FAA gives pilots the thumbs-up

By Kate Reardon

Herald Writer

EVERETT — Thousands of pilots who operate private aircraft will be able to take off and explore the wild blue yonder today for the first time in more than a month.

Today’s flying is part of a phasing-in program by the Federal Aviation Administration to restore access to the nation’s airspace.

"This is a big deal for us," said Bruce Goetz, superintendent of operations for Paine Field near Everett. "We need to get these airplanes flying again. We have a lot of pilots who are anxious to get up there."

Paine Field has had several pilots grounded by the restrictions. In fact, since Sept. 11 Paine has seen only about half the normal daily 550 to 600 take-offs and landings, Goetz said.

From Sept. 11 until now, pilots in the Seattle area were only allowed to fly within 30 miles of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (class B airspace) if they knew how to fly with instruments, submitted a flight plan or had a flight instructor on board.

After the attacks, FAA enhanced the class B airspace to include a larger geographic area. For Everett, the Class B airspace runs about a mile north of Paine Field, Goetz said.

Many pilots have been confused or angered by the FAA restrictions. Companies have lost money and have had to lay off workers because of the slowdown in general aviation flying.

Charles DeMartini, of Shoreline, is just one pilot who has been grounded by the restrictions. He hopes the weather will be nice enough today to go flying from Paine Field.

"I’m very pleased they lifted the restriction for me, but I’m sorry there are other pilots that are still restricted," DeMartini said.

But, he added, many pilots have been frustrated because they felt the restrictions were unreasonable and unrealistic.

"They never specifically said why they were doing the things they were doing except to say it was national security," DeMartini said. "It appeared these restrictions were arbitrary."

DeMartini, who flies a Cessna 172, said he believes the airport won’t be very busy today because it’s the middle of the week and weather could create poor visibility.

In this state, 17 airports, including Paine and Harvey Airfield, are located within the FAA’s enhanced Class B space.

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association in Maryland estimates that as many as 6,000 of its 10,000 members in Washington state have been affected by the restrictions, said Warren Morningstar, association spokesman.

But today, the FAA opened the Puget Sound area airspace to pilots without instrument training as long as they have radio capabilities for communication with air traffic control, said Mike Fergus, spokesman for FAA northwest region.

"We’re gradually phasing in various kinds of flying," Fergus said. Others can fly outside class B airspace, he said.

Some general aviation pilots don’t have radio capabilities, known as transponders, which can give traffic control information on the aircraft and flight plan. Instead, some pilots fly only when the skies are clear so they can see where they are going and who else is out there. That’s fine as long as they stay out of certain airspace, Fergus said.

"If you don’t have a transponder and you’re too close to the airport, you pose an unidentified threat," Fergus said. And pilots are also required to stay away from attractions such as sporting stadiums, refineries, dams and industrial complexes.

Military action is possible against pilots who fly into areas without proper permission, Fergus added.

Morningstar said his association has heard reports of pilots who didn’t check with the proper agencies before flying.

"We’ve heard of a few cases of misunderstandings where pilots have done something that has brought the F-16 on to their wingtips," he said. "There have been one or two pilots who just weren’t thinking."

You can call Herald Writer Kate Reardon at 425-339-3455

or send e-mail to reardon@heraldnet.com.