AOPA issued a national pilot alert in October, asking every one of its more than 406,000 members to take action to prevent a future Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) from restricting the freedom to fly.
AOPA believes the threat is so serious that it issued only its third national pilot alert in more than a decade.
"The threat is very real," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "If the FAA makes the Washington, D.C., ADIZ permanent, it will set a dangerous precedent, creating the possibility of IFR-like flight restrictions within the footprint of every Class B airspace."
Members started responding as soon as the alert hit mailboxes nationwide. AOPA's goal was to generate the largest number of individual comments from pilots to any FAA rulemaking — ever.
Many Washington, D.C.-area pilots recounted what it is like to fly through the ADIZ. "On another clear VFR day, we were told by approach, 'Stand by, you are number five for a callback.' The other callbacks were all VFR flights; none of these pilots required radar services, but they were force[d] to call approach and ask for them because of the ADIZ," wrote one pilot.
An air traffic controller also commented against the ADIZ: "As a citizen, pilot, and air traffic controller, the ADIZ has shown itself to be an unreliable, sometimes dangerous morass of miscommunication, technical faults, and human error."
But the ADIZ is more than an inconvenience to pilots and a burden on controllers. AOPA has pointed out many times that the ultimate penalty for violating that airspace is being shot down.
"It is stressful to fly within the ADIZ knowing that a single electronics failure or miscommunication could put my life in jeopardy," one pilot told the FAA.
Even pilots who live thousands of miles away from Washington, D.C., are worried about the precedent a permanent ADIZ would set.
"I am the owner of an FAA-approved pilot school in the Houston metropolitan area. My livelihood is significantly affected by special airspace restrictions following the president when he visits. A permanent ADIZ would destroy my business, bankrupt me personally, and destroy the jobs of many who depend on me," a business owner said.
Some reinforced the fact that light general aviation aircraft do not pose a significant threat to national security — a point made by AOPA, the Transportation Security Administration, and the Government Accountability Office.
"I own a small single-engine airplane. I also own a small 'sport compact' car. Despite the fact that my car is a 'compact,' it weighs three times as much as my airplane, and will go twice as fast," one pilot said.
AOPA acknowledges the need to protect the nation's capital. But the critical areas, including Congress, the White House, the Pentagon, and every significant federal agency headquarters, are covered by the Flight Restricted Zone (FRZ), which itself is well protected with multiple radar systems, laser warning systems, anti-aircraft missile batteries, portable anti-aircraft defense systems, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and U.S. Air Force interceptor aircraft.
The restrictions in the 3,000-square-nautical-mile Washington, D.C., ADIZ surrounding the FRZ "are excessive and do little to increase security," said Boyer. "There are simple and rational procedures that can provide adequate security without setting a dangerous precedent that threatens GA pilots everywhere. One size doesn't fit all."
AOPA urged members to send their comments to the FAA and Congress before the November 2 deadline.
What Would an ADIZ Be Like in Your Back Yard?
The "temporary" Washington, D.C., ADIZ (air defense identification zone) has been a fixture of the Washington-Baltimore Class B airspace since it was hastily imposed over a weekend during the run-up to war in Iraq two and one-half years ago. A similar ADIZ has been imposed several times around New York City, but it has lasted only a short time in each case.
And some security officials have indicated they would like to see ADIZ restrictions around other major cities.
"Understand that this would be much more restrictive than the Class B, returning to the way things were in the months following 9/11," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "You won't be able to fly VFR 'under the shelf' anymore to outlying airports."
The inner ring around the hub airport could become a Flight Restricted Zone (FRZ), much like the 15-nm-radius FRZ around Washington, D.C. It could be off limits to most flights.
The ADIZ itself would extend to the surface from the outer ring of the Class B and could be even larger, much like the "enhanced Class B" that was put into effect shortly after 9/11. To fly in the ADIZ, pilots would first have to file a flight plan with a flight service station, obtain a discrete transponder code, and remain in contact with air traffic control.
AOPA Exposes ADIZ Problems to Influential Capitol Hill Reporter
Since the Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) was established around Washington, D.C., in 2003, AOPA has dedicated its resources to providing education about the airspace and explaining why it is ill conceived and poorly executed. Sending that message to the public, media, and government decision makers is a large part of your association's education campaign.
An important way to accomplish that goal can include media flights into the ADIZ. A reporter for The Hill, a Washington, D.C., publication widely read by senators, congressmen, and thousands of other influential political leaders, visited AOPA to experience firsthand what GA pilots go through each time they fly into, or depart from, the ADIZ.
