ACHMED THE DEAD TERRORIST AND THE FAA

                                ACHMED THE DEAD TERRORIST AND THE FAA

If you have ever seen the ventriloquist Jeff Dunham, one of his dummies is Achmed the dead terrorist. Achmed Is a bumbling fumbling terrorist who blew himself up  prematurely. What has this got to do with the FAA?

ADS B IN shows weather and traffic. All you need is an IPad, Aviation App and an ADS B In unit. Total cost is around $1000. The caveat is that you can not see traffic when there is not a plane in the vicinity flying with ADS B Out. These are few and far in between. ADS B is completed in the US excluding Colorado and the Midwest. It is supposed to be completed by the end of this year. “Supposed” being the preoperative word.

The FAA has the availability to turn on ADS B Out 24/7 but refuses to do so. Last week there was a Delta 747 doing a missed approach to land at Kennedy. At the same time a Delta commuter flight was departing LaGuardia in NYC. These planes came within less than a half a mile and 100 feet of having a midair. If they were both flying with an IPad and ADS B In, with the FAA turning on ADS B Out 24/7, they could have seen each other and avoided an almost catastrophe. May 31 near Phoenix Deer Valley (DVT) airport in the training area 2 small GA planes collided midair and 4 lost their lives. Same scenario with a horrible outcome.

AOPA and NBAA have a lot of power on the Hill. Why aren’t they sitting in Congresspeople’s offices explaining this situation. Craig Fuller, CEO of AOPA, wrote a small paragraph on this situation in this months AOPA PILOT magazine. I don’t know if anyone in Congress is aware of the ADS B Out situation that has the ability to save numerous lives.

The FAA has the ability to do something good for Aviation safety. Why are they sitting on their behinds. The answer given is, the FAA wants more pilots to buy ADS B Out before the 2020 deadline, and they adamantly refuse to turn ADS B Out on for everyone.

Here is a situation that could save lives, but our Government bureaucracy, the FAA, does not give a damn about human life.