Ones and Zeros

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.

I like to fly over WV, so this headline caught my eye: ‘General Aviation Appreciation Month’ opens 2010 in W.Va.

Turns out January is GA appreciation month in WV.  Well, that’s a nice idea, but not well executed perhaps.  A lot of smaller GA planes don’t fly much in the winter.  Some are basically mothballed till spring.

Maybe May or June would have been better?

Back when I was a VFR only pilot, I couldn’t fly a lot because of clouds or weather.  Now that I’m an IFR pilot I can’t seem to get clouds when I’m available to fly.  This makes me think that the best way to get VFR weather is to become an IFR pilot.

Of course, it’s so cold here right now that the clouds are probably all sub-freezing.