Reading these replies and complaints is rather entertaining. First of all, it seems that a lot of people think that flight simmers should be consulted before any policies or practices are amended. It seems that some think that if all U.S. simmers get together, you would have the power to vote out elected officials. Right.It also seems, from reading the article, that the real reason for the change in policy is not security, but copyright issues (as others have mentioned). The data comes from various sources, and some have decided that they don't care to provide it for free for the whole world to download, when they can sell it. And don't blame it all on the U.S., because there are groups from outside the US involved in producing this information.You also complain about the loss of freedoms. Which freedoms have YOU really lost? Don't confuse convenience with freedoms or rights. These same people complaining about loss of freedoms, would be raising holy hell if another terrorist act is carried out against the U.S. - "why didn't THEY do more?", "how could THEY let this happen again?". How would YOU go about protecting us?Remember how, after 9/11, everyone was saying that we should have had stronger airport security and immigration policies BEFORE 9/11? I think I'm safe in assuming that the same people saying that, would have been trying to remove any elected official that had anything to do with causing so much inconvenience for them, "for no reason". People wouldn't have accepted that.Keep in mind - no one is sitting up there trying to come up with ways to pi$$ off flight simmers. There are reasons for most of the things that are done that many citizens don't understand. I work in security at a high security facility, and even though all of changes we've made since 9/11 are VERY clear to me and other security people, many general employees/workers only see them as an inconvenience. Some just don't see it as trying to keep them, their families and thousands of other people safe. People seem to think that these changes are the end of the FS world. Remember the reaction to the PT/American Airlines debacle? Look in the Avsim library now, and tell me that there is lack of AA repaints in there. Just wait and see what happens. Things USUALLY work out.Don't fly off the handle when things like this happen. There is USUALLY good reason for it, and it's not the end of the world. You may not understand it all, right now, but maybe someday...Just chill, and see how it all works out. :)

Bob wrote:"I work in security at a high security facility, and even though all of changes we've made since 9/11 are VERY clear to me and other security people, many general employees/workers only see them as an inconvenience. Some just don't see it as trying to keep them, their families and thousands of other people safe."Amen...

There's a fine line between "keeping people safe" and removing rights in the name of keeping people safe, though. When I read about kids being questioned by the police because they want to buy FS2004 and such, things have obviously gone too far. Same with destroying public property (Meigs) or trying to install spyware on everyone's PC etc.

There's no doubt that in some cases authorities have gone overboard to "protect us", but at the same time, I have to wonder what the TRUE story is, when I read some of these accounts. MANY times, what you read, and what actually happened, are two entirely diffrent things. People here don't hesitate to criticise the media when they read or hear a totally (messed) up account of a plane crash, or other aviation-related event, but they don't apply that same grain of salt to other stories. Trust me, they screw up stories other than avitation stuff, all the time too. Whatever sounds good, and will get you attention is all that matters. And of course we know that the media is completely un-biased. :)Now, when it comes to local authorities closing airport viewing areas in the name of 'security', that's another story. That's "BS". :)

