Ones and Zeros

When I first heard of the crash this morning I paid attention.  We used to live there.  Turned out we lived about 2 miles from the crash site for a while.  After reading Joe Stack’s screed and looking at his website on the Internet Archive it’s clear he was mentally ill.  His illness is not an excuse for what he did, but it helps to understand it.

He was upset about some IRS rulings and changes in the tax code that made it harder for independent contractors and helped “body shops” or contracting houses.  He felt singled out in this and it affected him personally and financially.  Those changes affected probably well over a hundred thousand people, myself included.   Most of us just adapted our business models.  That’s life.  The world changes around us and we adapt.  That’s how it works.

Stack complained about financial problems.  He owned a house, a plane, and rented a hangar.  Many well-off pilots rent or share plane ownership.  So Stack wasn’t lacking cash at all. Yet he still felt persecuted.

He felt that politicians and big business were riding roughshod over small business people and taking advantage of taxpayers.  Basically Stack seemed to think that decisions were being made without considering their affect on most people.  True enough perhaps.  But his actions were abhorrent and vile.

He decided to burn his house, and attack an IRS office with his plane.  He didn’t consider the effect of his actions on his neighbors, his wife and daughter, nor the innocents in the IRS office, nor the other offices, nor the owners of the building, nor anyone else at all.  He’s exactly guilty of what he accused others of doing.

Dulles is open, National is closed, I don’t know about BWI.  But all the smaller airports are still closed, the GA reliever airports are still clearing out.  They’re probably be clear by tomorrow sometime, just in time for the next storm.

A recent load of manure that landed in my email was this notice from the FAA (hyperbole, jingoism, and spelling mistakes are quoted):

 On Super Bowl Sunday, as you join with family and friends to cheer on your favorite team, rest assured that our nation’s skies are safe and secure, defended by a highly trained team from Continental NORAD Region and First Air Force — dedicated to preserving our peace and security.

Temporary Flight Restrictions will be in place during Super Bowl XLIV over Land Shark stadium, and CONR fighters may be visible on Sunday, February 7, 2010, while they enforce the FAA’s flight-restricted area in downtown Miami.

Genreal Aviation pilots are strongly encouraged to continue to check NOTAMS throughout the weekend.

Just to clarify a couple points:

1) There has NEVER been a general aviation airplane involved in ANY terrorist incident.  The only terrorist incidents have been with commercial transport aircraft such as airlines fly.  Yet the TFRs over the Miami area will affect general aviation much much more than they will commercial aviation.

2) The increasing TFRs and special flight restrictions around the country are limiting your mobility without any increase in security.  It’s misplaced caution.  Ground-level potential threats are easier, cheaper, and happen all the time in other countries.

3) Any pilots in the area ought to damn well check their NOTAMS and watch the every-changing rules.  The FAA isn’t in charge here.  They’re dancing to the Dept of Homeland Security’s tune and DHS isn’t as nice and friendly as the FAA is.

4) All those who thought the the ADIZ (now SFRA) around Washington DC was a local problem for those of us near there think again.  NY has an SFRA.  The Feds put up TFRs at the drop of a hat now.   You too can have your airspace made non-flyable anytime.

Well, I may not have my rocket car yet, but maybe soon.  The British government did a study of jobs in the future and says that spaceship pilot will be a regular job in 20 years.

But, I’m probably going to need a multiengine certificate.  Or at least a high-altitude endorsement.

I remember estimates I’ve heard before.  None of them turned out very well.  But only general trends were accurate.  This should be read in the same way. Forecasting is a risky business.  It’s just unusual to see it done at this range by a government.