Pilots Speak Out Against D.C. ADIZ

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On Thursday, federal officials held their first public meeting with pilots from the Washington, D.C., area who will have to live with the government’s proposed permanent Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). Over 30 speakers took a turn during the six-hour-long meeting, recounting their personal experiences with operational nightmares, safety hazards, and economic loss, AOPA reported on Friday. The 11-member panel seemed “unresponsive,” AOPA said, but the FAA says they are paying attention. “We will look at all the comments and consider the many creative recommendations we have,” an FAA spokeswoman told AOPA. The panel included representatives from the FAA, Transportation Security Administration, Homeland Security, Defense Department, Customs and Border Protection, and Secret Service. “The people on the panel were the right players,” David Wartofsky, owner of Potomac Airfield, told AVweb on Saturday. He said he thinks they are knowledgeable about the issues and will listen. Wartofsky said he used his turn at the podium to propose alternative ways to protect the airspace, and he has posted his PowerPoint presentation at his airport Web site.

This week’s session is set for Wednesday, Jan. 18, at the Dulles Airport Marriott, from 1 p.m. until 4 and 6:30 p.m. until 9. If you wanted to make an oral statement, you had to have your request in by now. Comments can be submitted online until Feb. 6. To access the docket, type in 17005. The proposal so far has drawn over 19,800 comments.

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