The FAA and US Secret Service have approved a four-mile exemption radius for Killeen (Texas) Municipal Airport, adapting a temporary flight restriction (TFR) that had curtailed operations and created safety hazards at that local airfield.
 
The flight restriction was adopted as a security measure when President Bush is present at his ranch near Crawford, Texas, about 30 miles away. The restricted area borders just 700 feet from the north end of Killeen's lone runway. When the restrictions were in effect, VFR pattern work, flight training and practice instrument training were prohibited. Pilots had to conduct takeoffs and landings to the south, which created potential air traffic and wind condition safety hazards.

EAA requested relief for Killeen Municipal Airport on behalf of local pilots led by EAA member Jim Livingston. EAA Washington Office Director Doug Macnair worked with federal officials in Washington, D.C., to show the unique circumstances that burdened the Killeen facility and possible solutions.

"This may seem like a small victory to aviators throughout many parts of the nation, but it's a big relief for those who fly at Killeen," said Earl Lawrence, EAA Vice President of Government and Industry Relations. "This is an example of what EAA has been emphasizing: That proper security measures must be balanced with common sense."

The FAA NOTAM involving Killeen allows an exemption from the Crawford "P-49" Restricted Area in a four-mile radius from the center of the airport. The update will be included in FAA's next Crawford TFR notice. Lawrence also reminded all aviators that extremely high standards of responsibility and airmanship will help keep such exemptions in place and lay the groundwork for possible future efforts.

"This relief, along with the recent small improvements in the Washington/Baltimore airspace, are important tests for general aviation pilots," he said. "Federal authorities are watching how we handle these exemptions. If aviators continue to show that we can observe these regulations, it will open the door for additional flight-restriction reductions."

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.whitehouse.gov