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Special Edition - January
8, 2002
This special edition of EAA e-HOT
LINE provides EAA members with a chronological compilation of EAA news
articles regarding the January 5 airplane crash into a downtown Tampa,
Florida, office building. Visit the EAA website at www.eaa.org for the latest
updates.
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Considering Security Needs for
GA
Updated 01/08/02 -
Saturday’s tragic occurrence in Tampa, Florida, has had a profound
impact on general aviation and public perception of the general aviation
community. As a result, EAA has been actively engaged with news media and
federal agencies in attempts to minimize the risk of new burdensome
regulations, while advocating basic security procedures designed to ensure
public safety and confidence in general aviation.
Since September
11, EAA and other aviation organizations have submitted a number of
proposals to the FAA and the Transportation Security Administration
designed to increase the security of GA operations, particularly at flight
schools, while imposing minimal additional restrictions or costs. In
general, these recommendations have been based on methods of securing
unattended aircraft; controlling access to aircraft keys; and conducting a
higher level of vigilance and supervision over people at airports. The
importance and validity of these recommendations have never been more
important.
Paramount to GA’s future is how the federal government
reacts to this high-profile incident, particularly at a time when national
security and public sensitivity to aviation are at all-time highs. With
the cooperative efforts of EAA, FAA and other aviation organizations,
initial response from the federal government appears to be measured and
responsive to the specific issues raised in the Tampa incident.
At
the time of this writing, FAA was finalizing a notice to be distributed to
all flight schools and fixed-base operators (FBOs) outlining several
suggested procedures for improving security regarding access to parked
aircraft, control of ignition keys, instructor oversight and supervision
of students, and methods for locking aircraft to prevent unauthorized use.
While these are intended to be voluntary procedures, EAA and the National
Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI) strongly urge flight schools as
well as individual aircraft owners to assess their roles in preventing
future unauthorized use of a GA aircraft and to implement security
procedures that make the most sense for their particular circumstances.
(EAA will post the full text of the FAA Notice to flight schools at http://www.eaa.org as soon as it is
approved and published by FAA.)
EAA and other aviation
organizations are expending every possible resource to ensure that the
tragic events of the last few months do not have a substantial negative
impact on GA’s future and the freedom of flight in this country and around
the world. To accomplish this, we must encourage all pilots to take an
active role in the security of their aircraft and
airports.
EAA, NAFI go Nationwide
With Media in Aftermath of Tampa
Updated
01/08/02 - Representatives of EAA and NAFI spent much of Sunday and
Monday working with local and national media, providing crucial background
and perspective into the suicide flight by a 15-year-old Tampa, Florida,
boy on Jan. 5. The incident raised a number of questions for the media,
including airport security, aircraft access, flight training issues and
more.
On the national level, EAA immediately
responded to the Jan. 7 USA Today editorial regarding a perceived
threat of small airplanes with a letter to the editor. In addition, EAA
and NAFI officials talked with reporters in Chicago, Tampa, St.
Petersburg, Orlando and other cities who were doing follow-up stories on
flight training and airport security issues. Throughout those interviews,
a key point was that the Tampa incident was a case of a troubled young man
who chose to take his life, rather than a terrorist plot or breach of
airport security.
EAA also assisted national media who wished to
speak with flight instructors and other people within the aviation
community. MSNBC, for instance, used EAA’s resources to set up interviews
with flight instructors.
On the local level, EAA representatives
worked with Wisconsin media doing local angles to the story. EAA President
Tom Poberezny and EAA Aviation Foundation Executive Vice President Greg
Anderson each were featured on camera, discussing general aviation issues.
EAA also used its extensive network of contacts within the aviation
community to bring together media and aviation representatives.
EAA
and NAFI will continue to work with media throughout the country on this
and all general aviation issues. We urge EAA and NAFI members to also
become part of the dialogue by contacting local media outlets and express
opinions regarding reports that may be inaccurate or, conversely,
compliment stories that show factual and positive attributes of general
aviation.
EAA Addressing Tampa
Crash Aftermath
Updated 01/07/02 -
EAA and its affiliate organization the National Association of
Flight Instructors (NAFI) have initiated numerous media contacts and
responded to others stemming from the January 5 airplane crash into a
downtown Tampa, Florida, building. EAA representatives have given several
interviews with national media, including many in the Tampa-St.
Petersburg-Orlando area regarding flight training and security issues. EAA
continues to maintain contact with the FAA regarding reaction to this
accident.
(read
more)
Message to EAA
Members and Aviation Enthusiasts Regarding Jan. 5 Incident in
Tampa
Updated 01/06/02 - On Saturday, January
5, a 15-year-old took a Cessna 172 without permission from the St.
Petersburg-Clearwater (Florida) Airport and subsequently flew the aircraft
into the side of the Bank of America building in downtown Tampa. The teenager had been washing
aircraft and doing other odd jobs to offset the costs of flight
instruction. Because of his
age, he was not yet old enough to obtain a student pilot's license but had
received instruction from an FBO on the field. (FAR 61.83 requires a student
pilot of a powered aircraft to be at least 16 years of age.)
(read
more)
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