JO 7210.3 Facility Operation and AdministrationJO 7210.3EE · Change 3 · Effective 7/9/2026
Chapter 4 · Section 5
Other Correspondence
3 Paragraphs4-5-1–4-5-3
4-5-1 LETTERS OF PROCEDURES
Facility air traffic managers must prepare letters of procedure for stating specific terms regarding the release by the using agency of restricted areas as defined in 14 CFR part 73.
Prepare and handle letters of procedure as follows:
Coordinate with the using agency procedures for the joint‐use of a restricted area. (See 14 CFR section 73.15.)
After coordination, send two copies of the proposed document to the Service Area office.
The Service Area office must review and approve or delegate the authority for approval to the facility air traffic manager. Forward to Service Area office for approval any joint‐use letter that proposes procedures considered a substantial departure from the recommended format.
Upon receipt of approval from the Service Area office, the facility air traffic manager must prepare the final letter, incorporating Service Area office guidance, sign (along with the appropriate using agency authority), and establish an effective date allowing at least 30 days for any rulemaking actions necessitated by subparagraph 5 below, and the cartography and the distribution requirements.
An FAA facility must be designated in 14 CFR part 73 as the controlling agency of any joint‐use restricted area. When an ATC requirement exists in a joint‐use restricted area, rulemaking action is also necessary to designate restricted areas as controlled airspace below 14,500 MSL.
The document must contain an effective date.
Send two copies to each of the participating facilities or agencies; one copy directly to the Service Area office.
4-5-2 LETTERS TO AIRMEN
Facility air traffic managers may approve letters to airmen to publicize new or revised services, anticipated interruptions of service, procedural changes, and other items of interest to users.
The Letter To Airmen must adhere to the following:
The Letter To Airmen must be originated in LTA Manager and disseminated via the AIM NOTAM website.
The Letter To Airmen is informational in nature and must not contain words which imply mandatory instructions. The words “must” and “shall” are not to be used in a Letter To Airmen.
Chart attachments must be used in lieu of narrative descriptions to the extent possible.
The signed original Letter To Airmen must be maintained by the originating facility.
Each Letter To Airmen must contain an effective date (UTC) and a cancellation date (UTC) and must not remain in effect beyond the date the information contained in the letter becomes obsolete or more than 24 months, whichever occurs first.
Issue a new Letter To Airmen for the same subject prior to the end of the 24-month period only if the information contained requires continued publication. (See FIG 4-5-1.)
FIG 4-5-1 Letter to Airmen
Service Center Operations Support Groups (OSGs) must provide the following support using the electronic letters to airmen management tool—LTA Manager:
Air traffic facility account management.
Publish or reject letters to airmen.
4-5-3 DISPOSITION OF VOLCANIC ACTIVITY REPORTING (VAR) FORMS
Should a controller receive a completed volcanic activity report (VAR) form during a pilot briefing, the controller is directed to forward the form to the supervisor/CIC on duty. The supervisor/CIC must mail or fax the completed form to the Smithsonian Institute as specified at the bottom of the form within 24 hours of receipt.