This is scary! Read on......
FAA announces code orange flight restrictions
From Patty Davis
CNN Washington Bureau
Tuesday, March 18, 2003 Posted: 7:06 PM EST (0006 GMT)
The airspace over Walt Disney World is off-limits to aircraft without special
permission.
SPECIAL REPORT
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Federal Aviation Administration Tuesday announced
flight restrictions for aircraft flying in the New York City and Washington
areas, and near Disney World and Disneyland.
The restrictions, which affect both commercial and private aircraft, are in
conjunction with the government raising the terrorism threat level in the
United States from yellow (elevated) to orange (high) as U.S. forces are poised
for war in Iraq. Airspace restrictions announced Tuesday will remain in effect
indefinitely, the FAA said.
"We're taking measures to correspond with the threat level to protect the
airspace. That which is inside that airspace are potential targets of symbolic
value," FAA spokesman Greg Martin said.
But he added, "there is no specific, credible threat for Disney."
The new regulations in effect create a no-fly zone around Disney World in
Orlando, Florida and Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Unless pilots are
granted specific exemptions from air traffic controllers, no flights are
allowed within a 3-mile radius around the parks or below 3,000 feet.
Government officials said the Disney restrictions are not based on any specific
or new information, but rather stem from a general concern about those two
locations as possible terror targets.
Counterterrorism officials said the Disney parks have come up in interviews
with al Qaeda operatives. Pictures and information about the parks have been
found during some terror sweeps overseas, they say.
Officials said the two parks fit the bill for desirable targets: they are
symbolic, they attract a huge number of people on any given day, and hitting
them could cause economic distress because it would cause people to stay away
from tourist sites or recreational facilities.
One senior counterterrorism official said "it's only prudent" to make those
locations more secure.
The FAA has imposed temporary flight restrictions over Disney parks on and off
since the September 11 terror attacks.
Disney spokeswoman Leslie Goodman said the latest airspace restriction is
nothing new and expressed concern the latest restriction is unnecessarily
worrying visitors. She complained Disney's phones have been ringing off the
hook with anxious vacationers calling.
Also new is the Air Defense Identification Zone, which extends for a 30-mile
radius around the New York City area's three major airports: Kennedy, LaGuardia
and Newark, New Jersey. All aircraft in the zone flying below 18,000 feet must
have a flight plan and be in continual contact with air traffic controllers
through transponders onboard and verbal contact from pilots.
In Washington, a 30-mile restricted zone was imposed February 10 when the
nation's security alert was raised from yellow to orange. That February
restriction also required all aircraft to have flight plans on file and
required transponders and continual pilot contact, but the flight-plan
requirement was lifted for Washington after the alert was lowered back to
yellow. Tuesday, the FAA re-imposed the flight-plan requirement in the
Washington zone.
The FAA also reinstituted a requirement imposed under the previous orange alert
that aircraft based at three smaller airports in the Washington area first land
at a "gateway" airport for clearance by the Transportation Security
Administration before proceeding on to their base airports. The three airports
are College Park, Potomac Airfield and Washington Executive/hyde, all in
Maryland.
--------------------------
FAA announces code orange flight restrictions
From Patty Davis
CNN Washington Bureau
Tuesday, March 18, 2003 Posted: 7:06 PM EST (0006 GMT)
The airspace over Walt Disney World is off-limits to aircraft without special
permission.
SPECIAL REPORT
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Federal Aviation Administration Tuesday announced
flight restrictions for aircraft flying in the New York City and Washington
areas, and near Disney World and Disneyland.
The restrictions, which affect both commercial and private aircraft, are in
conjunction with the government raising the terrorism threat level in the
United States from yellow (elevated) to orange (high) as U.S. forces are poised
for war in Iraq. Airspace restrictions announced Tuesday will remain in effect
indefinitely, the FAA said.
"We're taking measures to correspond with the threat level to protect the
airspace. That which is inside that airspace are potential targets of symbolic
value," FAA spokesman Greg Martin said.
But he added, "there is no specific, credible threat for Disney."
The new regulations in effect create a no-fly zone around Disney World in
Orlando, Florida and Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Unless pilots are
granted specific exemptions from air traffic controllers, no flights are
allowed within a 3-mile radius around the parks or below 3,000 feet.
Government officials said the Disney restrictions are not based on any specific
or new information, but rather stem from a general concern about those two
locations as possible terror targets.
Counterterrorism officials said the Disney parks have come up in interviews
with al Qaeda operatives. Pictures and information about the parks have been
found during some terror sweeps overseas, they say.
Officials said the two parks fit the bill for desirable targets: they are
symbolic, they attract a huge number of people on any given day, and hitting
them could cause economic distress because it would cause people to stay away
from tourist sites or recreational facilities.
One senior counterterrorism official said "it's only prudent" to make those
locations more secure.
The FAA has imposed temporary flight restrictions over Disney parks on and off
since the September 11 terror attacks.
Disney spokeswoman Leslie Goodman said the latest airspace restriction is
nothing new and expressed concern the latest restriction is unnecessarily
worrying visitors. She complained Disney's phones have been ringing off the
hook with anxious vacationers calling.
Also new is the Air Defense Identification Zone, which extends for a 30-mile
radius around the New York City area's three major airports: Kennedy, LaGuardia
and Newark, New Jersey. All aircraft in the zone flying below 18,000 feet must
have a flight plan and be in continual contact with air traffic controllers
through transponders onboard and verbal contact from pilots.
In Washington, a 30-mile restricted zone was imposed February 10 when the
nation's security alert was raised from yellow to orange. That February
restriction also required all aircraft to have flight plans on file and
required transponders and continual pilot contact, but the flight-plan
requirement was lifted for Washington after the alert was lowered back to
yellow. Tuesday, the FAA re-imposed the flight-plan requirement in the
Washington zone.
The FAA also reinstituted a requirement imposed under the previous orange alert
that aircraft based at three smaller airports in the Washington area first land
at a "gateway" airport for clearance by the Transportation Security
Administration before proceeding on to their base airports. The three airports
are College Park, Potomac Airfield and Washington Executive/hyde, all in
Maryland.
--------------------------
