On Thu, 12 May 2005 02:55:43 GMT, "airman"
wrote:

The CNN pilot-reporter, Miles O'Brien, made a good point. These guys took
off from an uncontrolled airfield, implying that they were not adept with
ordinary ATC as would pilots be who were trained or who are resident at a
Class D or C towered field. I remember how difficult it was to train at a
Class D airport, wishing that I could have made my early training hours
easier at an un-towered field. Now I'm grateful for all the angst and
mike-fright I went through and eventually overcame.

Never had that problem.
I trained out of an uncontrolled field, but it's only 11.3 to one that
is. My instructors made sure I was over there a lot.

Would it have made any difference had they taken off from a controlled
field? Most likely not.

When the President was here in Michigan the TFR was centered on MBS
which put us just slightly outside of the no fly zone. Still in the
TFR though. We sat there listening to a plane that was coming from
down around Detroit that had taken off from one of the controlled
fields. As he was tooling through MBS's air space he remarked,
"Ahhh... MBS approach, there's a jet off my wing tip! What does that
mean?" I remember he was headed for Harbor Beach which is one of the
rich resort areas.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com