ANN
Editor-In-Chief, Jim Campbell, received this letter late Tuesday
afternoon and decided that this MUST be published immediately,
widely, and prominently.
We urge you all to PLEASE read this... and act accordingly!
--ANN Editorial Staff
Dear Jim,
It's over. College Park Airport, the World's
oldest airport in continuous operation, is on its deathbed,
moribund, fighting for its very existence. At the same moment, our
federal Protectors of Freedom are working feverishly to yank-out
the few life-support tubes that remain. Should the
feds get their way, College Park Airport will be
history in the truest sense of the word.
After 93 years of operation, our federal government has decided
that this bucolic little general aviation facility must be slowly
choked out of existence and sacrificed on the holy alter of
National Security. The year-old temporary flight restrictions
imposed upon College Park Airport(CGS), Hyde Field (W32) and
Potomac Airfield (VKX) have now been arbitrarily extended for
another two years. That action may very well destroy three
previously vibrant general aviation airports, no doubt to the
subtle satisfaction of our federal architects of security. The
airports' assassinations will not be quick and humane, but slow and
drawn-out, Inquisition-style. Not wanting any bureaucratic
blood on their hands in the event of negative press, the feds are
now free to shrug their collective shoulders and claim "lack of
market response" as the "real" culprit leading up to the
government's Final Solution for these airports. The
fact that federal zealotry resulted in the seizure of 99+% of
their customer-base won't even qualify as a footnote in any future
administrative autopsies.
What a shame.
It didn't have to happen.
Make no mistake -- the effective
closure of these airports was NOT a result of
terrorism. Rather, their operational demise came at the hands
of a federal government mindset largely devoid of commonly accepted
standards of analysis, principles of risk management or any
pretense at objective deliberation. While "knee-jerk" is a
common and over-used word in today's lexicon, knee-jerk is the
best description when reviewing our government's performance and
unspoken agenda. Don't think so?.... Picture Osama, addressing
his henchmen and working them into a lather…."OK, guys,
here's the deal: We hijack these big, fuel-laden commercial
airliners and crash 'em into some New York skyscrapers… The
infidels in charge will immediately shut down the three little
airports around Washington... Talk about bringing Western
civilization to its knees!" (i.e.: knee-jerk). Bin Laden's Bad
Guys must be rolling around on the cave floor, clutching
their sides in hysterical laughter.
History shows that airliners, trucks, cars, and speedboats are
the terrorists' weapons-of-choice. History also shows
that small general aviation aircraft are Uncle Sam's
victims-of-choice. While it's an incredible stretch
to try and connect the dots, grounding the notorious Piper Cub and
its kindred ilk seems to make perfect sense to those deep within
the bowels of government who believe that protecting our freedoms
must be prefaced by first taking our freedoms away.
Unfortunately, the federales also believe these issues can be
resolved at the same level of awareness that created the problems
in the first place.
The result?
It's too late for facts, analysis and
reason. No time or need for aviation expertise or
input. Rabbit hunting with an elephant gun always gets the job
done. Reasonable discourse and consideration of citizen
freedoms? Sorry, those issues are just acceptable collateral
damage as our government struggles to protect our way of life.
What a shame.
It didn't have to happen.
Way back in 1928, Justice Louis Brandeis
warned, "The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in the
insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without
understanding."
You were a smart man, Louie.
How did you ever know that, 75 years later, they would create a
Transportation Security Administration? How could you have
realized that general aviation security would one day be
implemented and foisted upon us by career security-troids, many
unable to distinguish the difference between a propeller and a
hubcap, not to mention any real familiarity with the
industry? Yep, you were a smart man. Sure wish you were still
among us to help throttle this New Order juggernaut and demand some
regulatory approaches different from Slash-n-Burn and
Scorched-Earch.
To those who took up our cause, and the cause of general
aviation freedom all over, I extend the grateful appreciation of
the aviation community inside the Washington TFR. To
those who may have felt it was not their battle, let College Park
Airport be your canary in the mineshaft. This little airport's
demise should indicate to you that bureaucratic toxins are
in the air, and they'll eventually get to you too if you don't take
action.
One of the specific charges against King George in our
Declaration of Independence states: "He has erected a
multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to
harass our people, and eat out their substance."
Yep, that's it in a nutshell. College Park Airport has been
swarmed, harassed and its substance eaten out.
What a shame.
It didn't have to happen.
Lee Schiek, Airport Manager
College Park Airport (CGS)
"...Since 1909..."
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