Controlled firing areas (CFAs)
Why controlled firing areas aren't charted, and how they protect nonparticipating aircraft.
A controlled firing area (CFA) contains activities that, if not conducted in a controlled environment, would be hazardous to nonparticipating aircraft — such as ordnance disposal, blasting, or certain weapons testing. What sets the CFA apart from other special-use airspace is the safeguard that protects you automatically.
In a CFA, the activities are suspended immediately when a spotter, radar, or ground lookout detects an aircraft approaching the area. Because nonparticipating traffic is never exposed to the hazard, CFAs are not charted and do not need to be depicted on sectionals — there's nothing for the pilot to avoid, since the hazardous activity stops before you arrive.
This is the key distinction to remember for exams and real flying: among special-use airspace types, the controlled firing area is the one that does not appear on aeronautical charts, precisely because its operating rule removes the risk to other aircraft. Prohibited, restricted, warning, MOA and alert areas are all charted; the CFA is not.
For the pilot, there's no special action required for a CFA — you won't see it and you won't be affected by it. It's worth understanding conceptually, though, because it illustrates how the airspace system manages hazards: sometimes by restricting pilots, and sometimes by restricting the hazardous activity itself.
*Reference and training only. Consult current charts and the FAA AIM.*