I posted a couple of weeks ago about the fact that GA was grounded in the US as a result of last month's events, and thought I'd post an update.
The situation has improved somewhat for GA, but if any of you are thinking of coming here to indulge in a bit of private flying, please make sure that you check the latest information. You might also want to pack any flying kit in your checked in luggage.
As long as you aren't planning to fly in a formerly Class B (now Enhanced Class B) area, you should be OK. If you are going to an Enhanced Class B area, you'll be flying with a CFI as an instructional flight.
This link shows where Class B airspace exists in the US
http://www.eaa.org/flightplanner/us_maps.html
Enhanced Class B extends vertically from the surface to infinity and laterally to the outermost layer of the "wedding cake" (see
http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsite...1/class_b.html )
So for example, whereas you would've been able to fly VFR from San Carlos, Palo Alto or Hayward airports in the SF Bay Area and remain under the Bravo, you can no longer do so since the Enhanced Class B extends all the way to the surface.
Now, since you'd have to get checked out with a CFI at a new club before they'd let you go up alone, what's the problem? Well simply that any private pilot who wants to fly VFR has to fly with a CFI, so CFIs are pretty busy at the moment. THe moral is book ahead and early.
There are plenty of other restrictions, and you can find info on those here:
http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsite...010923faq.html
The US AOPA and EAA sites have some good info and they are updated regularly. Both of these organisations are working with the FAA and Department of Defens/ce to get this unhappy situation resolved.
Hope this is useful to some of you.
David.