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Your EAA ( www.eaa.org ) and AOPA ( www.aopa.org) are both on board with some rather strong statements regarding DOT Secratary Mineta's reneging on his agreements with them regarding GA access to the airspace. In case you don't know, the FAA first announced that we would be able to fly at 11AM EDT today. At 9:58AM the AOPA announced they were hedging. Art 10:50AM, they announced that the major airlines can fly but GA can't. I have faxed/sent the following to my congressional delegation: I am writing you to express my strong objection to Secretary of Transportation Norm Mineta's ongoing ban of General Aviation activity in US Airspace. Commercial air traffic is being permitted, and General Aviation activity was supposed to have been re-activated at the same time and on the same terms. However, literally ten minutes before light aircraft were given permission to fly, the DOT issued new restrictions against GA. This includes personal, business, and air charter operations in the lower 48 and Hawaii. General Aviation has not been demonstrated to pose significant security risk in the current circumstances. Indeed, it could be argued that commercial air-carrier aviation, with the present half-measures taken to improve security, is a far greater risk. When explosive-laden rental trucks were used at the prior WTC incident and in Oklahoma City, did the DOT ban sedans from the nations highways? It did not. Neither should an incident with a hijacked airliner preclude use of light aircraft. The current ban damages many businesses here in New Jersey. Small airports and aviation-support businesses, as well as flight instructors and charter pilots continue to suffer. These are not businesses or professionals who can continue in business in the face of such losses. In the event of a national defense need they will, however, provide a valuable training resource. If the DOT allows them to stay in business. Together with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and the Experimental Aircraft Association, I urge you to contact Mr. Mineta and President Bush in order to restore unrestricted access to US airspace to personal and business use of General Aviation aircraft. I would suggest that everyone take the time to stand up for their right to use the airspace over their own country on an equal footing with big commercial interests, before the current sad situation is used as an excuse to take away that right for good. The longer they get to think about it, the longer they'll have to make up fanciful James Bond scenarios, and the less likely it is that we'll continue to be free to move about the skies... ...ever. Greg ==^================================================================ EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?aVxiLm.aVzvvT Or send an email To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] This email was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
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