Mooney enters DC airspace

[ArtVandelay]

From the news, they don't mention tail # anywhere, you vintage mooney owners are going to have to buy a GPS :

 

The plane, a Mooney M20C, was flying from Massachusetts to North Carolina. At one point, it entered the restricted airspace, and its pilot could not be contacted.

Two fighter jets were sent to chase the small plane, while the U. S. Capitol, the Library of Congress as well as the Supreme Court were quickly evacuated.

But, authorities were soon able to contact the pilot of the plane. The buildings were reopened as the fighter planes escorted the small plane away. Later, authorities said in a statement that the pilot was confused and had no wicked intention.

 

[rbridges]

From the news, they don't mention tail # anywhere, you vintage mooney owners are going to have to buy a GPS :

No wicked intentions. Lol. I'm sure the FAA will want to have a word with him.

[moodychief]

Did the fighter jets ever actually catch the "fast" little Mooney?

[Seth]

That was not me, but I'm sure a lot of my friends and family will call asking if I'm the Mooney that entered the restricted airspace around DC.

-Seth

[JaredDavis]

http://www.liveatc.net/forums/atcaviation-audio-clips/dc-frz-intercept/

[bonal]

Heck even my little Garmin 296 alerts me to all restricted and controlled airspace. I can't imagine someone that would be buzzing around WDC would not know where he is. I fly all around SFO bravo and always know where it and I am. Hope he don't get in to much trouble. But look what happened to the poor marine that missed the turn off and landed in a Mexican prison.

[M20S Driver]

Did the fighter jets ever actually catch the "fast" little Mooney?

 

The jets were able to catch the Mooney only because it was running LOP

[Hank]

It was a C. It's really difficult to run LOP with a carburetor. But Cs are slower, that's how the fighters caught him a half hour after his transgression. Don't really understand why he's being interrogated by the Secret Service and Capitol Police, though, nor why Capitol Hill was evacuated 36 minutes after he touched the FRZ. Security folks must have been bored?

[Seth]

We all know that the safety is just perception. A plane cleared to the DC could turn off course and before anyone reacted it will have hit a building - about as powerful as a car hitting building. Not too much irreparable damage unless someone was at the impact point.

The rules are there so the public feels safe. Controllers hate the SFRA and FRZ.

-Seth

[PaulB]

Is this the second violation by a Mooney in the last two weeks?

[ArtVandelay]

Is this the second violation by a Mooney in the last two weeks?

You mean this:

http://mooneyspace.com/topic/12203-mooney-busts-tfr/

 

That was a TFR, DC restriction has been there since 9/11

[chrisk]

The rules are there so the public feels safe. Controllers hate the SFRA and FRZ.

 

 

I don't think so.  The public has no idea about SFRA and FRZ.  It's there because a bureaucracy has been created.  And a bureaucracy is like a vampire.  It only dies when taken into the sun light and staked in the heart.  Hopefully some sane elected official will take up the cause.   Unfortunately, the are about 10,000 other things that need fixing too.

 

It's probably the case that large trucks, drones, mortars, and missiles are a much more realistic threat.  The IRA used mortars in the 80s  One can only imagine what could be done with new technology.  I don't think an airplane with a 1000 lb payload  is anymore of a threat.

 

Yes, someone broke a silly rule and they shouldn't do that, but I would never berate a fellow pilot for that.  I just hope I never get caught by some pop up TFR, or stadium TFR, etc.  It's important to understand it can happy to any of us.

[aviatoreb]

The rules are there so the public feels safe. Controllers hate the SFRA and FRZ.

-Seth

 

Pilots hate the the SFRA and FRZ rules too.

[201er]

We all know that the safety is just perception. A plane cleared to the DC could turn off course and before anyone reacted it will have hit a building - about as powerful as a car hitting building. Not too much irreparable damage unless someone was at the impact point.

Can you imagine they gave this guy a FRZ clearance and a secret code ^

[Marauder]

Can you imagine they gave this guy a FRZ clearance and a secret code ^

And let him fly a fast Mooney too...