>I don't think I'm overreacting to this news and I hope this>thread isn't locked for being slightly political, but this is>really the first instance post 9/11 that I can think of where>I've really truly felt that the goverment is doing something>in the name of "protecting me" that is actually taking away my>rights.Your...RIGHTS? I just paged through the US Constitution and its amendments, and I don't see a right to free navdata in there. Perhaps you can point me to it?>The people of this country own the airway system, not someone>in the Defense Department who just arbitrarily decided that it>was a security risk to publish navaid and terminal procedure>info to the public. As taxpayers, we pay for the creation of>such data - it is our right to access it just as much as it is>the Pentagon's.As said in the federal register, DoD has no statutory obligation to provide free navigation data to the public. Maybe the FAA should be doing this for the US airway system.As taxpayers we pay to compile the databases...but we pay to compile the databases for intended use by DoD. To secure unrestricted free-distribution rights to the foreign national navdata contained in DAFIF would be quite expensive and not in the public interest, at least from a DoD budget perspective.As to your "right" to access it...read the Freedom of Information Act (5 USC 552) where it delineates fairly well what you can expect in terms of access to government-maintained information. You have an incorrect perception as to your "rights" in this regard. Don't like that? Start a political movement..."Simmers for Free Navdata." Fund a Capitol Hill lobbyist or two. >QUOTE:>>This action is taken to accomplish the following>objectives: >>safeguarding the integrity of Department of Defense (DoD)>aeronautical navigation data currently available on the public>Internet;>>>This is the only reason that even makes any sense - hacking is>a problem, HOWEVER, you're telling me the DoD is putting the>master source files for the database on the Internet rather>than a copy that they could care less about getting hacked?No, it doesn't need be the master source file...if you hack the same approach plate a C-17 crew is about to use to fly into Tinbuktoo Intl airport at night in bad wx with 200 of our sons and daughters in uniform aboard, you might be able to replace altitudes or procedure courses in a way that causes the jet's crew, using an approach plate obtained from that same site, to drive into a mountain, for example. Integrity of this kind of operational data IS important.>>preventing unfettered access to air facility data by those>intending harm to the United States, its interests or allies;>>>Ok, so remove the diagrams dealing with military airports. >Btw, if a terrorist wanted this info, couldn't they just buy a>Jep subscription for a nominal fee and get even better info>than the DAFIF stuff? And hey, those military airbases are in>FS already usually with a pretty accurate tarmac layout etc,>should the DoD/Homeland Security fly up to Redmond and order>MS to strip it from FS2006?Unfettered access means we aren't going to just hand it over to them. Nobody expects that we're going to make the info vanish from view. >>upholding terms of bi-lateral geospatial data-sharing>agreements;>>>>avoiding competition with commercial interests;>>>God forbid the public be able to access the information we pay>for already via our taxes without having to pay a private>corporation for it. This is in line with the current>administration's ideology though - privatize everything. That>air you're breathing right now - someone's gonna "own" it>before long and you'll be paying them too.The government buys licenses for software for the computers used in its offices...do you argue that it should buy a license for the Microsoft Office suite for every American as well? When DoD obtains access to for-fee data from a foreign country, it's licensed for a specific DoD audience...a wider audience will cost more.This has nothing to do with the current U.S. administration. The privatization that drives this intellectual property issue is being done by governments outside the U.S.>>and avoiding intellectual property/copyright disputes with>foreign agencies that provide host-nation aeronautical>data.>>If this is really an issue, remove the offending portions of>the database, leaving at the very least, the USA civilian>stuff intact.Why? What DoD interest is served by spending time and resources to create and distribute a dumbed-down version of the database for a non-DoD user? DoD does not have a statutory obligation to provide this info to the public.>I'm seriously offended as a simmer by these actions, which>clearly are not going to actually produce a tangible "safety">increase, but are just a way for the current goverment to>further place itself into a veil of secrecy, unaccountable to>those paying the bills for this stuff.>>I'll be writing letters to both Arizona senators and my>district Representative informing them of my disgust for this>decision today and I suggest anyone else upset do so as>well...There are a number of tangible benefits as outlined in the federal register. There are issues of data integrity, DoD exposure to legal action on an issue (intellectual property rights) that is near and dear to the US economy, DoD's continued access to critical foreign flight data, and maybe a little bit of added security on the periphery.But...by all means write your Congressmen...precious few even know who those people are. I am quite sure the 13 calls for immediate action that will be received in Sen McCain's office will literally catapult this one to the front of his otherwise frivolous policy agenda. :-)RegardsBob ScottATP IMEL Gulfstream II-III-IV-V L-300Washington, DC

Anyone who is truly honest with themselfs would have to admit that Government corporate crimes against humanity is the root cause of global terrisim.The big question is, are we going to graduate beyond that,or end up as one big ###### Germany?

