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speed limit

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the FARs have no mention of speed limits (outside of 91.117 which says nothing about Class B having a speed limit).

AWACoff...

Ref: FAR 91.117 paragraph (b)... "does not apply to any operations within a Class B airspace area. Such operations shall comply with paragraph (a) of this section."

Therefore, 91.117 (a) is applicable, in a roundabout way, for operations within Class B airspace but only below 10000 ft.
 
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300kts below 10,000

In reality, how is ATC going to know what IAS you're flying at? They see groundspeed on their screen, not IAS.

They will know by averaging your speed against the general flow of traffic. So will your FDR, especially after you run into someone. Speed regs exist for several good reasons one of which is collision avoidance among various categories of aircraft down low.

Good luck!
 
In reality, how is ATC going to know what IAS you're flying at? They see groundspeed on their screen, not IAS.

Thanks... My comment was a little bit of a joke. I know they can figure out quite easily how fast your flying.
 
SFO area at the weekend - ATC were making a point of telling departing heavies (jets) from SFO and OAK to keep speed below 250.

First time I had heard that being specified on frequency.

And all the time I was struggling to 115 in a Warrior :D
 
SFO area at the weekend - ATC were making a point of telling departing heavies (jets) from SFO and OAK to keep speed below 250.

That's because ATC will sometimes allow heavies to accelerate to greater than 250 knots below 10,000. LAX routinely allows westbound departures (heading across the Pacific) to exceed 250 in the climb. They tend to climb better at higher airspeeds.
 
Falcon Capt said:
Atlanta has been to only TRACON that has been real anal about the speed limit, Chicago has queried a couple pilots on occasion... but haven't been near as anal, usually it is a "Nxxxx say speed" and the reply is "250 kts" as you are yanking the thrust levers back to idle.

I'm not sure where you're getting this information. I've flown for 121 airlines based in ORD and ATL and I can tell you that neither are very anal about speed.
ATL REGULARLY ignores the "speed traps" that exist on the arrivals into ATL. Seldomly do you get a crossing speed restriction, and often you get told to keep the speed up. A lot of pilots in ATL actually screw everything up by slowing too soon. (hence my "signature quote", a line from ORD approach to a Delta flight.

Chicago ATC: anything goes. When Chi Approach tells you "max forward speed to the marker, you're number one for the approach", they don't mean 250KT. Legal, no, but when it's the cop telling you to speed up, you're not going to get a ticket. Chicago couldn't care less how fast you go, as long as you get out of their airspace as quickly as possible. Especially on departure.
 
I was wondering the same thing...

I was tuning into Orlando Intl (MCO) tower a couple of days ago on the scanner.

After a huge T-storm came through, they added 15 min. spacing by request of Jax Center. Right after takeoff, tower would tell each aircraft to remain below 250 and contact depature.

I didn't think there was a choice. Last I checked, ATC cannot ask an aircraft to fly above 250 below 10000, can they?
 
Does Southwest have a waiver on that 250-kt rule? Man, I've had the IAS pegged on 250, and I still see those guys going by me! Maybe it's some kinda fancy Southwest-calibrated airspeed indicator...
 
I remember going into Midway as a new FO on the 727. Descending out of the flight levels, ATC assigned us 280 knots. Still new on the airplane, I was working hard to hold exactly 280 indicated (no autothrottles on ATA's 727s). ATC kept stepping us down, finally assigning us to cross a VOR at 6000'. Leveling at 6000 a couple of miles prior to the station, I started to beathe again when the captain said, "I don't mind you doing 280, but ATC might, so maybe you better slow it down. We're not Southwest Airlines!" I about had a heart attack, but the captain and the engineer just laughed.

Another time, going into Los Angeles, I heard this conversation on the radio.

Approach: Continental xxx, say speed.
CO xxx: (after long pause) two fifty.
Approach: Yea right! (with sounds of laughter in the background)
 

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