The short flight from AOPA headquarters at Frederick Municipal Airport in Frederick, Maryland, to Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg, Maryland, should be a 10-minute hop. Figure in the ADIZ, however, and it turns into a one-hour round-trip journey.
The Hill reporter said she was surprised that the landmarks defining the ADIZ boundary are not at all obvious from the air, and she expressed concern that a transient pilot not familiar with the area would have an especially difficult time identifying its "invisible" borders.
The reporter also interviewed AOPA President Phil Boyer about the negative effects on GA as a result of the ADIZ, and the long-term effects if the ADIZ became permanent, as proposed by the FAA and opposed by AOPA.
NATIONAL ACTION
Initial Transfer of FSS to Lockheed Goes Smoothly
Just after midnight on October 4, the FAA officially turned over control of the automated flight service station (FSS) system to Lockheed Martin to run under contract.
"AOPA was an advocate for this switch, because it was the only way to modernize flight service and improve services to pilots," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "Now we take up our watchdog role, to make sure pilots ultimately get everything that Lockheed Martin has committed to in its contract with the FAA."
Looking to the next 18 months, Lockheed will consolidate and upgrade the FSS system. Lockheed's plan is to consolidate the current 58 FSS facilities in the continental United States into 20 by 2007.
By April 2006, Lockheed is expected to launch the Flight Service 21 (FS21) Web portal for pilots nationwide to obtain preflight briefings, file flight plans, store user profiles, and get graphical flight-planning and weather products. The first FSS hub in Leesburg, Virginia, also is scheduled to become operational in April, allowing those in that briefing area to receive all of the improved services from the FS21 system. The other two hub facilities, in Fort Worth, Texas, and Prescott, Arizona, should be operational by October next year. The remaining 17 facilities should be upgraded with FS21 technology by July 2007.
But the consolidation of these facilities should not impact the level of service pilots receive. Lockheed has a 60-day transition plan in place, which includes a 30-day gradual transition of some employees to the new facilities and 30 days of overlapping services from the new and previous locations.
After the 18-month transition is complete, pilots' telephone calls must be answered within 20 seconds and radio calls within 15 seconds. Flight plans must be processed in three minutes, and pireps must be processed within 30 seconds of receipt, 15 seconds if they are urgent. And an annual customer satisfaction survey will be conducted so that Lockheed can make sure pilots are getting the best service possible.
"And all of these enhanced services are being provided without user fees — AOPA made sure of that," Boyer said. "It is estimated that Lockheed's 10-year contract will actually save the government about $2.2 billion."
Community Security Awareness Programs Important, New TSA Chief Says
Assessing terrorist risk, and planning based on that assessment, is the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA's) main goal and main challenge, Kip Hawley, the new Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary for the TSA, told a gathering of aviation leaders in Washington, D.C., September 27.
Hawley told the Aero Club of Washington that determining terrorist risk is unlike traditional risk assessment because terrorism by its nature is not easily predicted.
But he said one of the keys to enhancing security is public awareness and involvement — exactly the goal of AOPA's Airport Watch program ( www.aopa.org/airportwatch/). Hawley called such an effort a significant, effective, low-cost improvement.
WAAS Grows, Provides More Precision Approaches
By the end of September, 37 general aviation airports that had no precision instrument approaches got WAAS LPV approaches — approaches that offer ILS-like minimums through a GPS-based system rather than a ground-based one. More than 100 runway ends that previously lacked an ILS got LPV approaches, and the FAA has commissioned a total of 240 LPV procedures.
"For instrument-rated pilots, that's a tremendous increase in safety and utility," said Randy Kenagy, AOPA director of advanced technology. "A WAAS-LPV approach can give you minima close to an ILS, and it's even easier to fly."
AOPA has been a strong advocate of WAAS, lobbying hard in Congress to keep the program funded and on track during its difficult development phase, and keeping the pressure on to rapidly add approaches to GA airports that don't have an ILS.
One satellite was launched at the end of September to replace another that was approaching the end of its useful life, ensuring that the GPS signal will continue to be available even as some older satellites are taken off line.
"That launch represents a firm commitment to satellite navigation and demonstrates that there will be plenty of assets in space to ensure that the GPS signal is always available," said Kenagy. "That's especially important for GA as even more GPS-based WAAS approaches are created."
