ZOT - GA banned from Washington, D.C (but trolls want special privileges)

[Robinson Winslow]

GA banned from Washington, D.C., for inauguration D.C.'s mayor and AOPA's Boyer incensed over closures

For eight hours on Inauguration Day, Washington, D.C., and the skies for miles around it, will be completely off-limits to general aviation. Similarly, the streets of the nation's capital will be closed to vehicular traffic. Security officials have declared that President Bush's inauguration on January 20 is a "national security event," and the FAA, responding to orders from the Defense and Homeland Security departments, has issued a flight advisory prohibiting all general aviation VFR flight within or above the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).

"This is yet another example of GA being made a scapegoat in the name of security," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "All the evidence shows that GA aircraft do not pose a significant security threat — especially when compared to the devastation an airliner could cause. Yet the airlines are allowed to fly freely while GA pilots are essentially grounded."

The GA ban is in effect from 10 a.m. through 6 p.m. The only exception is for IFR aircraft landing or departing Washington Dulles International and Baltimore-Washington International airports, but the FAA anticipates that the GA ramps at both airports will fill up with VIP aircraft. Once all the parking is taken, even IFR aircraft will be diverted to airports outside the ADIZ.

AOPA is not alone in questioning the over-the-top security measures surrounding the coming inauguration. Washington Mayor Anthony Williams has complained that multiple checkpoints and street closures imposed in advance of the inauguration are excessive, snarling traffic, damaging businesses, impacting tourism, and choking commerce in the capital city.

"The GA community understands the need for reasonable security measures around the inauguration," Boyer added. "What we don't understand is why the measures being taken for this inauguration are so extreme. These measures are unnecessarily displacing thousands of pilots, restricting their freedom, and resulting in loss of income for those who use GA to conduct their business."

AOPA continues to question the need for the ADIZ at all, arguing that it is an inappropriate "solution" to a nonexistent problem. "A small airplane weighing less than a large SUV and traveling at 120 mph just doesn't pose the same kind of threat — or create as narrow a response window — as a fully loaded airliner traveling at 400 mph," Boyer explained. "The ADIZ simply doesn't reflect those differences. All it does is restrict GA without doing anything to protect Washington and its citizens from terrorists."

January 6, 2005

[ForGod'sSake]

Egad Meek! What a dapper group of guys you've found there.

Don't Mess With Knuckledraggers???

Seems this Winslow fellow has "issues".

FGS

[j_tull]

This is far worse then what the Dim convention did to Boston, of course. < /sarcasm >

[ForGod'sSake]

oops; meant to tell you, I redid that graphic and also resized it. It will render better with these dimensions(for future reference): width="460" height="465"....eg:

FGS

[Chemist_Geek]

The airport EDG, at the northeast corner of the no-fly zone, is an Army airfield. It is 47.5 nautical miles from EDG to Reagan National, the center of the no-fly zone.

It is 39.5 nautical miles from 2VG2, on the west side of the no-fly zone, to Reagan National.

I don't have my E6B with me at home to compute the flight times @ 100 kts...

[MeekOneGOP]

Ha! Okay. I just copy/pasted what I had from before.
I've updated it now to the correct new dimesions.

Thanks. And G'night. ;^)

[HairOfTheDog]

OK - lets up it to 120 Kts for easier math, that's well within the ability of even a Cessna 150, and that's two miles a minute. 15 minutes at 120. A high performance would drop that down to under 10 minutes.

[Jackknife]

[wolicy_ponk]

[wolicy_ponk]

[Dashing Dasher]

One of my airplanes weights 800 pounds!
It's wood and fabric and wouldn't do much damage to a tree.

I agree with the ban on GA for the day - but wanted you to know there are plenty of tiny aircraft out there that are smaller than you imagine.

[Chummy]

Reverse the statement: Public safety and security must be paramount...to my support of aviation, including GA. It's a personal opinion, not public policy and not as sweeping as your leap makes it.

I didn't add (fill in the blank) and I didn't intend to do so.

[zip]

Even Conservative members of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association are close to nausea at the thought of the Gestapo running our nation

You are full of crap. period , AIOA doesn't represent many of the small craft owners in any manner. So stop the lying.

[zip]

He's just your average,everyday troll. Nobody important, maybe impotent but not important.

[dr_pat]

Was it a bug? Or a flying monkey?

[Windcatcher]

"I know that the knuckle-draggers who accept everything on this website as "gospel truth" will lisp that a "troll" is attacking their beloved Presidente. But he's the one on the attack here at home. WAKE UP. Even Conservative members of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association are close to nausea at the thought of the Gestapo running our nation indefinitely."

Well, well...lots of codewords to work with here...

"knuckle-draggers"...so you think we're Neanderthals, unlike someone who is "enlightened", like yourself...

"Presidente"...implying that GWB is a tin-pot Bananna Republic dictator, rather than being chosen in a free and fair election...

"WAKE UP"...now we're asleep, unaware of the reality of which in your infinite benevolence you have deigned to enlighten us. How shall we thank you, Oh Enlightened One...

"Gestapo"...ah, yes, our old favorite. Not quite "Nazi", but close enough for government work. You know, you're lucky we really aren't Nazis. Some of us have relatives (like myself) who had to live under them. You really wouldn't want us to do to you what real Nazis do. Believe me, you don't...

Spare me the crybaby talk. You're nothing more than yet another Socialist/quasi-Communist retread. Perhaps you think you're acting in the name of benevolence, but in reality you are doing the work of the devil (or Satan, Lucifer, The Evil One, or any abstract concept you might wish to attach in its place). Get lost. The day we listen to someone such as yourself is the day we shoot our own mothers. That is how evil we consider your ideals to be.

[82Marine89]

Flying airplanes is not a 'Right', it is a privelige. That is why you need a license. Free Speech is a 'Right', but not on a private website. But be reminded that with that freedom comes responsibility. Something you and the rest of your DUmmy friends know nothing about.

And one more thing....

3...2...

[King Prout]

damn, dude: for eight whole hours you won't be permitted to overfly a 90 square mile patch.

my heart bleeds for you.

[fire_eye]

I agree!

We shouldn't be having to give up our freedoms this way!!

If we have to close our airspace for the inauguration, it's proof positive that we haven't deported and jailed enough Moozelims yet!!!

[Budge]

Review: Which president barricaded Pennsylvania Avenue after the OKC bombing?

[Budge]

Sorry katnip. I posted my "Review" question before I read your response.