Private pilots are mad about a new "Temporary Flight Restriction" (TFRs) surrounding a home owned by Vice President Cheney in Maryland, about 30 miles east of Washington, DC. Puzzling, since I thought the VP had to live in the VP residence when he's not safely ensconsed in the secure location, that is.
I'm chuckling trying to imagine Cheney getting in the ole limo and commuting to work every morning along with the rest of us working stiffs. "Hey-- learn to drive that crate, ya bastrd".. "..ah go f*ck yourself". He might fit right in.
But back to the story. The pilots are mad because TFRs are essentially "no-fly zones" and if a Cessna wanders into one unannounced bad things can happen, all the way from the loss of pilot's license to being shot down by an F-16. Busting a TFR is serious, and the enforcers have no sense of humor.
The AOPA claims unfairness, since the TFR around Cheney's Jackson Hole home is taken down when he's not there, opening the airspace, but not so on the DC version. The pilots are likely going to lose this battle since it's unlikely the Secret Service would consider telegraphing Cheney's movements around DC by raising and lowering the TFR. It's a sad fact, but the wild blue yonder is getting smaller by the year.
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