Time To Restrict Where Small Planes Can Fly
Robert Paul Reyes
October 19, 2006
October 11, 2006 - New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and his friend were killed when their small plane slammed into a 50-story apartment building on Manhattan's Upper East Side.
Tomorrow it may be a Muslim fanatic flying his small plane into the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building or Wall Street -- unless the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) tightens restrictions on small planes.
The FAA has failed to act because it doesn't want to cramp the style of wealthy small plane owners who like to fly over the Statue of Liberty.
The status quo is unacceptable, New Yorkers must be protected from inexperienced millionaires accidentally flying into buildings, and from the even more horrifying thought of Islamic terrorists deliberately crashing into skyscrapers.
FAA rules allow small planes and helicopters to fly up to 1,100 feet along the Hudson and East rivers — with no clearance from air traffic controllers.
After Lidle crashed into a Manhattan hi-rise, the FAA issued a temporary restriction requiring all aircraft flying under 1,500 feet over the city to be in contact with air traffic controllers.
Small planes should be permanently banned from flying through that corridor at all. Let the millionaires find another pastime -- one that doesn't place of life of New Yorkers in danger.
Manhattan isn't the only location in this country where small planes place thousands of people in danger. Post 9/11, restrictions should be placed on where small planes can fly on a nationwide basis.
Will it take a terrorist flying into the United Nations building before we get serious about severely restricting where small planes can fly?
Tomorrow it may be a Muslim fanatic flying his small plane into the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building or Wall Street -- unless the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) tightens restrictions on small planes.
The FAA has failed to act because it doesn't want to cramp the style of wealthy small plane owners who like to fly over the Statue of Liberty.
The status quo is unacceptable, New Yorkers must be protected from inexperienced millionaires accidentally flying into buildings, and from the even more horrifying thought of Islamic terrorists deliberately crashing into skyscrapers.
FAA rules allow small planes and helicopters to fly up to 1,100 feet along the Hudson and East rivers — with no clearance from air traffic controllers.
After Lidle crashed into a Manhattan hi-rise, the FAA issued a temporary restriction requiring all aircraft flying under 1,500 feet over the city to be in contact with air traffic controllers.
Small planes should be permanently banned from flying through that corridor at all. Let the millionaires find another pastime -- one that doesn't place of life of New Yorkers in danger.
Manhattan isn't the only location in this country where small planes place thousands of people in danger. Post 9/11, restrictions should be placed on where small planes can fly on a nationwide basis.
Will it take a terrorist flying into the United Nations building before we get serious about severely restricting where small planes can fly?
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