Coast Guard Takes Over ADIZ Patrol
Ok folks, does this make any sense? An already strained Coast Guard, patrolling the busy Chesapeake Bay and helping the tens of thousand of recreational boaters who may get themselves into trouble in the DC area, are now charged with getting those horrible little aircraft who stray into the horrors of the ADIZ. Note that the story says that the Dolphins WILL be equipped with civilian radios (gee, think that they have yet? Damn, I hope so)
Let's get rid of this Artificial Defense Irrationality Zone and concentrate on actual threats already? How many more years of spending millions of dollars to catch pilots who may not have been paying enough attention, or who are caught by ATC errors? How many more times do we have to hear that nobody who has been caught had any intention of terrorist activities? What a waste!
Coast Guard Takes Over ADIZ Patrol:
Pilots who stumble into the Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) above Washington, D.C., now will be intercepted by helicopters flown by the U.S. Coast Guard, which takes over the job from Customs and Border Protection. The change was made official on Monday. "The Coast Guard is fully ready to [provide] air defense in the National Capitol Region," said Rear Adm. David Pekoske at a ceremony. Coast Guard crews will fly orange HH-65C Dolphin helicopters. The Dolphins will be equipped with civilian-frequency VHF radios plus electronic signboards so they can communicate with pilots who might be having radio problems, AOPA said.