Surprise! GA Loses Out To 9/11 Hysteria 

Despite prolonged, strong appeals by aviation and pilot organizations, the US Navy formally changed the temporary flight restriction located over the US Naval Submarine Base in Bangor, Washington, into a permanent Prohibited Area, ironically coded "P-51."

National GA associations including EAA and AOPA joined Washington's state Pilots Association, Seaplane Pilots Association, Department of Aeronautics, and several elected officials to voice opposition to the change, which is scheduled to go into effect on December 22, 2005.

In the final rule adopting P-51, the FAA and the U.S. Navy state that small general aviation aircraft, like the Cessna 150 that flew into the Washington, D.C. ADIZ, are a "clear and viable threat" to the Navy.

"EAA is a very strong supporter of the U.S. military and the need to protect national assets, but we strongly disagree with the establishment of P-51," said Earl Lawrence, EAA vice president of government and regulatory affairs.

Lawrence pointed to the National Security Area (NSA) designation, created by FAA and the Department of Defense in 2003 for this specific type of national security issue. "NSAs provide an equal level of protection to this type facility through the voluntary support of all general aviation pilots," he said. "EAA strongly endorsed the creation of a NSA over the Bangor facility as the best way to meet national security needs.

"In today's written decision, it is very clear that the FAA and the U.S. Navy do not trust general aviation pilots ability to play a vital role in protecting national assets," Lawrence said.

Unfortunately for GA pilots, EAA fears this action opens the door to similar action over other military institutions, such as the U.S. Naval Submarine Base at St. Marys, Georgia. EAA and others have made the same common-sense comments against establishing a Prohibited Area there, but EAA feels, based on the Bangor action, St. Marys will also become a Prohibited Area in the very near future.

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.dod.mil