Aero-Analysis: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Columnist Wants ADIZ Transgressors Shot-Down

One surmises that the GA world should be thankful that only two fairly visible pundits have spoken up publicly about a perceived need to kill pilots who blunder into the Washington ADIZ. While this does not speak well for the gene pool associated with some pundits and columnists, both cases were shown to be short on supportable fact, often riddled with error, and long on myopic, hysterical chest-thumping.

In the latest case, Columnist Dimitri Vassilaros leads his latest bit of literary fearmongering with the opening line, "The Cessna 150 should have been shot down."

Judge, Jury, Executioner... and Court Jester

Mind you, the aircraft was indeed lost and operating errantly within minutes of the Nation's Capital... but it was none-the-less escorted by a number of powerful aircraft with a lot of firepower -- and seconds away from a Top Secret (barely) line of deadly defenses that certainly would have kept the slow-moving Cessna from reaching the White House, or other prime targets... if that had been the mission of this poorly navigated two seat puddle-jumper.

A lot has been made of the so-called threat of GA birds to various postulated targets of opportunity, even though physics suggests that light aircraft are, at best, a poor and far-too-limited delivery system for the kind of attacks favored by attention seeking terrorists who are looking for large body counts and maximal media exposure/hysteria.

Surprisingly, despite Vassilaros' wish to kill GA pilots and passengers, portions of his column actually refute his arguments with a passage/quote that states, "'These guys were flat-out idiots,' said James Jay Carafano, senior fellow in international studies at The Heritage Foundation think tank. 'A reputable terrorist would not do something like this.'
Carafano believes even with a so-called dirty bomb, or biological or chemical weapons, damage would have minimal."

While ANN is not aware of what qualifies as a "reputable terrorist" these days, Vassilaros' argument grows weaker as the column progresses, with yet another barely supportive quote, "'It's a tough one,' said Michael O'Hanlon, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. 'I do not have a real strong view. It was unlikely to pose major threat, but it still could not be ruled out. We cannot be evacuating buildings all the time. A release of chemicals could have killed a lot of people.'"

Once again, a weak and easily countered opinion is used to support a faltering argument. The final caveat, though, is bizarre... citing the September 1994 incident in which a Cessna flown by Frank Eugene Corder (in yet another Cessna 150...) impacted at the base of the White House, intentionally. In this case, like the '02 Charles Bishop/Tampa building crash, the damage to structures and property was minimal and the very limited nature of such aircraft (as weapons systems) was visibly demonstrated. GA's main defense revolves around the FACT that it's not that we think that light aircraft are not much good for doing serious damage as weapons of mass destruction, it's that the evidence proves it... repeatedly.

Mind you, anything can be rigged as a weapon... but if you really want to target a structure in a busy city, ground vehicles (among others) make for much better weapons -- and don't get us started on what could happen with one single person and a briefcase nuke. The fact is this, we live in a dangerous world... which we can either face with courage... or fear.

The sad part of arguments espoused by the aero-ignorant pundits of the world, like Vassilaros, is that they accomplish three very dangerous things that, ultimately, support the aims of our enemies:

• They detract attention from far more serious threats,
• They ratchet up the level of public paranoia,
• And they further attack the freedoms and liberties that have made this country a bastion of freedom around the world and the target of those who would despise us for same...

In the meantime, one can drive a multi-ton delivery truck within yards of the White House gate and park right across the street from any number of important targets of opportunity -- but apparently the 'littlest Cessna' makes for much better ink for those who are looking for yet another cheap shot against those who celebrate the very nature of the freedoms this country was built upon.

FMI: http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/opinion/columnists/vassilaros/s_336464.html, dvassilaros@tribweb.com