit stationed on the airport (107th Avn), so it's my GUESS, yes, I said GUESS, that that may be the reason for the hot zone designation.

78TARROW

What does the airport manager say?

PaulR

Guest wrote:

So this IS a place for OWTs and conjecture...and NO, Hot Zones are NOT for staging firefighting or rescue equipment. Does no one read or reference FAA publications here?

Guest

So you posted twice that the Hot-Zone others have stated what they believe they are, why don't you just post your answer for others?

78TARROW

Attempting to fill the PK void, it would appear. A solid suggestion encased in superfluous invective.

Greg S

Bottom line - he doesn't know either.

velovp

Finding the definition of “hot zone” has captured my interest. I’ve searched dozens of web sites and have yet to find any reference to “hot zone” (as depicted on the KMKL airport diagram). I could not find any reference to “hot zone” in the AIM or in the list of FAA Advisory Circulars. The search feature on the faa.gov web site was little help – scored a few hits on “hot zone” and lots of references to taxiway “hot spots” but nothing (that I could find) speaks to what we are talking about. Have yet to research Section A of the A/FD … might be something there.
So my question to the one Guest who says he/she knows the definition “hot zone” – How about giving the rest of us uninformed a clue as to where to look?
Scott B, CFI-I

Greg S

I attempted to search for the elusive Hot Zone as well. Only thing I could find was the aforementioned staging area for emergency equip. and also reference was made to an area where an aircraft accident in the water has occured and rescue operations were taking place was called a hot zone. I even called the FBO at MKL and asked a couple people there what it was and neither of them had a clue.

Greg S

I called the AOPA and no one there knew either. The guy I spoke to said he'd do some cking. and call back. Well, he called back and said he called the FBO, they put him in contact with the tower and the only thing the folks at the tower told him is that it had something to do with hazardous cargo, and that's all they'd say. Whether it has something to do with the Guard installation there, who knows. So, I guess it's not quite as much of an explanation I was hoping for, but it'll do for me.

jruhnke

Guest wrote:

And YES, I DO know. I don't get my information by playing guessing-games on aviation forums, I LOOK IT UP.

How many examples of guest account abuse do we need to witness before POS abolishes that feature?? I figure there's two ways to explain your behavior: Either you're intentionally trolling us to get your kicks by riling people up, or you're simply an arrogant jerk; neither is helpful or appreciated.

Guest wrote:

And I've noticed that no one that has posted on this thread has even HINTED at opening an FAA reference to figure out what the FAA means by "Hot Spot" that they put on their FAA airport diagrams. You are part of the problem.

Look it up, it's not that hard.

Actually, sir, the OP didn't ask for the meaning of "Hot Spot", he asked for the meaning of "Hot Zone". That's Zulu Oscar November Echo, with nary a Sierra in sight. Let me quote from the original post, which perhaps you failed to actually read:

ghendr wrote:

I have seen "hot spot" depicted on other charts, but not "hot zone." Anyone familiar with this term? Is it the same as "hot spot?"

Personally, I believe that you have been strutting around, berating people for speculation and ignorance, and claiming that you "know the answer", when in fact you failed to even understand the question! The OP said he's seen "Hot Spots" before.

As for looking it up, all of the FAR/AIM and other publications are available via http://www.faa.gov, and they're all well-indexed by Google. An even more extensive collection of government documents is electronically accessible via the Gov't Printing Office website. However, neither the Google searches < "hot zone" site:faa.gov > nor < "hot zone" site:http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov > yield anything that seems to answer the OP's question. Smart folks at the AOPA couldn't help, and apparently even the tower at MKL couldn't or wouldn't give a concrete answer to the question., so it seems your comment that "It's not that hard" is unwarranted. (Note that doing similar searches for "Hot Spot" instead of "Hot Zone" yield all kinds of information about airport trouble spots.)

Guest wrote:

If you still have to post about it then either 1) ask for the reference, or 2) state where you looked and the results, if any.

I have done the latter; now I do the former: Do you know what a "Hot Zone" is (not a "Hot Spot")? Would you please share your FAA or other US Gov't reference that will clarify this point for the rest of us who would like to understand?

If not, then cease posting, unless it's to apologize for your poor behavior.

78TARROW

Dollars to donuts - PK or PK wannabe. If a wannabe, thou art overdoing it, by quite a bit.

I'm starting to trend toward the "Guest feature needs to go camp" though I think that'd be a real shame.

At the risk of being skewered for an OWT, back in the day we had "Hot Spots" at USN airfields where live ordnance was armed on the way out and made safe on the way back. This terminology was standard at USN & USAF fields I operated from. Since KMKL has an Army Nat'l Guard Aviation activity, perhaps that means helicopters and they need a "Zone" instead of a "Spot" if they're either going to arm ordnance on a bunch of aircraft or load ammunition & what not onto a bunch of transports.

Or, perhaps, this is where all the Roswell alien stuff is kept...

If you go there and it's ever relevant, I'm sure the tower/ground controller'll let you know.

Greg S

This topic actually was quite interesting - not because of the clown that thought he knew the answer but was keeping it a secret - but because it has turned into a mystery of sorts. I finally called the airport office to ask about their Hot Zone. The woman I talked actually got kind of strange. She wanted why I wanted to know, and I told her it was on the airport diagram and has generated a certain amount of interest by some pilots, who to that point, have been unable to get an answer. She wanted my phone number and name, like I was calling the White House looking for the presidents schedule or something. About all she would say was that it was put there for their use and the use of TSA and that general aviation pilots would really not have any need to know about it. Hmmm. She said she'd call the tower and see it there was any more info they could let be released. I told her a gentleman from AOPA had already called the tower and I was sure they gave him all the info they felt they needed to. Maybe it IS a little Area 51? Just rather interesting how something on a public chart can be so mysterious.

78TARROW

I, for one, appreciate your diligence.

I'm pretty certain the PK/wannabe doesn't know jack on this one.

BTW, the airport manager never e-mailed back. I'm sure he/she hopes I'll go away, which I will.