Document
OAS-43A (12/12)
Interagency Aviation
Accident Prevention Bulletin
No. IAAPB 25-03 July 22, 2025 Page 1 of 3 Subject: Roberts Field/Redmond Municipal Airport Airspace Traffic Mitigation Area of Concern: Traffic Separation and Communication Distribution: All Aviation Operating around RDM Discussion: The airspace within and surrounding the Redmond Airport (RDM) Class D airspace has become much busier over the past several years and continues to increase with added commercial carrier routes, increased general aviation (GA), flight school traffic, and military training.
Paragliding, in addition to fire traffic, is adding to the already heavily used airport and surrounding airspace that supports both Redmond and Bend Municipal Airports. This growing complexity highlights the need for heightened awareness, particularly south of the Redmond airport. June 2025 was reported as the busiest month on record for the Redmond Class D airspace.
This increased use, combined with the lack of local radar and surveillance tools in the tower, creates a complex operating environment. The FCT Controller at RDM is currently able to maintain their published operating hours from 0600 – 2200 PDT, 7-days a week.
Mitigation: A Letter to Airmen ( LTA-ZSE-37 ) was issued in early January by the FAA Seattle ARTCC to provide pilots with flight safety considerations when operating in the Central Oregon area or near RDM to reduce the risk of traffic conflicts and increase safety margins. The letter provides guidance on frequency monitoring and communication, runway use, and SOPs for flight paths in the Redmond area. Some of the LTA highlights include: • VFR flights in ADS-B equipped aircraft within 25 miles of the DSD VORTAC are encouraged to broadcast ADS-B Flight ID at all times, squawk 1237 and monitor frequency 126.15.
• For Non-Towered RDM Ops: It is crucial for pilots to monitor the CTAF for an extended period to maintain situational awareness of the active runway(s) and the location of other aircraft. (Do not use UNICOM as CTAF during non-towered ops).
• For both IFR and VFR flights, pilots should broadcast accurate and descriptive position reports and intentions, ensure they are understood, and coordinate with other operators on CTAF to de- conflict flight paths.
No. IAAPB 25-03 July 22, 2025 Page 2 of 3 Figure 1. Depictions of RDM Arrival Corridors from LTA-ZSE-37 Depictions of RDM arrival corridors for RWY 5 and RWY 29. The numbers within the segments list the top and bottom altitudes of the airspace segments in hundreds of feet MSL and indicate the areas most commonly flown by IFR aircraft. For instance, on the segment beginning at SMRDK, the altitudes to avoid are between 9,500 ft and 6,500 ft MSL. Local flight schools and corporate aircraft park on the south and north ramps respectively. These operators favor RWY 11.
Figure 2. Common Practice Areas and Common Flight Routes LTA-ZSE-37 No. IAAPB 25-03 July 22, 2025 Page 3 of 3 Call to Action: • Distribute this information widely, taking opportunities to provide this information in briefings ensuring all pilots are aware of the congestion and the mitigation measures.
• Always check for NOTAMs and Information Bulletins.
It is critical that we take our time and monitor all appropriate frequencies in order to improve situational awareness of both inbound and outbound traffic. More detailed information for pilots can be found on ForeFlight under (RDM) airport procedures tab, ( LTA-ZSE-37 ) and also below in the QR code. Please take the time to read and understand the LTA.
Figure 3. Letter to Airman LTA-ZSE-37 QR Code located at https://notams.aim.faa.gov/lta/main/viewlta?lookupid=3541115827086432126 /s/ Keith Raley /s/ Lori Clark Keith Raley Lori Clark Chief, Aviation Safety, Training, Program Branch Chief Evaluation, and Quality Management Aviation Safety Management Systems DOI, Office of Aviation Services USDA, Forest Service