A New Shape For The ADIZ (Think Round)

The permanent zone that will likely result from all this is almost certain to be round, or close to it. The current “Mickey Mouse ears” shape of the ADIZ invites navigational error and also makes it tough on those monitoring the airspace. Just how big the circle should be is another matter. GA proponents say 20 miles should be plenty. The security folks (who are really running this show) say bigger is better. And while a big donut hole should be a lot easier for pilots to avoid, smoothing out the shape of the zone may mean capturing some airports that now lie free between Mickey’s ears. Those likely will not go down without a fight. Another proposal frequently floated during the hearings involved GA corridors — another proposal that probably won’t happen. Although corridors work well to separate VFR traffic from heavy metal in busy areas, they don’t fit the bill for a security zone, which necessarily requires the identification and monitoring of each aircraft. And requiring all the usual ADIZ procedures and then funneling all GA aircraft through the corridors would only compound the problems that already exist and likely lead to even more incursions.