"TSA's actions were especially good news for flight schools and student pilots in the New York area, who no longer need to wait for air traffic control clearance to start a training flight," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "It raises hopes that any future security-based flight restrictions will last only as long as the threat does."
However, at press time, the air defense identification zone (ADIZ) around Washington, D.C., was still in place, frustrating pilots and air traffic controllers alike. "We understood the security concerns when the Washington ADIZ was created in February as the war with Iraq loomed," said Boyer. "But why is it still in place now that the hostilities are over? Why are the measures that protected the nation's capital for a year and a half after the September 11 terrorist attacks no longer enough?"
AOPA counterattacks Daley's assault on Meigs
AOPA's broad plan of attack to force the reopening of Chicago's Merrill C. Meigs Field is under way on a dozen fronts.
"AOPA cannot and will not let this gross act of vandalism go unchallenged," said association President Phil Boyer. "Meigs Field is an icon to American pilots."
AOPA is attacking the mayor's heavy-handed closure of the airport on a number of fronts. The association filed suit in federal court, alleging that the city of Chicago violated federal regulations by not giving adequate notice of the closure. AOPA is also seeking legislative action in both the U.S. Congress and the Illinois legislature to reopen the airport. And AOPA suggested that its members boycott Chicago, its airports, and its businesses until Meigs is reopened.
TSA tells states: "Pilot security is our job, not yours"
In a letter to AOPA, the Transportation Security Administration says that individual states have no authority to require pilot background security checks; that power lies solely with the federal government.
"This letter is powerful ammunition in our fight to strike down Michigan's pilot background check law," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "And it ought to make other state and local lawmakers stop and think twice about their own inappropriate efforts to regulate aviation security and pilot licensing."
In the letter, Assistant Administrator for Transportation Security Policy Thomas Blank wrote, "State-imposed measures to require criminal background checks on flight school applicants would create a patchwork of requirements in this area".It is TSA's view that while such efforts by states are motivated by legitimate concerns for the security of the nation, they are nevertheless not permissible."
'Say Intentions' gets rave reviews
The latest multimedia AOPA Air Safety Foundation seminar is bringing rave reviews, with many participants saying they never before understood many of the services that air traffic control can offer to pilots in distress.
"Say Intentions - When You Need ATC's Help," a free two-hour seminar, examines what ATC can and can't do to help pilots in distress, and explains how pilots can benefit from the services available.
"When things go wrong in the sky, what could be more comforting than to know you're not alone?" asked Bruce Landsberg, ASF executive director. "But for the most effective use of all available services, pilots have to know how the system works. This seminar will equip you with that knowledge."
Using graphics, video clips of controllers, and realistic scenarios, the new program clears up common misconceptions about asking for assistance. Among other things, participants learn why calling for help on the emergency frequency of 121.5 MHz isn't necessarily the smartest thing to do, and the real truth about the rumored paperwork blizzard following declaration of an emergency. The seminar is designed to help pilots in the decision-making process.
A schedule for ASF's "Say Intentions - When You Need ATC's Help" is available on AOPA Online. Attendees are eligible for FAA credit for the ground instruction portion of the FAA Wings pilot proficiency program.
Excessive presidential flight restrictions would severely hamper GA operations, AOPA says
AOPA moved swiftly to head off a proposal by the Secret Service and the Pentagon to vastly increase flight restrictions when the president leaves Washington, D.C.
In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, AOPA President Phil Boyer urged Ridge to "not support the [Department of Defense] request because it is excessive and would unnecessarily restrict air commerce."
Under the flight restriction proposal, flight schools and fixed-base operators anywhere in the country could find themselves virtually shut down any time the president comes within 30 nautical miles. The Secret Service and the Pentagon want a no-fly circle with a 10-nm radius and 18,000-foot ceiling around the president, as well as severe restrictions on general aviation operations between 10 and 30 nm.
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