Analysis: It Seems That It May Be Time To 'Un-Elect' Some
Aero-Ignorant Politicians
ANN has learned that a number of our elected officials appear to
be declaring war on GA as a result of recent transgressions in the
unworkable and poorly executed Washington ADIZ and additional
reports of aircraft thefts that got a lot more attention from
general media than they seemed to have deserved.
Two amendments to the Department of Homeland Security
appropriations bill were filed this week in the U.S. Senate. A
particular severe and positively Draconian amendment put forth by
New Mexico Senators Pete Domenici (R-Pictured, first, below) and
Jeff Bingaman (D-Pictured, second, below), calls for a $100,000
fine, confiscation of the aircraft, and a five-year loss of flying
privileges for "whoever negligently flies an aircraft in a manner
that violates the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area Flight
Restricted Zone (FRZ) and causes the evacuation of a Federal
building or any other public property...." (The FRZ is the
15-nm-radius "no fly" circle around Washington, D.C., that includes
the Capitol and the White House.)
AOPA is already talking with Sen. Domenici's office.
"The proposed penalty is extraordinarily harsh — too harsh
in fact — but it's clear that members of Congress want to get
every pilot's attention that they will not accept any more excuses
for these transgressions," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "And
frankly, there is no excuse.
"That's why all responsible pilots must do everything they can
to make sure their aircraft and airports are secure and that every
member of our community understands the consequences of security
violations. The transgressions of a few are tarnishing all of us
who fly, and their actions may impact our freedom of the skies,"
said Boyer.
The second amendment, nearly as distressing, comes from Senators
Hillary R. Clinton (D-NY-Pictured, Above) and Richard Durbin
(D-IL-Pictured, Below). calls for a government study of
general aviation security, including "the vulnerability posed to
high-risk areas and facilities from general aviation aircraft that
could be stolen or used as a weapon or armed with a weapon."
The study would also include GA airport security, technology
that could easily track GA aircraft, disabling measures that could
prevent aircraft theft, and "an assessment of the threat posed to
high population arrears, nuclear facilities, key infrastructure,
military bases, and transportation infrastructure that stolen or
hijacked general aviation aircraft pose, especially if armed with
weapons or explosives."
The study must also include cost estimates for the
implementation of any recommended security procedures.
"We would welcome an unbiased study, because we are convinced
from our own independent research that within the list of risks and
threats to the American population, GA will rank very low," said
Boyer.
Aero-News
Analysis: Predicted by many, these ludicrous attempts to
legislate a false sense of security at the expense of the RIGHTS
and freedoms currently enjoyed by aviators the nation over, calls
for ridiculous restrictions that fail to address true security and
safety concerns as well as the truly unworkable nature of
increasingly restrictive procedures and the shrinking airspace we
work within.
The folks who proposed these idiotic rules neither understand
the true nature of the threats we face or the realities of the
risks that GA may or may not pose to the public at large. This is
"feel good" legislation proposed by lawmakers who do NOT care for
your rights so long as they can get another thirty seconds of
airtime on the evening news. ANN recommends STRONG and AGGRESSIVE
response from aviators all over America to correct the foolishly
myopic efforts of these legislators, as well as their defeat in the
next election. There is NO excuse for this kind of nonsense. This
is America, and such legislation will do little more than delight
our enemies with the further erosion of one of the uniquely
American aspects of our lives.
Lawmakers this out of touch with the realities of the situation
do NOT deserve to hold public office and should be targeted, the
next time they come up for reelection, for defeat. Period. --
J.R. Campbell, ANN Editor-In-Chief
ANN's Daily Aero-Term (04.20.24): Light Gun
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