There are already several "hot spare" satellites on orbit should a GPS signal fail, and GPS availability is not a concern at this time. The Air Force expects to launch an average of three new GPS satellites each year to replace older equipment.
MEMBERSHIP ACTION
Aviation Consumer Gets a New Look
AOPA members who subscribe to Aviation Consumer, published by AOPA Member Products partner Belvoir Aviation Group, will notice something colorful about the November 2005 newsletter. Belvoir Aviation Group has announced that beginning with the November issue, the money-saving-ideas newsletter will be printed in color, bringing the products to life.
Aviation Consumer provides readers an impartial and uncompromising evaluation of aircraft, avionics, accessories, equipment, and more. Belvoir Aviation Group knows AOPA members appreciate quality and value, as well as attractive exteriors. And now, Aviation Consumer offers an attractive way to answer the most important general aviation buying questions. When AOPA members choose to purchase a subscription to Aviation Consumer, they will receive Aviation Consumer's 2005 Buyer's Guide without charge, plus a free issue.
To subscribe to Aviation Consumer or for more information about subscription discounts on other Belvoir Aviation Group publications, visit AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/info/aviationnewsletters/).
AOPA AIR SAFETY FOUNDATION
Systems 101: 'Engine and Propeller'
How much does an engine overhaul cost? What are signs of potential propeller problems? Is there a sure-fire way to consistently start a hot fuel-injected engine? Answers to all these questions and more are covered in the AOPA Air Safety Foundation's new online course "Engine and Propeller" in the AOPA Online Safety Center ( www.aopa.org/asf/online_courses/).
The free course, sponsored by Lycoming, Hartzell, Cessna, and Continental, uses interactive activities and video clips to teach all pilots the ins and outs of carbureted and fuel-injected piston engines and fixed-pitch and constant-speed propellers. An added bonus is a short section about the ignition system.
Pilots will learn how to manage engines efficiently, including ways to control engine temperature and the importance of keeping a watchful eye on oil temperature, exhaust gas temperature, and cylinder head temperature.
Because 15 to 20 percent of all accidents are related to mechanical failure (often because of a lack of maintenance), the course also teaches preventive maintenance, proper aircraft care, and detailed preflight inspections of the propeller. Plus learn what signs could foreshadow an engine or propeller problem and how to prevent propeller corrosion.
The course is available to all pilots and can qualify for FAA Wings credit.
Aeronautical Decision Making: ASF Helps You Do the Right Thing
Improving flight safety is the basis of the newest AOPA Air Safety Foundation safety seminar, "Do the Right Thing: Decision Making for Pilots."
"If you ever have an accident, there's a 75-percent chance it happened because of a bad choice the pilot made," pointed out ASF Executive Director Bruce Landsberg. "This new seminar helps pilots pick the best alternatives from what might be a grave situation."
The safety seminar uses proven decision-making strategies to provide a real-world look at how to make proper aeronautical decisions on the ground and in the air under time-sensitive conditions. Pilot and aircraft limitations are discussed.
Interactive scenarios let audience members develop and test their own decision-making skills. The scenarios follow two pilots — one flying IFR in a Beechcraft A36 Bonanza and another flying VFR in a Cessna 172. As each scenario progresses, audience members hear the pilots' thought processes and help them make decisions. The audience will review its decisions during a debrief session.
A supplemental personal minimums worksheet, which includes FAA requirements and ASF recommendations, encourages pilots to be more objective when defining their minimums.
The seminar will be in full swing nationwide starting in January. These free seminars are open to all pilots, so invite some friends or the local pilot club. A schedule of seminars is available in the AOPA Online Safety Center ( www.aopa.org/asf/seminars/).
Accident Database More User-Friendly
The AOPA Air Safety Foundation launched an improved version of its online accident database ( www.aopa.org/asf/accident_data/) in September.
The improved database allows users to search using keywords that ASF has attached to the appropriate accident reports, which means searches return only relevant accidents. Selecting the term "medical" will return only accidents for which a medical condition is relevant, not those in which a medical condition is simply mentioned.
ASF also added additional search criteria, such as light and basic weather conditions at the time of the accident, as well as cross references that allows users to see other keywords related to their search. Someone who is searching for VFR-into-IMC accidents also will be referred to spatial-disorientation accidents for more information.
The database, funded in part by the Emil Buehler Trust, is the only GA-specific accident database. It is composed of NTSB accident reports from 1983 to the present, involving fixed-wing aircraft weighing 12,500 pounds or less.
