Dear Mark:
Thank you for contacting me with your opposition to expand and make permanent the Washington D.C. Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) restrictions. I appreciate your input.
The ADIZ security measures were implemented following the 9/11 terrorist attacks to protect federal buildings in our nation’s capital. Current proposals would increase the preexisting 15-mile flight restricted zone (FRZ) and restrict general aviation access to airspace under 18,000 feet in a 15- to 38-mile radius around Washington, D.C.
On several occasions, my staff and I have been evacuated from the U.S. Capitol complex due to perceived threats from an unidentified aircraft entering the ADIZ.
While I understand the necessity of having some restrictions (especially identification restrictions), I believe skilled pilots operating non-commercial single-engine planes may not pose the most serious threat to the Capitol region. I feel that further oversight of the Bush administration’s general aviation security policies are warranted before any further expansions of ADIZ are implemented. Thank you for writing me.