Newsstand - Airplanes stop flying at 'Code Red' ?

Guy I work with sends sports writers all over the U.S. for game coverage - more so this week due to NCAA Tournament.

He is under the impression that commercial aviation will pretty much come to a halt if Code Red is declared.

Anyone have facts on this, or is speculation the best anyone can do regarding this question?

Here is what the Department of Homeland Security's web site has to say regarding condition red:

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">
5. Severe Condition (Red). A Severe Condition reflects a severe risk of terrorist attacks. Under most circumstances, the Protective Measures for a Severe Condition are not intended to be sustained for substantial periods of time. In addition to the Protective Measures in the previous Threat Conditions, Federal departments and agencies also should consider the following general measures in addition to the agency-specific Protective Measures that they will develop and implement:

Increasing or redirecting personnel to address critical emergency needs;
Assigning emergency response personnel and pre-positioning and mobilizing specially trained teams or resources;
Monitoring, redirecting, or constraining transportation systems; and
Closing public and government facilities.
</font>

"Monitoring, redirecting, or constraining transportation systems" would seem to indicate that air travel could be affected by it doesn't look like it's automatically grounded. It sounds as though the extent of the redirection or constraint would depend on the situation.

Basically at code panic (red), nothing happens at all. We're all supposed to hide under our beds or in bunkers.

So yeah, I'd expect airplanes to be grounded or the air traffic system to be severely cripped at this level of the public terror inducement level.

d

Also, the alerts may be analogized to tornado warnings. While they can be applicable nationwide, they are often localized.

Code Red most likely means credible evidence exists of an imminent attack against a specific target or targets. An example would be if we knew that New York was going to get hit on 9/11/01, even if we did not know that airliners were going to be flown into the World Trade Center.

So while I would not expect the entire air transport system would be closed, I would imagine JFK/LGA/EWR would stop all departures and most arrivals that could be diverted to, say, BWI/PHL/IAD would have been.

But then, I don't work for Homeland Security, so I really have no clue. Let's hope we never find out.

Those of us who grew up in the 50 and early 60s remember duck and cover in case of a nuclear attack.

Get head under desk with ... in the air... All this meant was in case of real attack, your ... fried first

Anyone here a South Park fan? If so did you ever see the one with the volcano. They played a safety movie, looked like the old 60's and 70's school movies they showed.

Anyways....the theme of the movie was if lava was headed your way all you needed to do was duck and cover. In the movie they showed an example of duck and cover. the lava went right over them.

Later in the show when the lava was headed for three people they said hey, lets duck and cover, which they did, when the lava hit them it was toasted people...haha

I guess you had to see it to appreciate it.

rawbert <font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by mikey1003:
Those of us who grew up in the 50 and early 60s remember duck and cover in case of a nuclear attack.

Get head under desk with ... in the air... All this meant was in case of real attack, your ... fried first</font>

If you see the flash....duck and cover!

Living in the early 60's.....looking for houses with parents... the real estate agent was extolling the virtues of the bomb shelter. All the new houses had them. Nothing more than lead foil on the inside of timber framing....

Little different that our duct taped basements to avoid NBC (nuclear/biological/chemical) that the government recommends.

How pointless.....

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by kb0fhp:
Little different that our duct taped basements to avoid NBC (nuclear/biological/chemical) that the government recommends.</font>

If there's a chemical attack (or accident) in your area then the LAST place you'd want to go is your basement. Use an upstairs room, if available, as the heavier than air chemicals will tend to seek the low spots.

When the presidential election takes place and a new administration comes in, I sure hope they get rid of this bogus alert system.

A country the size of the USA operated by National "terror" media as if it was the size of Luxemburg.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by SHADO:
When the presidential election takes place and a new administration comes in, I sure hope they get rid of this bogus alert system. </font>

I'm not sure that President Rumsfeld will remove the system in 2009, but maybe you're an optimist. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by SRQ Guy:
I'm not sure that President Rumsfeld will remove the system in 2009, but maybe you're an optimist. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif</font>

Yeah and the name U.S.A, will changed to the "Fourth Riech "

Mike

[This message has been edited by MIKESILV (edited 03-21-2003).]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by MIKESILV:
Yeah and the name U.S.A, will changed to the "Fourth Riech "</font>

See, isn't melodrama fun! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

Just wait a while, somebody here is bound to take it seriously.
If you are a betting man, we could have friendly wager.
Mike

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Airplanes stop flying at 'Code Red' ? </font>

Yes. All airplanes since 1966 have been built to government mandate so that they stop flying at Code Red.

If they are in the air, they are programmed to autoland at the nearest TSA-controlled airport. When the Code is de-escalated to Maxi Orange Plus with flouride, the planes' engines automatically spool up and they are programmed to continue the flight path of their aborted journey.

At least this is my understanding.

Inquiring minds must know.