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Cessna- DC - Rest of The Story

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Cessna- DC - Rest of The StoryWhile some who have no clue were advocating shooting down a small Cessna that strayed into DC airspace recently, we are now learning part of the rest of the story. Looks like the Pilots and the Authorities made the correct call yet again by not shooting it down. Well Done.Of course that didn't stop all kinds of false and misleading information being spewed all over the airwaves and internet.It seems the Student Pilot will face no repercussions, and the Instructor was issued an emergency revocation, even as his lawyer says he should only get 30 - 90 days revocation, which he can appeal. Now for the interesting part. While some here said the Aircraft apparently ignored ATC Instructions, no one here contemplated whether something else was possible. Much easier to place blame when you don't wait for the facts.It seems the Blackhawk wrote down the frequency on a sign, to display to the cessna, only some other ELT (Electronic Locator Transmitter) on the ground was activated and thus was jamming the frequency. Sure glad I stayed out of that thread, waiting for data such as this to filter out, which it usually does. ;-)Now the local agencies are stating they don't know where the errant ELT was broadcasting from. How stupid is that?An Article is located here:http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/24/politics/24plane.htmlNow Notice how Reuters ignore the ELT part:http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?t...storyID=8579735Nor does ABC:http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=783982I guess Ignorance is bliss...I am of the opinion that GA poses the smallest threat to DC, and the punishing airspace restrictions should be lifted.There are far more easier ways to infiltrate our cities besides using an Aircraft that can be tracked vs. using a GEO Metro or a small truck that most likely cannot be tracked.More common sense needs to be applied to our security, instead of punishing general Aviation until it no longer exists. Then we will only have the Jumbo jets which have been used before.Radar can track aircraft, and in most cases no one is tracking Geo Metros or small trucks or RV's. No one is stopping them though. Anyone want to compare useful load on a Winnebago vs. a Cessna. :-lolWe don't need more legislation on GA or restrictions, we need the moronic press and congressional legislators to stop grandstanding the ignorance they spew everytime this happens. I say Release GA from the grips of unnecessary regulation, and restriction so these types of events no longer occur. Eliminat ethe Zones and let's get our countrys GA Commerce going again.Can't track an ELT, how stupid is that. Sheesh....Of course also relevant is the pilots statement and this snippet:http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsitems/200...3statement.html"Although our radio had been working during the flight, which we know, because we were able to monitor other aircraft communications, we were unable to communicate with the Blackhawk helicopter on the frequency indicated. A helicopter crew member used hand signals to indicate a second frequency option. We tuned to that frequency, identified our aircraft, and requested further instructions. We received no response on either of the indicated frequencies despite repeated attempts by both of us."Read the rest of the above joint statement by the pilots, where they do state they were eventually able to communicate to the helicopter.Thank Goodness for AOPAhttp://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsitems/2005/050517adiz.htmlAnd this is an Ad some of you may or may not have seen. This is How GA responds.http://www.aopa.org/usatodayad.pdfIt is sweeps month and I guess the LSM advertisers will have to pay more now due to the lame coverage of this that I saw.Now let's see if the lame stream press reports the rest of the facts tomorrow or just ignores it. Hmmm, we'll see.Regards,JoePS - Now it seems a Plane form Canada violated DC Airspace today, but let's see if the LSP reports this part:http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto.../International/"


