Aero-News: Quote of the Day

ANN's Quote of the Day usually derives from current news, though we reserve the right to pick quotes out of history that have a bearing on the day's events and issues.

Sometimes, you'll find them timely and in keeping with the content of the day's news... and sometimes, they'll just be thought-provoking.

Reader suggestions and comments are welcome... and if particularly intriguing, timely, or poignant, may themselves become future Quotes of the Day.

Let us hear from you, folks!

Aero-News Quote of the Day

"What we want to do is harness the fact that aircraft fly over some of the same routes that ships take. If they can put a receiver in an aircraft, then they can (receive) a signal that goes up from the ship in all directions.. and then we would know where the ships are."

Source: Jeffrey High, the Coast Guard's director of Maritime Domain Awareness, on his idea to have commercial trans-oceanic flights keep an eye on ships as far as 2,000 from the US coastline in an effort to block terrorists. High says America's ports and waterways are especially vulnerable to terrorism and any extra eyes on potential targets would be much appreciated. Aircraft involved in the program might be fit with receivers that would pick up the ships' equivalent of a transponder signal. Data from the airliners would be cross-checked in Washington against a list of the 8,000 or so ships that dock at US ports every year.

FMI: www.uscg.mil