PLT OF AN SMA SEL PVT ACFT COMPLAINT WITH REGARD TO THE GRAND CANYON SPECIAL AIRSPACE NAVIGATIONAL COMPLEXITY FOR GA VFR PLTS.

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AS PRESENTLY CONFIGURED; THE SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE AT THE GRAND CANYON IS UNSAFE FOR MOST GA ACFT. THE PROBS WITH THE AIRSPACE DESIGN CAME TO MY ATTN ON 2 NAV ATTEMPTS OF THE GRAND CANYON IN SEP/93. ON SEP/XX/93 THE WX WAS CAVU. EVEN SO; USING GCN VOR RADIALS AND DME PLUS GND REFS; I WAS NOT POSITIVE THAT I CORRECTLY TRANSITIONED THE DRAGON CORRIDOR FROM N TO S ON A VFR FLT PLAN AT 10500 FT MSL. ON SEP/XX/93 THE WX CONSISTED OF A BROKEN CLOUD COVER WITH CUMULUS BUILDUPS. USING GCN VOR RADIALS AND DME PLUS VISIBLE GND REFS; THE TRANSITION OF DRAGON CORRIDOR WHILE MAINTAINING PROPER CLOUD CLRNCS WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. THE SEP/XX/93 FLT WAS MADE ON AN IFR CLRNC; VFR ON TOP AT 12500 FT AND 11500 FT; AS APPROPRIATE FOR THE RTE SEGMENT. THE DRAGON TRANSITION WAS NECESSARY BECAUSE OF THE IFR ALT RESTRICTION OF 14500 FT ON V257 OVER THE CANYON. ATC DIRECTED ME TO CLB TO 15000 FT FOR THE GCN- DOZIT SEGMENT; BUT I WAS UNABLE DUE TO LACK OF OXYGEN EQUIP. THUS; THE VFR ON TOP NAV WAS NECESSARY. WHILE THESE NAV CHALLENGES WOULD NOT BE PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT FOR OXYGEN EQUIPPED ACFT WITH LORAN OR GPS; THEY CAUSE GREAT ANXIETY FOR NON-OXYGEN EQUIPPED ACFT WITH SIMPLE VOR AND ADF NAV RADIOS. IT IS IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER THAT I AM NOT A LOW TIME OR INEXPERIENCED PLT. I HAVE OVER 4000 HRS OF FLT TIME; OVER 3000 HRS OF WHICH IS IN USAF HIGH PERFORMANCE FIGHTERS. IF I WAS SUFFERING FROM LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN MY NAV OF THE CANYON; I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE DIFFICULTIES A LOWER TIME OR LESS EXPERIENCED AVIATOR MIGHT ENCOUNTER. IN ORDER TO ALLOW REASONABLE GA TRANSITION OF THE GRAND CANYON ON N/S ROUTINGS; I MAKE THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS: PROVIDE A VFR/IFR CORRIDOR ALONG THE CURRENT LOCATION OF V257. MAKE THE FLOOR OF THE CORRIDOR 10500 FT MSL. MAKE THE TOP OF THE CORRIDOR THE BASE OF PCA (CLASS A AIRSPACE). ENACTION OF THESE STEPS WILL HAVE THE FOLLOWING BENEFICIAL EFFECTS: VFR ACFT WITHOUT OXYGEN EQUIP MAY SAFELY TRANSIT THE CORRIDOR AT 10500 FT OR 12500 FT MSL NBOUND; OR 11500 FT MSL SBOUND. ACFT EQUIPPED ONLY WITH VOR WILL BE ABLE TO PRECISELY NAV THE NEW CORRIDOR. THE LOWEST FLYING ACFT (AT 10500 FT MSL) WILL STILL BE ABOUT 4000 FT AGL ABOVE THE S RIM AND 2000 FT AGL ABOVE THE N RIM; AND THUS POSE LITTLE OR NO HAZARD OR DISTR TO THOSE ON THE GND. IFR ACFT WITHOUT OXYGEN EQUIP WILL BE ABLE TO PRECISELY NAV THE NEW CORRIDOR AT 12000 FT MSL; THUS MAKING IFR OPS POSSIBLE ALONG V257 WITHOUT THE NECESSITY OF OXYGEN GEAR. VFR AND IFR ACFT WITH OXYGEN EQUIP WILL BE ABLE TO PRECISELY NAV THE NEW CORRIDOR AT ALTS BELOW 14500 FT MSL AND 15000 FT MSL RESPECTIVELY; THUS SAVING TIME AND FUEL.