AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2011 - 60

in New York City and the nearby Pentagon unfolded. And then, at 9:40 a.m. on this incredibly beautiful day, the FAA air traffic control systems command center ordered all aircraft in the nation to land. And the skies went silent. The horror and the tragedy of the loss of life, the fear and uncertainty of a nation besieged by terrorists, and the overwhelming desire to find and be near loved ones affected all of us. But as the first line of defense for our freedom to fly, we also had work to do and a nation with freedoms to defend. Crisis control AOPA’s website was launched in 1995; AOPA ePilot was two years old. Although we effectively communicated to our members via our magazine, newsletters, and other traditional methods, 9/11 tested and strengthened our electronic communications. Within minutes of the attacks, aopa.org carried up-tothe-minute information on the status of GA—there were more than 1 million hits in the first week after the attacks. The website was the primary news source for pilots and the national media as well. ePilot issued nine special bulletins in the first few days after the attacks and then became our members’ source for alerts, changes to air space, and temporary flight restrictions. AOPA’s Pilot Information Center answered questions from some 1,600 members a day in the first week, nearly four times the usual call volume. One of our boardrooms was set up much like a “war room” where staff met to plan, discuss, and execute our day-today strategies to get GA flying again. AOPA also provided general aviation’s side of the story to media outlets ranging from small newspapers to major television networks. We pointed reporters to GA business owners torn between patriotism and bankruptcy. GA grounded AOPA efforts to restore general aviation flying started just hours after the attacks. Two days after the FAA grounding, limited airline service was restored, and soon after that, the Bush administration announced that the “U.S. aviation system has been restored.” But general aviation was still grounded and, in horror, we realized GA was taking the brunt of the fear the attacks had engendered. Were small airplanes now the terror of the skies? Melissa Bailey Rudinger, AOPA senior vice president of government affairs,
AOPA PILOT •

Post 9/11 airspace/operating restrictions

By the AOPA Government Affairs division General aviation access was restored slowly and incrementally over an extended period of time. Full (pre-9/11) restoration of general aviation access to the National Airspace System (NAS) never occurred. The following is a high-level review of the major airspace restrictions and operating limitations that AOPA was fighting against in the months following the attacks.

September 11, 2001: At 9:40 a.m. the FAA grounds all IFR and VFR air traffic.
Only military aircraft and Air Force One are allowed to fly. All airborne traffic is instructed to land.

September 14, 2001: General aviation IFR operations may resume with some
restrictions, including 25-nautical-mile no-fly zones around Washington, D.C., and New York. VFR operations are still prohibited. No international operations permitted (to/from the United States).

September 18, 2001: Agricultural aviation and aerial photo operations are permitted. VFR and international operations are still prohibited.

September 19, 2001: Limited VFR operations permitted. VFR is now permitted for
U.S.-registered aircraft outside of enhanced Class B (ECB) airspace. ECB is defined as the airspace within the lateral limits of Class B airspace; Class B airspace overlies 30 major metropolitan areas in the United States. VFR flight training operations are still prohibited, as are banner-towing operations. In addition, a number of temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) remain in effect, including 25-nautical-mile no-fly zones over Washington, D.C., and New York. International operations still prohibited.

September 20, 2001: “Sporting event” TFR issued, prohibiting flight below 3,000 feet agl within a three-nautical-mile radius of “any major professional, collegiate, or high school sporting event or any other major open air assembly of people.” The first indication that the FAA has again ceded control of the airspace is summed up in a statement from the FAA Air Traffic Division that “National Security Council insisted on this restriction.” September 22, 2001: Most flight training operations permitted. Some good
news, the FAA approves resumption of most flight training activities—VFR flight training in non-turbojet aircraft and gliders weighing less than 12,500 pounds outside of ECB. Within ECB—with the exception of Boston, Washington, D.C., and New York—VFR flight training in single and multiengine piston powered aircraft under 6,000 pounds is permitted. International operations still prohibited.

October 21, 2001: FAA permits VFR operations in 27 of 30 ECB locations, subject to transponder requirement. Boston, Washington, D.C., and New York still restricted. International operations still prohibited. October 30, 2001: At the insistence of NSC, the FAA issues a notam banning all
general aviation operations within a 10-nautical-mile radius of 86 nuclear power plants and sites throughout the country. The notam effectively closes almost 100 public-use airports. There is much confusion created by the “nuclear” notam. Because the NRC database used to develop the notam contained errors, several nuclear facilities were excluded and some had incorrect location information. Compounding the problem, NRC would not release precise latitude/longitude data and pilots could not accurately plot the prohibited airspace.

November 6, 2001: The nuclear TFR expires and operations resume at 100 airports closed by the restrictions. There is a threat of it being reinstated, but it is not.

November 8, 2001: International operations still prohibited, but the FAA announces a waiver to allow Bahamas operations. U.S., Canadian, and Bahamian registered aircraft may now operate to/from Bahamas VFR. Operations to/from Canada and Mexico are also permitted.

60 • SEPTEMBER

2011

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AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2011

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