[JYO] New nuclear power plant notam issued - "Loitering" pilots warned of consequences

New nuclear power plant notam issued - "Loitering" pilots warned of 
consequences


Feb. 26 — In response to concerns from security officials, FAA has issued a 
<A HREF="http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsitems/2001/010915tfr.html#1655";>
new nuclear power plant notam</A>. Pilots are still advised not to "loiter or 
circle" in the vicinity of nuclear power plants, but now TSA is brandishing a 
stick; pilots who fly suspiciously around the power plants can expect to be 
interviewed by law enforcement personnel. And if law enforcement isn't 
convinced the pilot's flight activities were innocent, the pilot's name may 
be added to TSA's incident reporting system database.

FAA issued this advisory notam rather than reinstating the 10-mile TFRs 
around all nuclear facilities that was put into effect for a little over a 
week in October 2001. Some security officials had been pushing for re-closing 
the airspace around some 90 nuclear facilities, affecting more than 700 
public and private airports.

TSA maintains that the incident reporting system is NOT the same thing as the 
agency's security list, which TSA can use to revoke a pilot's certificate for 
being a "security threat."

"Nevertheless, the government must not use this advisory to take away pilot 
rights or to harass pilots who are conducting normal flight operations," said 
Phil Boyer, AOPA president.

TSA has assured AOPA that pilots conducting operations to or from airports 
close to these facilities will not be considered loitering. "However, pilots 
circling as to loiter in the vicinity of these facilities or using the 
nuclear plants for the purpose of ground reference maneuvers would certainly 
be questioned," a TSA official said.

1655 ...SPECIAL NOTICE... FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS. EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY UNTIL 
FURTHER NOTICE, PURSUANT TO 14 CFR SECTION 99.7, SPECIAL SECURITY 
INSTRUCTIONS, PILOTS CONDUCTING FLIGHT OPERATIONS WITHIN THE TERRITORIAL 
AIRSPACE OF THE U.S. ARE ADVISED TO AVOID THE AIRSPACE ABOVE OR IN PROXIMITY 
TO ALL NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS. PILOTS SHOULD NOT CIRCLE OR LOITER IN THE 
VICINITY OF SUCH FACILITIES. PILOTS WHO DO SO CAN EXPECT TO BE INTERVIEWED BY 
LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL AT THEIR DESTINATION AIRPORT AND THE PILOT''S NAME 
MAY BE ADDED TO THE TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION (TSA) INCIDENT 
REPORTING SYSTEM. WIE UNTIL UFN     

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