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United States Pilots Association |
Reading the Newspapers over Labor Day Weekend left me wondering just who is running the store in Washington, DC. Let's look at these seemingly unrelated stories you see in the printed media, not on cable or network news.
Border Security: The FAA has granted access to various unrestricted airspace for UAS/UAV flights without chase or escort planes. I am not privy to all of the machinations that went into this program, but I will tell you one thing. It will not be too long in the future before one of these and one like I fly meet in the air by accident. Regardless of NOTAMS, there is no way safe distances can be maintained between these two dissimilar aircraft. Please take a look at the USPA website and see for yourselves the variety of different aircraft contemplated and currently flying. This is the new age of border security.
While on that subject, an article appeared today calling attention to the tremendous increases in waiting time to cross over into the United States from Canada and Mexico. I frequently go into Mexico by car from Laredo, and there is no wait getting in. Looking across the bridge to the U.S. bound traffic, the wait exceeds four hours and is growing. What's the problem, you say? There are simply not enough people working the border crossings for the volume of traffic. Drive in any direction from Laredo into Texas and you must pass through yet another Border Patrol Checkpoint. Drive North toward Eagle Pass and Del Rio and you will encounter three checkpoints.
Have any of you noticed that Jet Blue pulled away from supporting the Air Traffic Association's support of user fees on small planes and the proposed tax reduction to the airlines, if the airlines collectively get to take over the Air Traffic Control System? It is no secret the airlines and their multiple lobbyists are hitting every Congressperson and Senator in an attempt to coerce support of this bill. USPA urges all of our elected representatives to vote NO! on this blatant attempt at yet another government subsidy of an industry unable to keep its own house clean.
The FAA announced on Thursday, August 30th, the letting of a $1.9 Billion contract to ITT Corp for the start of the next generation navigation system. Supposedly, this is the system the airlines are hopeful of controlling after it is fully implemented. If the Lockheed Martin contract taking over the operations of the Flight Service Stations is any barometer, this will become just another feather in Marion Blakey's cap. Have any of you noticed that the FAA is running about 1400-1500 controllers short of capacity, and this at a time when airline schedules are equaling those of pre 9/11? Have you all noticed the huge increase in runway incursions at LAX, an airport not readily used by General Aviation? There are not enough controllers on duty to keep the planes separated on the ground.
While on the subject of the Lockheed Martin contract, chew on this. It is a true story. An active member of USPA filed an IFR flight plan with LM. He verified the existence of the flight plan before beginning to taxi. His route of flight proposed to take him through the ADIZ surrounding Washington, DC. Upon becoming airborne, he contacted the FSS frequency and requested a squawk, and was told his flight plan was not on file. He was told to contact another facility on a different frequency, who did verify the existence of the flight plan, but could not give the squawk. He flew the IFR route at the planned altitude. By the time LM got its act together, he had flown into the ADIZ and was written up for a violation. He filed the NASA form and is currently involved with dealing with an FAA office in Maine. This is unconscionable. The controller admitted he knew who it was by comparing the route of flight to the filed flight plan.
Do you all wonder why USPA has so many concerns regarding the "Outsourcing" of the various functions of the FAA?
Steve Uslan, President