AB3A's Journal: "Temporary" Flight Restrictions

As reported in AOPA's website, Vice President Dick Cheney has purchased a house on the Maryland Eastern Shore. The FAA wants to establish a permenant restricted airspace over the VP's home with a 1 nm radius and a 1500' AGL no fly zone.

This is foolish on so many levels that I hardly know what to say. First, such airspaces do not prohibit aircraft from flying over his house. I normally fly at altitudes of at least 2000' AGL in that area so this is just a small nusiance to me. Second, from that altitude I could easily drop a note on the VP's house any time I feel like it. Third, what does this airspace accomplish besides annoying pilots, controllers, and most of the aviating public?

Once again, if Joe Terrorist didn't know where exactly to fly to find the Cheney household, he does now. Wouldn't the Cheneys be better served if they simply avoided this airspace thing altogether?

Security through obscurity

[rholliday]

Yeah, there is really no point in a permanent no fly zone, and little in the temporary for his other residence. I mean come on, he's the VP. No one targets the VP. And if they did it most likely wouldn't be at his house from a Cessna.
Not to say that trying to hide that a location exists is the best way to keep it secure, but it's a better shot than setting up useless governmental regulations on a beach.

Re:Security through obscurity

[AB3A]

The silly thing about this whole exercise is that it's a complete waste of resources. A 1500 foot above ground level flight restriction is only good for annoying helicopter pilots. It doesn't protect anything.

And as if that wasn't enough, anyone who wants to find the VP's residence with an airplane now has it clearly and accurately marked on the aviation charts and GPS databases. This is the opposite of security through obscurity. This is insecurity through advertising.