This page serves as a starting point for coordinating Special Activities with Southern California TRACON (SCT). These SCT special activities include aerial surveys, air shows, fireworks, and military exercises which will occur in the airspace controlled by SCT. However, it should be noted that some types of special activities also require coordination/approval from other FAA and non-FAA entities, for example, Parachute Jumps sometimes require Certificates of Authorization from the local Flight Standards District Office (FSDO).

At SCT, we handle hundreds of Special Activities each year in the course of providing Air Traffic Control (ATC) services on a 24/7 basis. Some activities are fairly simple, while others are very involved and require complex coordination. Our goal is to complete as much coordination as possible up front, rather than discussing fine details on a live ATC frequency.

• How to Submit Your Request
• How Much Time to Plan Ahead
• What Happens Next?

How to Submit Your Request

1. Download Los Angeles District (TWLA) Special Activity Coordination
   Form (PDF).
2. Save Special Activity Form to your computer.
3. Fill in the necessary fields on the form.
4. Email completed form to: AJT-SCT-Special-Activities@faa.gov
5. SCT contacts the Requester.

How Much Time to Plan Ahead

Special Activity requests must be submitted with enough lead time to allow us to prepare a comprehensive briefing package for the air traffic controllers. In order to provide the safest and most efficient ATC services possible, we have categorized each type of Special Activity into four Groups: A, B, C, and D. Please refer to the list below to determine which group your activity falls in and the amount of advance notification required:

• GROUP A: Reserved for Emergency Handling.
• GROUP B: 5 Business Days advance coordination required
  1. Aerial Survey, Minor (a minor project is less than 3 hours total survey)
  2. Aerial Training Area (activity in or activation of)
  3. Balloons / Lanterns (tethered, hot air, helium)
  4. Fireworks
  5. GPS Testing
  6. Parachute Jumping /Skydiving
  7. Skywriting
  8. Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)
• GROUP C: 10 Business Days advance coordination required
  1. Fly-bys / Fly-overs
  2. Lasers
  3. Military Exercises
  4. Record Runs
  5. Rockets
• GROUP D: 15 Business Days advance coordination required
  1. Airshow
  2. Fly-in
  3. Aerial Survey, Major (a major project is 3 hours or more total survey)
  4. Sporting Event TFR
  5. VIP Operation

What Happens Next?

Once SCT receives your request (within the specified time frames), we will contact you regarding your activity. It's important to remember that submitting a request DOES NOT automatically constitute an approval. Many complex activities (aerial surveys, parachute jumping, etc.) will be approved by the air traffic controller on a real-time basis and will be dependent upon a number of factors including traffic volume, weather, and equipment status. If you have any questions about the status of your request, please contact SCT at 9-AWP-SCT-TMU@faa.gov or AJT-SCT-Special-Activities@faa.gov.