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NAATS Press Release: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WHEATON, MD--February 5, 2003. The lives of the hundreds of general aviation pilots and their passengers were put at risk when the FAA failed to notify the Air Traffic Controllers at the Automated Flight Service Stations across the Nation of the �no fly zones� imposed by the military that prohibited aircraft from flying into the airspace below the debris area. The controllers were not informed of this �no fly zone� until 5 hours after it was issued. Wally Pike, President of the National Association of Air Traffic Specialists (NAATS) who represents these controllers issued the following statement. �As we mourn with our country, we are relieved that this tragedy was not compounded by the loss of other lives simply due to a lack of communication and inclusion of Air Traffic Control facilities.� The latest incident exemplifies the FAA�s struggle to resolve repeated issues involving flight restrictions to airspace for which the nation�s Flight Service Controllers are responsible. It now appears that the FAA may have no intention of resolving this hazard to general aviation. Instead, the administration proposes that America�s Flight Service Stations are subject to the A-76 process which could result in contracting out of Flight Service responsibilities to general aviation. For information on NAATS or to contact our Officers by email, visit https://www.naats.org
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