Woke up this morning and thought the coffee wasn't working when the TV news reported that a new Defense Identification Zone was created over Washington DC this weekend for the Code "Orange".
Sure enough, checked out AOPA and we now have mandatory flight plans, beacon codes, etc for the 23 airports and approximately 2800 sq miles surrounding the White House.
DCA is again closed to ALL Part 91 flights. The DC-3 (airports within 15nm of the Washington Monument) have a screwy procedure where the pilots have to land at Lee-Annapolis Airport then continue their trip.
Although my airplane is technically liberated from all this ... (words that convey my disgust), I know that all the trainers (read employed CFI's) at JYO, GAI, FME, ANP, MTN and W29 are basically dead in the water. For the poor guys at GAI, I really feel for you - the closest airport to 3 of the richest counties in the U.S. (read good student base) and they now have a 20 minute flight just to find a practice area. Let's see how many of your students would pay you $80 just to fly back and forth to an airport where you can do touch and go's.
Yep, I'm sure this 30nm mile circle will do lots to protect all the people in "unspecified" targets most likely hotels and apartments. Oh wait! This doesn't protect THOSE targets, it only protects politicians and Homeland Security personnel sitting at their desks in DC. Now I get it!
Sure enough, checked out AOPA and we now have mandatory flight plans, beacon codes, etc for the 23 airports and approximately 2800 sq miles surrounding the White House.
DCA is again closed to ALL Part 91 flights. The DC-3 (airports within 15nm of the Washington Monument) have a screwy procedure where the pilots have to land at Lee-Annapolis Airport then continue their trip.
Although my airplane is technically liberated from all this ... (words that convey my disgust), I know that all the trainers (read employed CFI's) at JYO, GAI, FME, ANP, MTN and W29 are basically dead in the water. For the poor guys at GAI, I really feel for you - the closest airport to 3 of the richest counties in the U.S. (read good student base) and they now have a 20 minute flight just to find a practice area. Let's see how many of your students would pay you $80 just to fly back and forth to an airport where you can do touch and go's.
Yep, I'm sure this 30nm mile circle will do lots to protect all the people in "unspecified" targets most likely hotels and apartments. Oh wait! This doesn't protect THOSE targets, it only protects politicians and Homeland Security personnel sitting at their desks in DC. Now I get it!