ADIZ Violation Explained in AOPA Magazine

"Happy Dog" wrote in message


Crap. Student pilots can figure this out. The radcio doesn't work on
121.5, try another frequency. This brought the who intercept
procedure down? Get a grip!

How do you propose to tell the other guy what frequency you're going to use?
There's no question another frequency would need to be used. The issue is
figuring out one both pilots would know to use.

More rules. More penalties. That's it. Read the ****ing AOPA
report. This was a 6 out of 10 for stupid pilot tricks.

I think it ranks much higher as a "Stupid Pilot Trick".

From the AOPA article posted on their website:
http://www.aopa.org/members/files/pi...light0601.html

"Shaeffer...crafted a radio navigation plan that showed what radials the
pair needed to fly from various VORs to avoid flying into the ADIZ and
P-40..."

Then, the next paragraph:
"I didn't realize that there was an ADIZ around Washington, or otherwise I
would never have gone there," confirmed Sheaffer."

Which one of these statements is correct? You can't intentionally craft a
nav plan avoiding something you never knew was there. What VOR route did
they plan?

They claim they planned the flight "using current sectional charts that
Sheaffer said he purchased the week before." I just happen to have in front
of me the Washington TAC dated August 5, 2004 (a full 10 months before this
flight) that clearly shows the ADIZ. I don't have a sectional from the same
time to demonstrate, but it was also updated around the same date with the
ADIZ. See
http://aviationtoolbox.org/munge/data/square_warped/Washington%2075%20North.jpg
for an example.

It seems to me they were not using current charts - at least not for the
Washington area.

The author continues:
"Sheaffer owned a Palm personal digital assistant with Control Vision
Anywhere Map...Because there was no power available on the airplane,
Sheaffer left the GPS in his truck the next day instead of taking it along."

A) ControlVision's AnywhereMap (http://www.anywheremap.com) does not run on
the Palm platform.
B) Why leave a battery-powered GPS behind? Would it not make more sense to
have it in the cockpit - even powered down when not in use - to hep find
your way if you get lost?

Mo
"They checked weather using a Web site, but did not get an official weather
briefing."
Right before takeoff with fog "blanketing the region", "Sheaffer checked the
Web site again for a weather update before leaving home, but did not call
flight service."

What web site were they using for flight planning did not offer NOTAMs?

"[W]orkers were installing a new floor in the building and the telephone was
not accessible."

Neither pilot could use a home phone (assuming neither had a cell)?

After the intercept, they were instructed to tune to 121.5 but heard only
beeping. "Later the two learned that an emergency locator transmitter was
in operation nearby."

""My thinking was that we were probably approaching P-40 and that we should
be heading to the south to clear, and with no instruction forthcoming we
found ourselves flying more and more toward the south," continued
Martin...Sheaffer said he knew that they were not in the Camp David
airspace, although he didn't tell that to Martin until after the flight."

They simply "found themselves" flying south, eh? After saying he thought
they should head south to clear where he thought he was? I'm thinking he
took a southerly heading intentionally. Good guess on his part, just way
wrong.

"When asked by AOPA Pilot to clarify which aircraft it was [that finally
contacted the C150], DHS officials chose not to comment."

This doesn't mean the radios on any given aircraft were inoperative or
anything more than DHS didn't disclose which aircraft made the call. It
does raise an eyebrow regarding "why" they didn't disclose it, but no safe
conclusions can be drawn from this.

"Sheaffer said he was told twice by a DHS official that the helicopter had
radio problems..."

I might say something similar, too. I would be interested to hear from a
reliable source whether the radios were indeed inop.

Martin said "it was a good landing. I am proud of it." At least there's
something to be proud of in this incident.

They do list some good ideas and lessons learned and AOPA did their level
best to paint these two individuals in a sympathetic light, but I'm not yet
convinced Shaeffer deserves to get his certficate back due to the harm he's
done to the reputations of every GA pilot.

There's no
risk commeseurate with the defence effort. m Get it?

No doubt, but are you supporting violations of the ADIZ?

Every violation hurts our chances of getting the damned thing
dismantled.

As does every twit who goes on record supporting it.

Answer carefully: Which "twit" around here is supporting it?

From the article you insisted I read:
"As a result of that blundering flight on May 11, 2005, all GA pilots in the
Washington, D.C., region face the daunting prospects of a permanent ADIZ..."

My statement stands.