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From the FAADate Posted: May 23, 2005FAA Statement Regarding the Emergency Revocation of the Airman Certificate of Hayden L. Sheaffer, Pilot of the Cessna 150 Aircraft that Violated the National Capital Region's Restricted Airspace on May 11, 2005The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Friday evening issued an emergency revocation of the airman certificate of Hayden L. Sheaffer, who was the pilot in command of the small Cessna 150 aircraft that violated the restricted airspace around the nation's capital on Wednesday, May 11, 2005. A copy of the emergency order has been released pursuant to a Freedom of Information Act request.Mr. Sheaffer will be required to surrender his certificate immediately to the FAA and will not be permitted to fly for a minimum of one year. At the conclusion of one year, Mr. Sheaffer may apply for a new certificate, which may be issued only if he passes a written and a practical test. Mr. Sheaffer has a right to make an immediate appeal to the National Transportation Safety Board.The FAA has determined that no action is warranted against the aircraft's passenger, who holds a student pilot certificate." aopa.gif" border="0" alt="Grab My FREEWARE Voice recognition Profiles here:[a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fs2004misc&DLID=58334]Cessna 172 Voice Profile[/a][a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fs2004misc&DLID=60740]FSD Avanti Voice Profile[/a].You will need the main FREEWARE Flight Assistant program to use it, get it here:[a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=genutils&DLID=39661]Flight Assistant 2.2[/a]


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I read pilot's statement. It is absolutely remarkable. So they went 'extra miles' around Camp David but thought flying over the White Houese was perfectly OK. It did not seem odd to them. Plus they reviewed charts and did not see anything. I wonder how old the charts were. It is a remarkable admission of dumbness.Michael J.WinXP-Home SP2,AMD64 3500+,Abit AV8,Radeon X800Pro,36GB Raptor,1GB PC3200,Audigy 2http://www.precisionmanuals.com/images/forum/747400.jpg

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According to the FAA, Sheaffer, 69, wasn't even supposed to have a passenger in the single-engine Cessna in the first place. He hadn't met the requirement to do so: three takeoffs and three landings within the previous 90 days of the flight. He didn't take the most basic steps required of pilots before flying a plane, the FAA said. He failed to check the weather report before leaving Smoketown, Pa., and he didn't check the FAA's "Notices to Airmen," which informs pilots of airspace restrictions and how to respond to a military aircraft. When he got lost, he didn't call air traffic control or a flight service station to establish his location, which was 40 to 45 miles south of where he actually was, the FAA said. Source: ABC's report

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Guest Divergent Phugoid

>>I am of the opinion that GA poses the smallest threat to DC, and the >>punishing airspace restrictions should be lifted.I agree with you. I get deeply irritated at the suggestion that anything and everything just might contain a dirty bomb or some other paranoia inducing device.There is also always another side to a story. The 30 day rule is broken on a regular basis (usually through ignorance) and it isn't unheard of for pilots to use out of date charts. HOWEVER, I still don't think there is any excuse, the pilot really should have realised where he was heading. The aviate, navigate and then communicate cycle is sheer common sense, but again, many pilots let this break down when struggling with the radio.He is representative of a small but not insignificant percentage of pilots who aren't quite as rigourous as maybe they should be. Unfortunately in his case he got caught out in the most embarrassing of circumstances. He should be receive a license endorsement and a fine with maybe a suspension. Something to remind other pilots to keep their game upto scratch.

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Wouldn't it have been pretty obvious to see where he was if he had just LOOKED OUT OF THE WINDOW ? I mean, surely Washington D.C. is somewhat difficult to miss ?!!Chris Low.


Christopher Low

UK2000 Beta Tester

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Guest DNelson

>>It seems the Student Pilot will face no repercussions, and the Instructor was issued an emergency revocation, even as his lawyer says he should only get 30 - 90 days revocation, which he can appeal.Since you're always such a stickler for keeping the facts straight, you might like to know that Mr. Sheaffer is not a CFI. AOPA made the following comment almost two weeks ago: Contrary to media reports, neither man is a flight instructor.

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This incident suggests that a pilot who ignores the 90 day rule is likely to ignore other, more important, rules.Interestingly, The Globe and Mail report says:Though hundreds of people have mistakenly flown into Washington's restricted airspace, the FAA rarely revokes a pilot's licence for such an offence. In Mr. Sheaffer's case, the agency determined he

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Quote from the pilots' statement:At this point, for the first time, we were able to visually identify our location as being in a Flight Restricted Zone (FRZ).This after being intercepted by a helicopter then two F-15s.

