Today's airspace is unforgiving of mistakes
But soon it became clear that AOPA's predictions of an overtaxed air traffic control system, made when the new Washington Metropolitan Area Air Defense Identification Zone was implemented February 10, had been all too accurate. Confusion, frustration, and, at times, absolute gridlock reigned as pilots waited on the ground with engines running or in the air circling for interminable periods of time. The central problem was receiving a special transponder code to permit operations in the ADIZ. On March 12, The Washington Post reported that 35 pilots had unintentionally violated the "forbidden zone" around the District of Columbia. Despite the diligent efforts of pilots and of controllers at Baltimore and Potomac tracons, the system stumbled.
Based on pilots' feedback, AOPA quickly submitted a set of recommendations to the FAA and Transportation Security Administration that address the operational necessity of reducing the burden on pilots and controllers while maintaining security. Those agencies have agreed to consider our input. More on that later.
My point here is that, in the name of national security, we have seen and will continue to see regulations and restrictions that create a veritable tiger trap waiting to ensnare ill-prepared pilots. On-again, off-again rules concerning flight near nuclear power plants, sporting events, open-air assemblies, and sundry temporary restricted areas combine with the FAA's antiquated text-only notam system to create a crazy quilt of regulation and botched dissemination. But regardless of the unreasonableness - or ineffectiveness - of the rules, pilots must adhere to them if we are to maintain anything like unfettered access to the air. We must not stumble.
Think this doesn't affect your flying because you live nowhere near metro Washington? Think again. Some national security "experts" would like to extend ADIZ restrictions to all Class B airspace. If we are to prevent such Draconian measures, we must not stumble.
It is in the realm of information dissemination and interpretation that AOPA outshines any other player in this sorry drama. Beginning in the hours after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and continuing uninterrupted, AOPA has left no resource untapped. Staff specialists analyze rulemaking; interview pilots operating in the system; develop informational graphics, checklists, and FAQs; and disseminate the information through every channel at our disposal. AOPA Online (www.aopa.org) has become a 24/7 newsroom where pilots can access the latest information.
Begin on the home page, where news about airspace initiatives is posted as soon as it becomes available. Near the top of the right-hand column on the home page, the "Notams, TFRs, FAQs" link takes you to a clearinghouse of the latest information, including blanket notams, a notam listing by state (most with graphics), and general rules for VFR and IFR operations.
Posting the latest information is just part of the effort. Education is equally important. The popular AOPA Air Safety Foundation "Operation Airspace" online course has been updated with new information on TFRs and the D.C. ADIZ. ASF is supplementing its safety seminars and flight instructor refresher clinics with the latest practical suggestions for operating safely and legally within ever-changing airspace; up-to-date schedules can be found on AOPA Online .
As I mentioned, your association is continuously at work to defend your interests among policymakers. We have urged and will continue to recommend rescission of the ADIZ. We have submitted suggestions, which have the concurrence of air traffic controllers, that will make the ADIZ more effective in the short term. We are fighting misguided initiatives regarding student pilot criminal background checks, the "pilot insecurity" rules, and other threats to our freedom. I urge you to stay current on these issues by checking AOPA Online's news pages and articles in the "Advocacy" section of the Web site.
I don't think the pilots who allegedly violated the ADIZ in March were stupid, or negligent, or even thoughtless. As the authorities concede, they meant - and did - no harm. I do believe they were victims of a system, complex in the best of times, that is ill-equipped to cope with the demands currently being made of it. Our best strategy as pilots, for now, is strict attention to detail, meticulous planning, and flawless execution. For that, think of AOPA Online as your first line of defense.
As we have seen, today's airspace system is, like flying itself, terribly unforgiving of carelessness, incapacity, or neglect. We must not stumble.
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