FAA Acting Administrator Billy Nolen and Director of AlertDC Chris Rodriguez,

Over the past 3 years, numerous honorary funeral flyovers have failed to notify DC-area residents before making low altitude jet passes of the area. Unexpected low flying jets are disruptive: interrupting work days, raising questions of national security and evoking memories of 9/11. Department of Defense’s Open Government Plan linked on Arlington Cemetery’s website “details their approach for sharing their data more openly, engaging with the public more proactively and collaborating with all citizens,” prior notice of flyover activities would serve this mission.

We would all like an opportunity to honor the fallen with advance notice of these activities, and I am sure military families would like to give residents that opportunity as well.

(After a conversation with Arlington Cemetery's Media Chief we believe the data gap is between FAA, who receives flyovers from various military branches, and provides to AlertDC)

We are asking that the FAA work with AlertDC to:

• Announce all flyovers at least 24 hours prior on AlertDC, and have AlertDC create a specific category for aerial activity as it is currently disseminated inconsistently to multiple channels.
• Create a DC area flyover e-mail list announcing all flyovers 24 hours prior and available to journalists, residents and police agencies via FAA or AlertDC website.
• Use flight ADS-B flight safety transponders that Code of Federal Regulations requires in class B airspace except when “performing a sensitive government mission for national defense, homeland security, intelligence or law enforcement purposes” or explain why these elective missions are too sensitive to disclose. Use of these transponders will allow residents see the flight path on internet flight trackers and infer the flyovers purpose.

On behalf of Washington-area residents,

Andrew Logan

Andrew Logan is a freelance journalist for HelicoptersofDC, a program dedicated to bringing DC residents the most accurate and up-to-date information on what's overhead and to foster collaboration and education about helicopter identification and mission profiles.