Airspace over Las Vegas Strip to be closed New Year's Eve

[peterh]

http://www.krnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=1580562&nav=8faOJtuw

Jerry Bussell, Governor Kenny Guinn's adviser on homeland security, tells The Associated Press that the airspace over the Las Vegas Strip will be closed New Year's Eve.
A spokeswoman with the US Department of Homeland Security says the agency has received the state's request to close the airspace and is coordinating any action with the FAA.
A spokeswoman with McCarran International Airport says the ban, known as a temporary flight restriction, will implemented on New Year's Eve from 9:00 PM to 3:00 AM. The TFR will involve a ten nautical mile radius from the center of McCarran Airport.
The TFR will not affect commercial airliners or medical, police or military flights. Private planes and tour helicopters will not be allowed to fly in the restricted air space.
Las Vegas has been mentioned as a possible terrorist target, but officials have yet to say that was the reason behind the ban.




Call me crazy, but I’m just going to make a wild guess and say that between now and New Years, we’ll have about 29 more cities implementing some type of TFR :crazy:

[kainah]

1. Didn't they close Las Vegas airspace last year also?

I don't know why this sticks in my head, since I am not exactly a New Year's person and don't really pay much attention to any of it, but it seems to me that they closed that airspace last year as well.

[DCDemo]

2. What really is beginning to worry me

Is telegraphing - pretending to throw a left but really throwing a right, that kind of thing.

These guys are smart (ALQ) and creative, a bad combo. If I wanted to increase my chances of causing my desired attack to work, I would implement a lot of fake plans to draw attention and focus elsewhere.

Of course there will still be cops on the streets, etc., but an attack could easily come from a truck, car, train, or person.

Someone infected with something awful could walk through a major city or two and start something awful.

Not to be too gloomy, but given ALQ's use of many 9-11 hijackers who did not know it was a suicide mission, it is clear that they separate the real plan from the lower level muscle.

We shall see...but I am not a happy Washingtonian these days...

[Punkingal]

3. I'm not happy, either.

I live in Vegas! I have always thought Vegas would be high on the list of places to hit. Oh, well, nothing I can do about it. Except, we never go to the strip, especially on New Year's Eve.

[TankLV]

9. Hi Punkingal - I'm in Henderson!

Nice knowing another local DU'r.

Happy Holidays!!

I'm staying home, too - not fear - just like to cuddle up w/my family and too comfortable to go anywhere.

[Dookus]

4. Won't they have to shut the airport?

The airport is surprisingly close to the strip - don't see how planes could fly in and out and not violate the airspace near the strip.

[amazona]

5. seems a very reasonable precaution to me NT

.

[asjr]

6. No, you are

not crazy. I feel the WH thinks we are not yet sufficiently scared. We have to do the colors of the rainbow again because they want to slip something through that we will not like and want us otherwise engaged.

[tsipple]

7. And it doesn't do squat...

...Until the FAA figures out how to put a forcefield up into the air, there's absolutely nothing accomplished.

Look at what they describe. Small planes which are flown by law abiding pilots can't enter. Big airplanes (with lots of explosive fuel), including those flown by terrorists, can and will cross the imaginary line in the sky.

So why is our government now in the business of restricting Americans' freedom to travel for absolutely zero security benefit? Real good question.

[tsipple]

8. By the way, just so you all know...

...there was a PFR (Permanent Flight Restriction) around the World Trade Center on 9/11. Aircraft have always been banned from flying within 1,000 feet of that building. Or any other.

A lot of good that did, huh?

What is our government doing? Have they gone crazy? Drawing lines in the sky? What are they thinking? Are they even thinking?

Heck, I think the government is making us less safe. Las Vegas is now marked (by an imaginary line in the air) as a terrorist target. Brilliant! :-(

[ThoughtCriminal]

10. Very effectinve

In the minute and a half that an airliner takes to travel 10 miles, they can determine if the pilot has a World Almanac with him.

[tsipple]

11. (Chuckle.)

That's great.

Note, however, that airliners -- you know, big heavy airplanes with lots of fuel load -- are perfectly fine flying in that 10 mile zone. Their owners have lobbyists.

It's the little planes that can't fly in that zone. The ones that don't have fuel load and weigh what a Geo Metro weighs. Or less.

Yes, you've read that right. Our fine government is drawing imaginary lines in the sky and telling the Geo Metros of the sky not to fly there.

Brilliant. Just f-ing brilliant. :-(