Jim Inhofe: “I fully support the Senator's efforts to stop the spread of drugs into our communities; however, one provision has the…”

“I fully support the Senator's efforts to stop the spread of drugs into our communities; however, one provision has the unintended effect of raising serious safety concerns for general aviation pilots. Specifically, the amendment permits officers to order an aircraft to land, but does not require any reasonable suspicion of criminal activity. It also could make pilots responsible for paying thousands of dollars to reclaim their aircraft, even if they are totally innocent of any wrongdoing. As a pilot for over 40 years, I can assure you that the 'order to land' could be a dangerous and traumatic experience for a pilot. In fact, the International Standards, Rules of the Air, published by the International Civil Aviation Organization says 'interceptions of civil aircraft are, in all cases, potentially hazardous.'”