>Anyone who is truly honest with themselfs would have to admit>that Government corporate crimes against humanity is the root>cause of global terrisim.No way, Jim.I do think this Berkeley-esque hyperbole would be better posted on alt.despair.whipped.and.beaten.democratsand maybe crossposted to alt.no.matter.what.it.is.its.all.our.faultWho knows, maybe a support group is forming in your area...RegardsBob ScottATP IMEL Gulfstream II-III-IV-V L-300Washington, DC

>Anyone who is truly honest with themselfs would have to admit>that Government corporate crimes against humanity is the root>cause of global terrisim.Sounds like from a mouth of a dumb Berkeley leftist. If you are truly honest with yourself you should get a mental therapy - perhaps 2 weeks in a resort in Noth Korea would suffice.Michael J.WinXP-Home SP2,AMD64 3500+,Abit AV8,Radeon X800Pro,36GB Raptor,1GB PC3200,Audigy 2

>Anyone who is truly honest with themselfs would have to admit>that Government corporate crimes against humanity is the root>cause of global terrisim.>Sounds like from a mouth of a dumb Berkeley leftist. If you>are truly honest with yourself you should get a mental therapy>- perhaps 2 weeks in a resort in Noth Korea would suffice.Now that's just wonderful ... breathtaking argumentation sir! I'm always astounded about the sides of people the internet brings about ... Please, just TRY to back up your remarks, or say nothing if there is nothing sensible you have to say. Insulting people isn't getting nobody nowhere. You know the great thing about freedom? You're entitled to have your own opinion! So

Please stay on topic and keep personal stabs out...Thank you for your cooperation.

:-roll

Future dialogue from Al-Quaeda HQ:"-Hey Osama, did you hear, the DAFIF site is down for good"."-Oh no! Better grab the AIRAC update from Navdata.at... What? Richard don't have the latest cycle? I guess I'll have to trigger an oil crisis to fund my subscription to Jeppesen then...".:-8

Let me make one thing perfectly clear. I have served this country in the protection of other countries not just our own.I'm pretty sure that the reasons for this move to remove the DAFIF data has nothing to do with security reasons. I also laugh when people think that by removing general public information or not letting people photograph certain public areas in aviation could possibly prevent any potential terrorists from gaining any more knowledge that may or may not already have to help them. Sensitive military or publice quipment areas obviously were not even allowed to be photographed prior to 9/11 anyways.Let's face it. A 10 year old could program a FMC/MCDU and slave it correctly to the MCP of any Boeing or airbus aircraft and have it fly to any point on this earth. They don't need any help from anyone to do this. Further more, terrorists are not going to fly on published SID's/STAR's or federal airways as defined in the FAR's, be it civilian or military routes. Secondly, there are more accurate public sources of data other than general outlines on ground charts in which to acquire any points of entry or exits. Thirdly, anyone which may be planning any future stupid acts using our aviation assets probably already has all the data they needed from sources dating to far before 9/11.Give me a freakin break here. Maybe I'll just add another product to our Flight1 Wrapper and take up a public collection (not for profit) and obtain the proper licenses needed to maintain an accurate nav data base for future products. I'm guessing just a dollar per person ought to do it. And since I'm not the sharpest tack in the box, somone has surely already thought of that idea and started that project.P.S. Tom, Aren't you an AOPA member as your signature says ? C'mon man, you're also a member of the media.

I don't think anybody has addressed this yet: Why should the DoD provide this data to the general public in the first place? How does publishing this data for the general public enhance national defense, air safety or any other government function?

>Btw, if a terrorist wanted this info, couldn't they just buy a Jep subscription for a nominal fee and get even better info than the DAFIF stuff?Exactly! If I was a terrorist and needed those data (what I doubt) for a terrorist attack, I would buy me Jeppesen charts or a Garmin, which can be bought all over the world form anybody who wants to buy them.Wolfgang