[JYO] Special Message from Phil Boyer...

9/12/01 4:55:25 PM — The tragic events that occurred Tuesday morning are 
unprecedented in our nation's aviation history. The count of lost lives can't 
even be comprehended at this point. AOPA offers its deepest sympathies to 
those families affected by the catastrophic acts of terrorism that have taken 
place. As aviators, we know flying is demanding, and aviation accidents like 
these are tragically final. Eight pilots, and their cabin crews, were among 
the 266 deaths attached to the four air transport category planes that 
crashed. One airline accident by itself is monumental news. Four accidents 
was beyond anyone's imagination.

AOPA, representing pilots and owners of general aviation aircraft, recognizes 
the climate of change that will eventually be debated on our aviation 
freedoms in the United States. As we have done for more than 62 years, we 
will be the advocate for "reasonable" and sensible access to our nation's 
airspace. The organization was founded to protect the growing threat to 
access to G.A. flying as World War II appeared imminent.

Right now, the U.S. government has mandated our National Airspace System 
unavailable to use by not only general aviation, but the also the airlines. 
AOPA and the FAA communicate almost hourly on trying to make information 
available to the many pilots stranded at airports away from home, to the 
flight schools who only want to fly the local pattern, and to those who live 
far from the sites of these terrorist acts unable to understand why they are 
prohibited from flying. But these decisions are not just within the sole 
purview of the Federal Aviation Administration. They involve the secretary of 
Transportation, the President, and those who handle the security of our 
nation.

Just as we do not expect general aviation to be treated any differently than 
the airlines and will work hard to ensure such, also we cannot expect that GA 
should be flying any sooner than the commercial carriers. There have been 
reports of isolated flying already, and those who violate these rules impede 
the conscientious pilots honoring the special notice. In the last 12 hours 
there have been a variety of predictions and misinformation handed out by the 
FAA, some through the flight service station system. AOPA will keep the home 
page of this Web site updated with the most factual information we can 
obtain, with the goal of seeing that when the notam on the NAS being open is 
issued, you will read it here first, and our hope that it will be a general 
aviation airplane that first makes use of this returned freedom to fly.

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