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>Radar can track aircraft, and in most cases no one is tracking>Geo Metros or small trucks or RV's. No one is stopping them>though. Anyone want to compare useful load on a Winnebago vs.>a Cessna. :-lolSomething to keep in mind: Most of these "protected" buildings have some sort of vehicle barrier system around them. These barriers are mormally designed and placed to keep a certain size vehicle, carrying a certain amount of explosives, a predetermined distance from the building. A vehicle barrier system will have no effect on an aircraft, unless it tries to taxi into the building. Since it can get so much closer to the "target", it wouldn't need to carry as much as a vehicle. That's one reason that aircraft get so much attention, no matter the size.


BobK

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Thank You, I hadn't caught that point, and then for him to leave the student pilot flying. Yowsa.....aopa.gif" border="0" alt="Grab My FREEWARE Voice recognition Profiles here:[a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fs2004misc&DLID=58334]Cessna 172 Voice Profile[/a][a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fs2004misc&DLID=60740]FSD Avanti Voice Profile[/a].You will need the main FREEWARE Flight Assistant program to use it, get it here:[a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=genutils&DLID=39661]Flight Assistant 2.2[/a]


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Bob, the amount of buildings with barrier protection is miniscule compared to the total, IMHO, and any building that accepts deliveries by truck is a target greater than a cessna flying towards any of them.It's all pretty hypocritical to me, as I see any building that holds hundreds of people to be a target and then people get needlessly bent out of shape over a small aircraft.It wasn't a small aircraft that caused 9/11, it was the inept security of the large airlines that was partial to the cause. Thankfully that risk has been a bit minimized, yet it is GA who is continually punished, not commercial Aviation, since they bring in the bucks, and we're an easier target for the morons in congress, to deflect the cause away from them, and put fear into GA instead, IMHO.Regards,Joeaopa.gif" border="0" alt="Grab My FREEWARE Voice recognition Profiles here:[a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fs2004misc&DLID=58334]Cessna 172 Voice Profile[/a][a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fs2004misc&DLID=60740]FSD Avanti Voice Profile[/a].You will need the main FREEWARE Flight Assistant program to use it, get it here:[a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=genutils&DLID=39661]Flight Assistant 2.2[/a]


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>Bob, the amount of buildings with barrier protection is>miniscule compared to the total, IMHO, and any building that>accepts deliveries by truck is a target greater than a cessna>flying towards any of them.The "important" buildings ARE protected. And trust me, any delivery vehicles are searched before they're allowed in. Although many of these barriers are "disguised" for aesthetic reasons, they're there. :)


BobK

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Newsflash bob, it's not the building I care about, it's the people.So as far as important, I'll still put a priority of people over some dumb building any day of the week. YMMV though... :-)Yeah the terrorists are really out there lining up their Cessna's all over the world huh...Nope still using car and truck bombs last time I checked. Gee I wonder why that is Bob...The risk is simply not really there, IMHO, and they are attacking the easiest target that gains news for their agenda of shutting down GA, IMHO.Then when they do that, maybe all our pilots will come from foreign countries. Yeah that's lowering the risk. They are nothing but Hypocrites banning GA Flights while allowing all sorts of other commerce. But I guess UPS, FedEX, and DHL all have a bigger lobby, ie unions and such, huh?Even the FBI considers the greatest risk in Domestic Terrorism is not by some aircraft, or little Cessna's, according to John Lewis of the FBI.. I'll see if you can figure out where the FBI consdeirs the Greatest Threat currently. :-)aopa.gif" border="0" alt="Grab My FREEWARE Voice recognition Profiles here:[a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fs2004misc&DLID=58334]Cessna 172 Voice Profile[/a][a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fs2004misc&DLID=60740]FSD Avanti Voice Profile[/a].You will need the main FREEWARE Flight Assistant program to use it, get it here:[a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=genutils&DLID=39661]Flight Assistant 2.2[/a]


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