On Thu, 5 Jan 2006 19:08:06 -0800, "Peter Duniho"
wrote in
::

Anyone who thinks that comments to a NPRM will have any real effect
on the outcome just hasn't been paying attention to the way the FAA
has handled them.

Well, perhaps an NPRM _meeting_ with representatives from six federal
agencies listening to pilots will be more effective in getting a bad
idea revoked:

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AOPA ePilot Volume 8, Issue 2 January 13, 2006
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ADIZ DRAWS IRE FROM PILOTS DURING FIRST PUBLIC MEETING
More than 200 people on Thursday filled a conference room in
Columbia, Maryland, and almost all were there to tell federal
officials why the Washington, D.C., Air Defense Identification
Zone (ADIZ) shouldn't be made permanent. "The ADIZ should be
abolished," said Scott Proudfoot, one of the first speakers at the
public meeting. He was speaking for the air traffic controllers
union, NATCA, and added, "The ADIZ is nothing but a burden on the
users and the controllers." AOPA had pushed for public meetings,
arguing that regulators needed to hear directly from pilots
themselves about the problems caused by the ADIZ. And there are
plenty. Meanwhile, pilots didn't realize that an ADIZ clearance
wasn't the same thing as "radar identification," so that even
though they were talking to ATC, they weren't receiving traffic
advisories. William Finagin, whose company sells Aviat aircraft,
said he has lost $1 million a year in sales since the ADIZ was
imposed. Another local pilot based at Montgomery County Airpark
inside the ADIZ said an FBO there had closed because of lack of
business. "Flights to our home in Williamsburg (Virginia) are now
50 percent longer, and I spend $50 more for fuel, because of
circumnavigating the ADIZ," said Russell Madsen. The public
meeting continued through Thursday evening, with representatives
from six federal agencies listening to pilots. A second public
meeting, where AOPA President Phil Boyer will speak, is scheduled
next Wednesday in Dulles, Virginia. Nearly 20,000 people have
filed written comments, mostly in opposition to the ADIZ. If you
haven't done so, file your comments today. The deadline is
February 6. See AOPA's Member Action Center: Operation ADIZ
( http://www.aopa.org/adizalert ) for more information.