Yeah, AOPA sent a letter. So did a bunch of other people, including me.
They printed one. I've been having an email exchange with the Globe's
Ombudsman about that story. Despite the CSIS saying that the Globe
article is "incorrect" she says paper stands by the factual accuracy of
the the story. They won't even consider printing the press release from
CSIS. That lady has one twisted mind....

Dave Reinhart



Rosspilot wrote:

From AOPA:

SOURCE DISPUTES ALARMIST STORY ON GA "THREAT"...
A story in Thursday's Boston Globe that warned in great detail of a
neglected "small-plane terrorism threat" has drawn a response from the
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) -- the
Washington think tank whose staff is quoted in the Globe as the basis
for the story. "The Globe story is incomplete and does not take into
account a broad range of findings that are still under development,"
CSIS spokesman Jay Farrar said in a statement posted on the CSIS Web
site. The CSIS said its report is not yet finished, and "personal
statements made before a study's completion ... do not place into
context the full range of threats against the transportation system of
the United States."
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#188032

...CITING "DIRTY BOMBS" AND STADIUM TARGETS...
The Globe story quoted CSIS staff who said that Al Qaeda is known to
have considered the use of small aircraft and helicopters for attacks
on U.S. soil, and that sports stadiums are a "perfect target" for a
Cessna 172 loaded with radiological material and explosives. "The
no-fly zones over these stadiums are loosely enforced," the story
says, quoting a CSIS staffer. An FAA official quoted in the story said
that GA security efforts were dropped because they "would have cost
too much." A TSA spokesman said, "These [small] planes aren't a focus
for us. .... We don't have unlimited funds to deal with everything."
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#188033

...AND AOPA RESPONDS
AOPA was quick to dash off a letter to The Boston Globe's editors,
denouncing the story as "irresponsible," and noting that numerous GA
security programs have been implemented since 9/11. Next time the
Globe reports about GA issues, it should consult AOPA, the letter
said. AOPA President Phil Boyer also responded to the story in an
interview on a Washington, D.C., radio station, WTOP. Boyer told
listeners that that most GA aircraft are operated in much the same way
as other forms of personal transportation, like cars. "There's the
general aviation airplane in which the pilot and the passengers know
each other," Boyer said. "That's the norm."
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#188034

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