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United States Pilots Association |
The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol announced in the Winnipeg, Canada, Free Press plans to start patrol of the U.S. Canadian border by Predator Drones, beginning in September of this year. You can expect future TFRs up and down the border similar to a 300 mile TFR in operation in Arizona. The northern Predators will operate from Grand Forks, North Dakota, and will fly in both east and west directions. Grand Forks will also get 22 pilots to fly airplanes and helicopters on patrols over the border.
AOPA signed in by taking a page from our prior press release by talking about the Predator crash in Arizona saying, "an aircraft flying legally under the TFR could have been hit by the disabled drone."
Additional operations along the northern border will be set up in Bellingham, Washington, Great Falls, Montana, and Plattsburgh, New York. Obviously they are not looking for Mexican citizens crossing the Canadian border. They claim they are looking for terrorists. My question is, just how much money is being spent on this program looking for people illegally crossing our northern border?
Now a comment directed toward the controllers located in the San Diego towers. A recent midair collision resulting in an explosion and fireballs cost the lives of three people when the tower controllers failed to warn both aircraft of the impending accident. The collision alert system sounded in the tower, and the controllers tuned the sound out and ignored the almost one minute warning. This on top of the recent Learjet departure (VFR) where the controller observing the radar target on his scope failed to warn the aircraft of high terrain directly ahead. The plane hit the mountain. The controller stated he was not required to warn the pilots because they had chosen to take off VFR and pick up their instrument clearance in the air. Let this be a lesson to all of us. We must fly the airplane, not the controller. Now get this! The NTSB found eleven (11) crashes where pilots did not get "safety alerts," even though the alarms were going off in the tower or center The same day as the midair above, the FAA issued an order to controllers that they provide safety alerts to pilots when the equipment says they are too close to the ground or each other. It is not known if the order came before or after the crash.
Several months ago I flew from Odessa, TX, to Oklahoma City. I was at 7500 feet VFR talking to Center when I was given a conflict alert by the controller. Another aircraft was approaching on an intersecting course from behind me, and was not obeying the controllers instructions to turn left to avoid traffic. When the controllers alarm went off and I was advised, I turned 45 degrees to the right and climbed 500 feet to get out of this idiot's way. He never strayed from his cardinal heading. And if I had not deviated, I could have been accident #12. Courtesy and common sense is usually all it takes. Use both. It pays.
Be Safe!
Steve Uslan
President, United States Pilots Association