Now that states are beginning to ease up on their various stay-at-home orders, or advisories, what does this mean to us pilots? And how much could it change the calculus we’re using to make the go- or no-go call before we even head out to the airport? Or should it even enter into the conversation?
When it comes to stay-at-home measures, it’s probably safe to say that the vast majority of U.S.-based owners/pilots of personal transportation planes live in a place that they can go flying regardless of their state or locality’s rules related to social distancing. In few places would you be stopped from driving to the airport and going wherever you’d like to go. The FBO will be overjoyed to sell you some gas. The air traffic controllers will be delighted to have you. The whole thing would be business mostly as usual, at least in terms of what you could physically do. It’s highly unlikely that an officer will stop you because you’re driving to your local airfield.
