Very Important... Contact your senator.

[ShawnC]

Amendments Pass in Committee Not GA-Friendly
September 19, 2002 - EAA has learned from congressional sources that the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science & Technology Committee Subcommittee on Aviation passed a modified amendment to the Aviation Security Act (S-2949) that keeps restrictions on stadium overflights intact for six months without waivers. The original amendment offered by John Breaux (D-LA) on September 19 called for enforcement of FAA NOTAM 1/3353, which prohibits flights within 3 nautical miles/3,000 feet AGL of large open-air assemblies and major sporting events; and FAA NOTAM 2/9583 which eliminates all waivers to 1/3353 for one year. The amendment was modified to six months, enforced at events with more than 30,000 attendees on weekends only.

EAA aggressively opposes this amendment on several fronts:

Such legislation would doom the already precarious banner towing industry.

Pilots flying cross-country must remain 3 miles clear of major open air assemblies and sporting events including collegiate events, without navigable reference for identifying the location of these facilities.

Equally as important, pilots have no practical means of determining when events are actually scheduled to take place.

There has never been a satisfactory definition of what constitutes a major sporting event or open-air assembly, leaving the matter entirely to interpretation.

The pop-up TFRs around these events randomly shut down general aviation airports within three miles of such events across the country.

The peak period for general aviation flight activity is during weekends, at which times many collegiate and professional sporting events occur.

A pilot may not be not aware of violating an airspace restriction until the stadium at issue passes under the wing of the airplane.


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This admendment should and will be opposed by pilots thoughout the USA. All events should be indvidually evaluated and NOTAMed.

Contact your state senators and make sure that this admendments dies.

 

[ShawnC]

Seems that AOPA might be jumping on this (not a member)

Its even more important now, it seems that the TSA is letting major league sports win.

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ACCESS TO RESTRICTED AIRSPACE OVER SPORTING EVENTS DURING HOMELAND SECURITY THREAT LEVEL ORANGE

On September 11, 2002, all waivers issued to aircraft operators for access to restricted airspace over sporting events were canceled after the President approved moving the Homeland Security Advisory System's Threat Condition from Level YELLOW (Significant Risk of Terrorist Attacks) to Level ORANGE (High Risk of Terrorist Attacks).

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) continue to receive requests to authorize flights into restricted airspace over sporting events. While the Homeland Security Advisory System's Threat Condition remains at ORANGE, FAA and TSA will only allow the following flights access to restricted airspace over sporting events:

Department of Defense, law enforcement, and aeromedical flights if they are in contact with and under the control of FAA Air Traffic Control
Flights that are determined by TSA to be essential to the safe operation of the sporting event
Flights authorized by FAA Air Traffic for operational purposes
No flights will be authorized for the purpose of transporting persons to and from the event sites.

 

[Rush Limbaugh]

I may get flamed for this but I'm going to say it anyway.

It seems to me that more and more Americans are shedding a tear over the Star Spangled Banner because of the increased patriotism but when it comes to making the sacrifices to make our land safer, nobody wants to be the one to actually do the sacrificing. Raghead Americans get offended by being "profiled" on airliners and now pilots are going to be whining that they have to stay 3 miles from a stadium full of people. Who cares, it's 3 miles and what kind of pilot can't see a stadium that will hold 30,000 people until it is under his wing. These pilots are flying 172's, not SR-71's so it's not like the terrain beneath them is a blur.

AOPA and EAA need to get a grip on the fact that we now live in a different world and the little empires that they think they are running needs to change to fit. I don't think these restrictions will help anything either but I also don't think they are going to hurt anything except get a few low SA Cessna pilots violated.

Rush out

 

[ShawnC]

You don't even get why I care. Its not because I want to fly within 3 miles of a stadium, its because its going to be a law, a permenat area where you can't fly.

Heck in a few years if we let them pass this in silence it might be prohibited to fly below 5,000' AGL if not for the purposes for landing and taking off.

Also you are playing to the beliefs of the public that GA is a threat. Next time something like this comes up people will say "GA is so much of a theart that they had to pass a law about it."

Rush, its people like that don't care, and let the world pass them by and legislate you out of exsistance.

 

[SaabStory]

I'm pissed too...they say I can't ride my horse down the freeway & carry my gun into a saloon anymore! The times they are achangin'. I say it's about time, get with reality & deal with it. I am contacting my representative too...sorry.

 

[stardog]

I'm contacting mine as well.

 

[ShawnC]

With us or against us... at least you are taking an active role in your government.

 

[ShawnC]

Good news, for me at least. The bill (yes the entire bill thanks to this one little admendment) has been stalled in the Senate, and in the house the Representives are starting to speak up about not allowing to come though on their side.

 

[310]

Don't you boneheads that support this stupid law understand that by accepting useless laws like this, the very ones that attacked us win by changing us. The people in the stadiums are no safer due to this law.

 

[willi7]

I agree, this is just more of our tax dollars flushed down the toilet.... Just like fedral employment of the same screeners that legaly let the hijackers on the planes... Or fedral employees that let these people in the country to begin with... Won't do anything about that, but they are going to stop that canvas tripacer from destroying the rose bowl... Maybe they can screen great grandma edna 95 of alabama for weapons at the airports some more, that will help to.....Give me a break!!! This is just another political vote collecting tactic to make joe and jane blow on the street think these guys are protecting them......