AOPA: Educate, Don't Punish
The airspace around Washington, DC,
is undeniably complex. Likewise pilots can face a "pop-up"
temporary flight restriction (TFR) in any part of the country. But
with recent incursions leading to the evacuation of the Capitol and
White House, lawmakers are unwilling to settle for the status
quo.
That's why AOPA has invested hundreds of hours in working with
lawmakers to turn the focus of the discussion from onerous mandates
and harsh punishments to education. Today, those efforts received a
boost when the FAA announced a new training program to educate
pilots nationwide about the Washington, D.C., Flight Restricted
Zone (FRZ), Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), and other
security-related airspace restrictions.
"It's not surprising that lawmakers are frustrated with airspace
incursions that disrupt Congress and send staffers running for
cover," said AOPA Phil Boyer. "But we've been working directly with
key lawmakers, including congressional aviation security expert
Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-MN) and AOPA member Rep. Robin Hayes (R-NC),
to ensure that any response actually helps solve the problem by
teaching pilots how to keep out of trouble instead of just
penalizing them."
The FAA's proposed training program, announced during a security
hearing before the House Committee on Government Reform, could do
that while making legislation imposing such stiff penalties as
$100,000 fines, airplane confiscation, and criminal prosecution
unnecessary.
The proposal will require pilots to complete an FRZ/ADIZ and
security TFR awareness training program, such as the AOPA Air
Safety Foundation's "Know Before You Go" online course or an FAA
safety seminar. Pilots would need to make a logbook endorsement and
would receive a completion certificate that they'd be required to
carry with them during flights into the national capital region.
Pilots living within 100 miles of the ADIZ would have 30 days to
comply, while pilots elsewhere would be given 120 days.
The training requirements will be detailed in a Special Federal
Aviation Regulation (SFAR), though no timetable has yet been set
for issuing such a rule.
In addition to the new training
requirements, the FAA could increase civil penalties for violating
the FRZ/ADIZ, raising the certificate suspension from 30 days to
120 days and revoking the certificates of repeat offenders.
"This kind of approach is far more reasonable than some of the
reactionary proposals we've heard recently," Boyer said. "It just
makes sense to educate pilots so they can avoid making a mistake.
Tough penalties without education won't solve anything, but they
will turn otherwise law-abiding citizens into criminals, strangle
general aviation, and cause serious economic harm to communities
around the nation's capital and possibly across the country."
But the FAA's announcement may not be enough to preempt other
security legislation focusing on GA in the national capital area.
AOPA will continue to work with lawmakers in both houses of
Congress to protect the balance between security and freedom for GA
pilots.