Establishment of a temporary flight restriction area
A temporary area with flight restrictions was established by an announcement of the Federal Ministry of Transport on the basis of the Air Traffic Regulations. The area is called ED-R Annaburger Heide and lies within the area of responsibility of the Bremen flight information centre.
The lateral extent is comparatively small and is defined by a circle with a radius of 0.6 nautical miles around a clearly defined geographical point. Despite the small horizontal extent, the area is relevant from a flight operations perspective, as it affects all aircraft regardless of their category or type of operation.
The original announcement envisaged an effective date of 24 November 2025 at 23:00 UTC until 18 March 2026 at 23:00 UTC. This means that the activation will take place entirely during the winter season, when often limited weather conditions and shorter daylight hours require precise flight planning.
Changing the vertical limit
The first amendment to the notice was published just a few days after the initial publication. This only concerns the vertical extension of the flight restriction area, but is of great importance in terms of practical implementation.
While in the original version the vertical limit of GND was set to 3000 feet above ground level, this information was corrected in the notice of amendment. The new vertical limit now ranges from ground to 3000 feet MSL. This means that the upper limit no longer refers to the respective terrain height, but to mean sea level.
For flight practice, this clarification means a clear and more manageable definition of the vertical limitation, especially in regions with slightly varying terrain height. At the same time, the switch to MSL in certain scenarios may result in the usable airspace above the area being less than originally assumed.
Scope of the flight restrictions
All flights are prohibited within the ED-R Annaburger Heide. This expressly includes the operation of model aircraft and unmanned aerial systems. The measure is therefore not only aimed at manned aircraft in general aviation, but also at the growing area of model and drone operations.
Exceptions only apply to operational flights that are carried out on the direct instruction of the responsible ETSH tower. Civilian flights without such instructions cannot legally use or cross the area.
Significance for flight planning in general aviation
The establishment of even small flight restriction areas is relevant for private pilots. Especially for visual flights at low altitudes, an ED-R can quickly come into conflict with planned routes. The limited lateral extent should therefore not obscure the fact that the area must be carefully included in navigation and avoidance planning.
Particular attention must be paid to the change in the vertical limit. While „3000 feet above ground“ must be interpreted depending on the terrain, „3000 feet MSL“ creates a clear reference value. For pilots, this means that altitude planning must be clearly aligned with QNH values and map data.
Such an ED-R can also be relevant in IFR operations, especially for departure and approach procedures or for lower radar guidance. A short-term change to the vertical structure emphasises how important it is to consistently check the latest news for air traffic controllers.
Source references:
NFL (the link requires a subscription to Eisenschmidt)
