Media Continues Incorrect Reporting
The Associated Press continues to get its aviation "facts" wrong. In this story carried by the Air Force Times, they say this:
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Private planes are not allowed to fly in the Air Defense Identification Zone, or ADIZ — an area of about 2,000 square miles radiating from the three airports around Washington — unless they have a special transponder code and maintain radio contact with the FAA. |
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This is correct. However, this quote immediately follows the above:
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They’re not allowed at all within the Flight Restricted Zone, or FRZ, about a 16-mile radius around the Washington Monument. |
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This is patently untrue. Private planes do fly in the Flight Restricted Zone around Washington. Obviously, they have much tighter restrictions than the rest of the ADIZ, but they do fly there regularly.
On top of that, Matt Lauer of NBC's Today show interviewed Jim Shaeffer Tuesday morning and displayed a graphic of the DC ADIZ. No problem there except the graphic had pointouts labeling Andrews Air Force Base as "Dulles" and Dulles International as "Reagan National".