CAA: GA News, "FAA to ease Seattle area restrictions grounding small planes"

["Stephen Irwin" <stepheni@xxxxxxxxx>]

Wednesday, October 17, 2001

FAA to ease restrictions grounding small planes 
By David Bowermaster
The Seattle (WA) Times


Government restrictions that have grounded private pilots in the Seattle
area since Sept. 11 will finally be lifted today, providing much-needed
relief to scores of aviation businesses and small airports in the
region. 

Private pilots that fly under visual flight rules have been banned from
flying in a 20-nautical-mile radius (roughly 23 miles on the ground)
around Seattle-Tacoma International Airport since last month's terrorist
attacks. The exceptions were the relatively small number of pilots who
are certified to fly under instrument flight rules. 

Flight schools were allowed to start taking students back in the air
late last month after being grounded for about two weeks. 

The flying limits have put a serious crimp in business at companies like
Northway Aviation, which rents planes to licensed pilots and offers
pilot training at Paine Field in Everett. 

The border of the restricted air space ended about one-half mile north
of Paine Field's main runway. 

Northway was losing $5,000 a day right after Sept. 11 when its entire
fleet of 13 airplanes was grounded, according to Paula Swisher,
Northway's office manager. 

Most students returned when the flight school re-opened last month, but
Northway derives 40 to 60 percent of its business from renting planes to
licensed pilots - many of whom are former students. 

"All of our private pilots who have been chomping at the bit will
finally be able to start flying again (today) - if the weather
cooperates for us," Swisher said. 

Not all is returning to normal for recreational pilots, however. The
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has declared certain sensitive
areas are now permanently restricted air space that pilots can no longer
fly over. Those areas include downtown Seattle, Safeco Field, Husky
Stadium and the air space over the state's nuclear reactors. 

Many commercial air services also remain grounded, such as traffic
helicopters and planes carrying advertising banners. 

The FAA continues to enforce no-fly rules around 15 of the country's 30
largest airports, including Dulles and Reagan National near Washington,
D.C. and O'Hare International north of Chicago. 

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association has estimated the flight
restrictions have cost general-aviation businesses more than $400
million. Legislation to ease the burden by providing interest-free loans
to the businesses has been introduced in both chambers of Congress, but
no action has been taken yet.

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