Originally Posted by
Gonzo
Steve,
Assuming your government and DFS understand the implications of such an airspace restriction, then they obviously believe that the benefits of the visit outweigh the issues brought about by the restrictions.
So I still suggest that your irritation should be directed towards your gorpvernment and DFS.
Let's agree to disagree, huh? The DFS has to carry out the instructions of the BMVI, the BMVI gets told by the Kanzleramt what has to be done and the Kanzleramt is told by the American Secret Service what they want, or the big man isn't coming. The fact is that the US is this year's partner of the Hannover Messe and as such, the US President is expected to attend, I can see that but then why do the Secret Service make unrealistic demands on the German Government and thus on the people when they don't enforce the same demands on (e.g.) UK? What impact can a private pilot, flying 25 MILES away, flying parallel to him, not even heading in his direction, have on POTUS's security?
It would be like having a 3 lane motorway closed in
both directions because a car had had a puncture and the Police decided, in order to prevent each and every eventuality, that all traffic past the spot was to be stopped until the tyre had been replaced.
Yes, maybe we require a chancellor with more balls to stand up to the Secret Service like Tony did but you can hardly claim that the German government voluntarily said 'Hey, Obama is coming to town, to make him feel really happy, we'll shut down numerous airfields within a 30 nautical mile radius of his location....'