Near miss or not?

Much news hysteria has come of the "near miss" between three US Airways planes in the vicinity of Reagan National Airport in DC last week.  But the truth is a lot more complicated than the hype.  


Without getting deeply into the FAA's Air Traffic Control policy,(and way beyond my pay grade) suffice it to say that the required Instrument Flight Rules separation of three miles laterally and 1000 feet horizontally IS NOT REQUIRED if either one of the aircraft has the other one in sight.  Once you understand that key point, there is no story here.  This is the biggest ATC non-story since an aircraft carrying Michelle Obama had to perform a go around last year.  


Did Air Traffic Control violate established procedures or fail to communicate when these aircraft came too close?  Maybe.  But notwithstanding all the gotcha stories about sleeping controllers, etc. it is extremely hard to find an unprofessional or clueless controller out there in the real world.  They are highly trained, highly professional, highly standardized, and very good at what they do.  


Aviation is dangerous, human error is always a threat, and it pays to keep your head on a swivel.  But not in this case.  More than likely the investigation will find as the Administrator has already stated... "they were not on a collision course".  

My Apologies

After President Obama's recent apology to Afganistan President Karzai for a koran burning incident in Afghanistan, I felt inspired to add a few apologies of my own.  
To President Hamid Karzai:


First of all, I am sorry that our country ever supported the Mujaheddin, of which you were a part, during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.  


I am even sorrier that we listened to you and supported you as President when you wanted the Taliban driven from your country in 2001.  


Since you were long in the habit of fleeing your own country when things got bad, I am particularly sorry that US forces assigned as your personal protection detail have saved your life from at least one assassination attempt that we know of.  


I am sorry that this koran burning is such a big deal, as the circumstances surrounding the incident are not widely known, but of course the US military is portrayed once again as the bad guy.  


I am deeply sorry that the burning of a few copies of the koran is a bigger deal to some of your people than murder.  


I am terribly sorry that your country, under your leadership, is so screwed up that your people have time to protest this, and that your leading exports to the world are terrorism and opium.  


I'm sorry to hear that your brother somehow got mixed up in the heroin trade, I'm sure its just a politically motivated smear campaign as he says.  


But most of all, I'm sorry that over 1800 US soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen have died in your country trying to clean the place up.  


Sorry, man.  Your bad.  


Check, please...