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[NotarPilot]

"Two fighter jets were sent to chase the small plane, while the U. S. Capitol, the Library of Congress as well as the Supreme Court were quickly evacuated.

But, authorities were soon able to contact the pilot of the plane. The buildings were reopened as the fighter planes escorted the small plane away. Later, authorities said in a statement that the pilot was confused and had no wicked intention."

 

Holy shjt!  Is it just me or has this country gone insane when we see a little Mooney as a threat.  Small planes fly over large cities day in and day out without having to evacuate buildings.  All this because we fear another 9-11.   To some degree the "terrorists" have won.  We've lost some of our freedoms.  

[flyboy0681]

Holy shjt!  Is it just me or has this country gone insane when we see a little Mooney as a threat.  Small planes fly over large cities day in and day out without having to evacuate buildings.  All this because we fear another 9-11.   To some degree the "terrorists" have won.  We've lost some of our freedoms.  

 

I agree. Unless it's carrying something else, as Pussy Galore's Flying Circus did, there is no threat IMHO, and certainly no need to evacuate the entire city.

[John Pleisse]

Dufus.......follow the rules. If he received a wx briefing...he was asked directly. If he used any one of ten apps, he was reminded directly. Scrambling 2 Hornets and evacuating government builds,,,,they should send him the bill (I'd bet over $200k).

[Mooneymite]

The media would have us believe that the pilots are the problem.  Personally I believe the TRR's/FRZ's, etc are the problem.  The entire system has gone amok!

 

The other day millions of dollars worth of legitimate jets were grounded for a "rolling TFR" through the Chicago area.  The only way one knew where/when/if/how of the TFR's was by communicating with ATC directly.  The Notams were vague and could't keep up with the changing itinerary of the POTUS.

 

And exactly what was made safer?

 

Sheeeeesh!

[John Pleisse]

My plane was grounded in DC airspace for four months after 9-11. We live with the ADIZ everyday. It ain't that tough. Run for office to change the rules, or follow the rules. This guy makes it "wicked" miserable for everyone else.

[flyboy0681]

Run for office to change the rules..

 

I think it's more like military advisors "telling" them what they need.

[John Pleisse]

Wait......this is an entire Federal Government that is suspicious of the military and defunds the military.

[flyboy0681]

Wait......this is an entire Federal Government that is suspicious of the military and defunds the military.

 

While I believe in a strong military, I'm not sure that the nearly TRILLION dollars a year we spend on the military is entirely justified, especially since the Cold War is long gone and all we're doing now is essentially chasing around several thousand pillow-heads. But that's just me.

[John Pleisse]

I never hear this ferver about airspace, until some low-info moron violates it (watch, I'll stumble into my own poop the next time I fly).

[NotarPilot]

Mooney 52H, while I'll agree with you that it is easy to follow the rules (most of the time) with all the info and technology available to us today I think you're missing the point. My issue is the over reaching power of the federal government especially in regards on issuing these ridiculous TFRs.

Can anyone tell me how a baseball stadium is any safer by implementing a 3nm radius TFR where even a lowly 152 could breach the TFR and reach the stadium in about 2 minutes unopposed? Or why Disneyland and Disneyworld are the only two theme parks with enough juice in Congress to get essentially "restricted areas" permanently established around their properties? Does that not sound ridiculous? And that whole ADIZ around DC is a blatant loss of liberty for all Americans yet Americans don't see GA as a right like I do. Most will say the whole "We need to balance security vs liberty, flying is not a right, blah blah blah." Does anyone on this board value their congressman/woman's life more than their own? I didn't think so. Then why do we afford them such extraordinary protections not afforded to YOU with that highly restrictive airspace to "protect them"? A bunch of immoral, irreputable, corruptable men and women (mostly men)? This is not what I believe our founding fathers had envisioned for this great free country when they founded it. This is not the Free America as I see how it should be, but I could be wrong.

Stepping off my soapbox now.