Pre-Flight Clearance

Posted by Russ Devan (New Hanover, United States) on 18 March 2008 in People & Portrait and Portfolio.

This is our helicopter pilot, Ryan, on the phone with the FAA and the Transportation Security Administration getting approval for our flight prior to take off. We had three separate helicopter flights to perform aerial reconnaissance on Thursday. After each landing, Ryan had to telephone them again to get clearance before taking off again. The reason for this was because we needed to fly inside the Restricted Flight Zone around Washington, DC. This process began over two weeks ago when the TSA performed background checks on the pilot and all passengers before they gave approval for the flights. Even though Ryan submitted all paperwork for each flight ahead of time, he was still required to call in and get additional approval before taking off again. "This is so they know to scramble the F-16s", he joked. All kidding aside, the US Capitol was evacuated twice in the week before our flight because small planes had entered the RFZ. In fact, the most recent evacuation happened the day before.

From the air, it was amazing how close to Washington we actually were. Once orbiting over our destination, we had a clear view (albeit a hazy one) of the Washington Monument and the US Capitol in the distance. So, in addition to doing aerial photography and the aerial recon work, I kept my eyes peeled for those F-16s, just in case.

Thanks for stopping by.

"The Master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his education and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence in whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he is always doing both."
- Zen Buddhist Text

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