State Officials Claim Flights Over Frankfort Are Security Risk

Representatives with the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) told Aero-News last week objections from the organization's members to a proposed no-fly zone around the Kentucky state capital grounds in Frankfort have brought assurances from the state's governor that he would not support any such airspace restrictions.

The issue came to the attention of the EAA in December 2005,, when Kentucky resident John Patterson alerted EAA Industry and Regulatory Affairs that Kentucky State Senator Julian Carroll had proposed a resolution, BR 66, asking the FAA to restrict flights over the state capitol for national security reasons.

EAA contacted the Senator and other key state officials -- including Governor Ernie Fletcher -- to stop what the organization calls an "unwarranted action against the national airspace system (NAS)."

On December 21, EAA also distributed an alert to Kentucky members, who responded in force urging Senator Carroll to stop using general aviation as a security scapegoat and to drop the proposed resolution.

The EAA received a letter dated January 9, 2006 from Brett C. Hall, Kentucky director of communications and planning, on behalf of Governor Fletcher's office.

"Let me assure you that Governor Fletcher does not support Senate Resolution Number BR 66," read the letter, in part.

However, the measure is by no means buried: the resolution appears to have since become Senate Bill SR 9. Although recent reports indicate the proposed bill has been dropped, it still appears on the Kentucky Legislature website as an active bill before the Senate State and Local Government subcommittee as of January 27.

Senator Carroll, of course, is a member of that subcommittee. Stay tuned...

FMI: www.eaa.org