When the president comes to town, small aviation companies lose money: Temporary flight restrictions place a heavy burden on small businesses

Photo Credit/Photo Courtesy:  MIKE BAUTISTA/THE REBEL YELL

Written by: Dede Anderson on February 25, 2013

Imagine walking out to your driveway to take your car to work and being met by armed law enforcement officers who tell you that because the president or some VIP is in town, you cannot use your personally-owned vehicle today. Far-fetched? Not really. In fact, this is exactly the scenario faced by pilots and aircraft owners who are supposed to be afforded the benefit of the principle of “innocent until proven guilty,” but are instead the victims of an overreaching federal policy which constitutes an unconstitutional taking of public airspace and access rights without due process of law.

A temporary flight restriction is a term that many of us are unaware of and could really care less about, but it is significant and can impact us all economically and ethically. Commercial airline operations are not impacted by this type of flight restriction, so if you are going to visit Aunt Maude in Montana, you will still be able to do so. However,  all of the general aviation operators in your area will feel the very real economic impact of this decree, including those of us in Las Vegas. Whenever the president comes to town, general aviation in our area is brought to a standstill.

Think about it: Flight instructors, student pilots, hot air balloon pilots, pilots who are out flying to stay sharp and current in their aircraft, mechanics bringing small airplanes back to service by flying them around the airport, tourists on holiday trying to take a ride in a hot air balloon or other small aircraft, local people who have to commute by air in a small aircraft to work out of state; all of these folks will be grounded during the president’s stay in our city. How many airports will it affect? Because we are in a valley here, with all our airports within twenty nautical miles of each other, it will affect all of them. Has it always been this way? The answer is a resounding “No.”

Read more here:   http://www.unlvrebelyell.com