flybill7
Pre-takeoff checklist
Because my home airport is within the ADIZ, I was dismayed this morning to see the following:
AOPA OPPOSES ANOTHER PILOT PENALTY BILL
Yet another bill to severely penalize pilots for violating
restricted airspace has hit Congress. H.R.3465, sponsored by Maryland Democrat Steny Hoyer and Missouri Republican Roy Blunt, would impose a fine of $10,000 to $100,000 and a certificate suspension of two to five years for violating the Washington, D.C., flight-restricted zone (FRZ). Violating the air defense identification zone (ADIZ) outside the FRZ would draw a
$5,000 penalty. AOPA has opposed excessive penalties,
arguing pilot education would reduce incursions. "We're concerned about increasing the penalty versus solving the problem," AOPA President Phil Boyer told "The Washington Post" Wednesday. "Don't we as pilots…know that right after September 11, 2001, the president ordered that any aircraft could be shot down? Doesn't the ultimate penalty already exist?"
The bill includes an education component, added because of AOPA's
advocacy efforts. AOPA will continue lobbying for education rather than unreasonable penalties. See AOPA Online
(
http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsitems/2005/050727bill.html
).
This is really ominous and could knock a lot of capital area pilots out of aviation. I mean, you'd be risking $5,000 every time you fly. All it would take is forgetting to set the transponder to ALT, or forget to dial in the right code.
The problem is that Congress is getting tired of evacuating the Capitol Building thanks mostly to our boy from Smoketown, PA and they ARE going to do something about it. AOPA is trying hard to minimize the damage; hopefully they can limit it to this mandatory training thing.
... Bill
AOPA OPPOSES ANOTHER PILOT PENALTY BILL
Yet another bill to severely penalize pilots for violating
restricted airspace has hit Congress. H.R.3465, sponsored by Maryland Democrat Steny Hoyer and Missouri Republican Roy Blunt, would impose a fine of $10,000 to $100,000 and a certificate suspension of two to five years for violating the Washington, D.C., flight-restricted zone (FRZ). Violating the air defense identification zone (ADIZ) outside the FRZ would draw a
$5,000 penalty. AOPA has opposed excessive penalties,
arguing pilot education would reduce incursions. "We're concerned about increasing the penalty versus solving the problem," AOPA President Phil Boyer told "The Washington Post" Wednesday. "Don't we as pilots…know that right after September 11, 2001, the president ordered that any aircraft could be shot down? Doesn't the ultimate penalty already exist?"
The bill includes an education component, added because of AOPA's
advocacy efforts. AOPA will continue lobbying for education rather than unreasonable penalties. See AOPA Online
(
http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsitems/2005/050727bill.html
).
This is really ominous and could knock a lot of capital area pilots out of aviation. I mean, you'd be risking $5,000 every time you fly. All it would take is forgetting to set the transponder to ALT, or forget to dial in the right code.
The problem is that Congress is getting tired of evacuating the Capitol Building thanks mostly to our boy from Smoketown, PA and they ARE going to do something about it. AOPA is trying hard to minimize the damage; hopefully they can limit it to this mandatory training thing.
... Bill