AOPA combats inevitable MSM general aviation hysteria
Yesterday I posted about the Cory Lidle accident and pointed out that AOPA president Phil Boyer would have his hands full. Looks like he didn't wait long to put them to use. From AOPA's site:
Thursday morning, AOPA President Phil Boyer appeared live on CNN's American Morning with anchor Miles O'Brien, a pilot and AOPA member. Speaking from AOPA's headquarters in Frederick, Maryland, via the association's TV studio and satellite uplink, Boyer told the TV audience that a car or a truck would be a much more effective terrorist weapon than a small aircraft. "No small plane has been used as a weapon of terror," Boyer said. Then a few hours later, Boyer took CBS correspondent Bob Orr and camera team flying in Boyer's Cessna 172, to help him understand airspace.
He also wrote a rebuttal to an opinion piece that peddled the usual "Death from the skies?!" thesis that general aviation-based terrorism is an unchecked menace over American soil. If the comments thread below Boyer's post is any indication, a good number of citizens are getting sick and tired of being fed the same lines about safety and security ad nauseam.
One other note: USA TODAY gets flogged in the comments, but they are also hosting the blog that acts as a public base for debate around the issues. Hat tip to them for allowing two-way traffic.