Posted on 01/08/2005 3:56:03 PM PST by 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
We weren't done having at the guy.
Why did you moderators drop him so fast?!
So Mr Winslow here was Gerty Fructose as well?
There's some gender identity issues there methinks.
The above is the best this poster can respond dragging his knuckles accross the keyboard.
Anyone recall a couple of real whizzes back in the 60s who bombed a building at the UW-Madison, killing someone inside? They also reportedly flew in a light aircraft over the now-closed Badger Army Ammunition facility near Baraboo, armed as I recall with a small bomb that they intended to drop on said plant.
With idjuts like these it's not necessarily the size of their devices but the result of their vicious, maniacal act(s).
(Now ducking for the "size of their devices" set-up for y'all.....)
No traffic this year around the Triple crown races either
Please don't go away! Would you be my friend???
Hey, where are the added keywords? That's one of the best parts about a good zotting!
Yikes! Please don't tell me that 500 lb. gorilla lobbying group has a wedgie! Somebody help me!
Yep, we remember ol Gertie!
Uh-huh. I suppose Mayor Williams uses the term "GA?"
NASCAR events handle security on an internal basis- All those gun totin rednecks take care of it.
It's not knuckle draggers , they are ankle holders.
Yeah, Gerty needed more fiber in their diet.
sniff........sniff..........
I used to belong to AOPA and thought Phil Boyer was smarter than that. Does he really think anyone ought to be able to overfly the inauguration?
Is that you, Neal Boortz?
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