Keeping the sky safe over Tweed-New Haven Airport.

Save Our Shoreline, 10,000 Hawks, EH Politics, Keep Tweed Small & Fly Tweed Facts continue to disseminate misinformed commentary on any number of Tweed Airport subjects. This, in hopes of inciting fear. Do the “Fact Checkers” so prominent on Social Media bother to check the sort of misleading drivel spewed by these groups? Of course not. But I will!

See the illustration ⬇️ below. By recent example, Save Our Shoreline tries to portray a dangerous Air Traffic Situation in the skies over Tweed-New Haven Airport. They “allege” that there is no room for increased air traffic in HVN airspace because Air Traffic Control has to separate HVN airplanes from NYC overflights with “altitude assignments”. Wow!!! Btw, I use quotes to describe altitude assignments…but that’s what they’re really called. Scary 😟. I know!

Give Save Our Shoreline the Nobel Peace Prize for figuring out this closely guarded “National Secret”!!!

For the record:

Since it’s creation, Air Traffic Control has been tasked with separating Airplanes from one another. These specialists use Altitude and Headings to keep airplanes a safe distance from one another. Because again, that’s their job!

In case Save Our Shoreline & Friends didn’t notice, Air Traffic Controllers separate airplanes from one another ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.

Air Traffic Specialists routinely work under a variety of airspace and air traffic constraints. That's their job. Just like it's the job of these aforementioned protest groups to fear monger for the sake of their own cause.

The National Airspace Plan.
Tweed-New Haven Airport is like any other airport within the National Airspace System. While unique in some ways, it is also nothing special in many other ways. To allege, as Save Our Shoreline does, that this is a dangerous situation (and by insinuation “unique”) shows the ignorance of facts, procedures, air traffic technology and regulations, all on a subject that they speak with such authority on. It also shows how biased they are too. But hey? Don’t let anyone stand in their way with FACTS.

New York destined, originating and other overflights of the Tweed-New Haven area do not pose any ‘ burden’ to our area as compared to any other part of the country. Airplanes pass over countless airports within the National Airspace System and Air Traffic Controllers and Pilots work seamlessly to make it “all work out”. And to add, the airspace around Tweed-New Haven Airport is actually relatively low-density traffic area that can handle more air traffic. Further, our area is often used by Air Traffic Controllers to “absorb” other traffic. This means we have excess airspace capacity. Did Save Our Shoreline Connecticut overlook this reality when attempting to incite a safety concern?

For illustrative purposes, I also attached Aeronautical Maps to provide some stark examples of some the busiest Airspace and Air Traffic Areas in the country. Pilots and Air Traffic Controllers know how to function safely in these areas. Amazingly, in all of these places, Controllers use altitude assignments and other techniques to keep airplanes a safe distance from one another. Oh my…there’s that revelation by Save Our Shoreline.

Said another way, try to take the maudlin, alarmist “headline” of Save Our Shoreline Connecticut and overlay it on the examples of other airspace accompanied with this article. Can you imagine how “dangerous” all these areas must be?

Tweed-New Haven Airport is nothing like, nor will it ever be like (even in one’s wildest fantasy) New York, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, LA and many others like...but rest assured, no matter how busy HVN really becomes, it will truly never be a blip on anyone's "danger radar". Just don't tell SOS & Friends.

I will also include, for illustration purposes, Save Our Shoreline and friends’ beloved airport to our north. You know, the one they tell everyone to use? For your planning, this airport is encircled by numerous non-towered airports…that’s Airports with no Control Towers at all!

From these little airports, numerous student, private and recreational pilots must maneuver around big jets heading in to the primary airport by either avoiding the airspace (via altitude and headings) or by gaining clearance into the airspace. Air Traffic Controllers must protect airspace and jetliners with hundreds of people on them from these “pesky” novice pilots.

Should you be afraid 😱 now that I’ve exposed a deep, dark secret about accent everyone’s favorite airport to our north? The above sounds scary, doesn’t it? Especially if I don’t tell you how it all works…and that’s the EXACT tactic HVN Airport protesters like Save Our Shoreline Connecticut & friends use…they tell you “everything” while really telling you nothing. Rest assured, these groups know nothing about Air Traffic Control, the National Airspace System or Aeronautics in general. Trouble is, they want you to think otherwise.

In the example above, you should have the utmost confidence for your safety when flying into this particular airport…like any other. I only sited this example in order to illustrate the deliberate and deceptive tactics of HVN Airport foes.

Trust you Pilot.
As a Professional Pilot who has flown in every one of these areas many, many times, I can tell you that Air Traffic Controllers do an incredible job. I can also tell you that I’m certificated to actually explain and teach these technical airspace matters. This leads me to my final point:

I am not going to bore you (any more than I already have) with procedures, techniques, regulations or technologies that are employed to protect millions upon millions of travelers. But instead, I am going to offer retorts to the farcical daily diatribe of HVN foes. If you change your mind, I can tell you about:

⚠️ Air Traffic Separation Standards.

⚠️ Minimum Vectoring Altitudes.

⚠️ Minimum Safe Altitudes.

⚠️ Minimum Enroute Altitudes.

⚠️ Low Altitude Alerts.

⚠️ Minimum Altitude Regulations.

But I wouldn’t want to interject factual and real life matters into an airport discussion.

As a real-life Commercial Pilot, I have the utmost confidence in the safety of not just the sky over my house…but yours too. After all , my life depends upon it every time I buckle myself into the Captains seat. You might say that I have an added incentive to tell you the truth.

As Save Our Shoreline & Friends regurgitate simple, known and obvious premises on myriad Aeronautical matters in order to try and incite concern (needless), I continue to avail myself to them and anyone else who wishes, to engage in debate…my Flight Deck Door is open. My contributions to the Patch are but one venue to counter their rubbish.

T.Lorenti, Captain.
Airline Transport Pilot
Certificated Flight & Ground Instructor.