AIRPORT SUPPORT NETWORK
The Airport Support Network staff would like to recognize all volunteers in the hurricane-ravaged areas of the Gulf Coast. After the devastation caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, volunteers throughout this region provided much-needed advisories for federal agencies and charitable relief organizations to make rescue and relief operations possible. The information these volunteers relayed to AOPA, from runway conditions to frequency availabilities, was posted on AOPA Online and used by private and government agencies providing assistance in the region. These volunteers were dealing with their own personal tragedies and losses, yet they still found the time to relay this critical information.
Action in the States
Michigan. Detroit: Alan Anderson, AOPA Airport Support Network volunteer at Grosse Ile Airport, has been leading a campaign against the township/airport sponsor, which is attempting to renege on grant assurance obligations. Last year, one of Grosse Ile's two runways (Runway 4/22) was resurfaced and new PAPI (precision approach path indicator) lights were installed using federal grants with the caveat that the trees obstructing the approach to Runway 4 be trimmed to allow full use of the runway (the thresholds had been displaced because of the trees). The town has yet to comply with this mandate. Anderson is educating the township's council members, the Michigan Aeronautics Commission (MAC), and the state's Division of Aeronautics.
Massachusetts. Bedford: ASN volunteer Bradford "Ford" von Weise and a delegation of pilots are opposing an effort by environmental activists to require an environmental impact report (EIR) before the construction of hangars at Laurence G. Hanscom Field. The activists manipulated an FAA Advisory Circular to try to equate airport terminals with small GA hangars and fixed-base operations, and requested that the Massachusetts Environmental Protection Agency conduct an EIR before hangars could be built. Airport supporters and von Weise met with staff members of the Massachusetts Secretary of Development to explain the differences between GA facilities and airport terminals for airlines.
AOPA ASN VOLUNTEER UPDATE
Do You Know Your Airport's Rights?
Part II
Grant assurance compliance can get complicated, as discussed in last month's column (see " Do You Know Your Airport's Rights?" November Pilot). Follow these steps from the Airport Support Network staff to determine if your public-use airport has accepted grants, if it is in compliance with those grants, and what options are available if it is not in compliance.
Work with your airport manager and/or local FAA airports districts office to obtain a copy of any Airport Improvement Program funds accepted by the airport sponsor.
Familiarize yourself with the grant assurances ( www.faa.gov/arp/financial/aip/airport_sponsor_assurances.pdf) and FAA policy related to these assurances ( www.faa.gov/arp/publications/orders/5190-6a.pdf).
If your airport appears to be out of compliance, follow the steps listed in AOPA's Guide to FAA Airport Compliance ( www.aopa.org/asn/airport_compliance.pdf).
FAA rules do not allow AOPA to be a party of a compliance complaint. However, through the AOPA Legal Services Plan ( www.aopa.org/info/certified/lsp.html), we can help volunteers get in touch with aviation attorneys who have experience filing these complaints.
E-mail ASN staff with any questions ( [email protected]).
To learn more about the ASN program and/or find out if your airport has a volunteer, visit our Web site ( www.aopa.org/asn/) or call 301/695-2200.
Volunteer of the Month: Arthur Rosen
AOPA Airport Support Network volunteer Arthur Rosen at Deer Valley Airport in Phoenix has been a champion of general aviation at his airport and throughout the Phoenix aviation community.
Rosen helped persuade the city to allow self-fueling and educated the city on the benefits of reducing the fuel flowage fee. He has been working with ASN staff to oppose a proposal by a developer who found a loophole in the city's planning code and is trying to build condominiums directly under the airport's flight pattern. Rosen also plans to work with the city to develop the airport's first independent master plan. (Phoenix is the sponsor of Sky Harbor International and Deer Valley airports, so only one master plan had been drafted in the past.)
Rosen also is a member of the Phoenix Airspace Users Group and has been working with air traffic controllers, airport managers, and AOPA on proposals to amend the Class B airspace around Sky Harbor International. He also worked to educate officials at nearby Luke Air Force Base about the traffic procedures into Deer Valley to prevent conflicts between military and GA aircraft and to get signs posted at Deer Valley to alert departing westbound traffic.
Operations at Deer Valley are anticipated to increase from 300,000 to nearly 450,000 annually by the end of next year, so Rosen will be busy for quite some time. Thanks to Rosen's proactive approach to promote and protect his airport, he is not in the precarious situation of defending its existence.
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