FAA apologizes for snafu

FAA Administrator Jane Garvey spoke with AOPA's Phil Boyer late Friday afternoon and apologized for the on-again, off-again notams covering the New York and Washington, D.C., TFRs, which occurred overnight, along with the last-minute change in the relocation schedule. The administrator acknowledged the confusion and the inconvenience the changes had caused for pilots, and she knows the work AOPA is putting into informing members of FAA notams by special e-Pilot alerts and on the Web site of FAA notams.

Reacting to the pressure all of us feel under the current situation, Garvey joked, "Phil, I'd rather be in Philadelphia." Boyer responded, "No you don't, Jane. That's Class B airspace." Garvey said that the FAA and DOT are placing the highest priority on restoring VFR flight privileges in Class B airspace. But Garvey again acknowledged that the FAA is not the final decision-maker, indicating she was aware of AOPA's activity on Capitol Hill to raise awareness of the issue and enlist the support of the White House.

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