Threat to General Aviation

[canav8]

This was forwarded to me. If you have a small second, please have a look at this and respond. We need every G/A guy out there to protest. The TSA is out of control.

Here are some of the letters that are out there, one is in the body of this and two
are attached.
Get them to whoever you can let see if we can make a difference.
Obama team at work to save the world.
> NOTICE TO NMPA MEMBERS FROM MEMBER MARC COAN
>
>
> Date: February 25, 2009
> To: All General Aviation Pilots
> Subject: TSA to require criminal background checks for GA pilots
>
> Dear Fellow Pilot,
>
> This is a sad day! Just when you thought TSA's proposed Large Aircraft
> Security Program was about the worst thing that could happen to General
> Aviation, a new, possibly far more serious threat has arisen.
>
> Unconfirmed reports are beginning to surface of a "classified" TSA
> Security Directive which is applicable to all 450+ airports served by an
> airline flying aircraft with more than 10 seats. It requires the airport
> to develop a security plan to restrict access to all operations areas of
> the airport to only those people who have passed a criminal background
> check, received a security clearance, and been issued an airport security
> badge. (The same badge airline and airport operations personnel would be
> issued at that airport.)
>
> This applies to ALL "behind the fence" areas, even if the GA facilities
> are located on the other side of the airport from the airline terminal.
> Those persons without a badge, including visiting GA pilots and their
> passengers, must be escorted to/from their aircraft by someone with a
> badge.
>
> The fee to obtain a security clearance and badge is typically around $175.
> Anyone with a felony conviction in the past 10 years will not be issued a
> badge, nor will anyone on the TSA's secret "do not fly" list. And, even if
> you've been issued a badge at one airport, it only works at that single
> airport: There is no "universal" TSA badge planned!
>
> The directive applies not only to the airports served by MAJOR airlines,
> but ALL 450+ airline airports, including most of the 105 small airports on
> this list: http://ostpxweb.dot.gov/aviation/rural/proximity.pdf, which
> receive subsidized service by small commuter airlines. We're talking about
> places like Great Bend, KS; Clovis, NM; Alamosa, CO; Grand Island, NE, and
> dozens more that receive only 2 or 3 commuter airline flights per day in a
> Beech 1900.
>
> Unlike the Large Aircraft Security Program, this new 14-page Security
> Directive is not available for public viewing or comment. Not even AOPA,
> USPA, EAA, NBAA, etc. have been allowed to view it. All AOPA says is,
> "Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, the TSA is proceeding with this
> program. While the full details of the program are classified, it will
> essentially require all persons with access to the secure portion of the
> airport have a TSA approved airport access badge."
>
> The directive is supposedly effective April 30.
>
> Here are some news articles about Coastal Carolina Regional Airport and
> how its complying with the directive:
> http://www.enctoday.com/news/airport_44 ... ority.html
> http://www.enctoday.com/news/security_4 ... rport.html
> Pilots there are upset, but 90 of the 170 regular users of the airport
> have already applied for their badges.
>
> There are just so many reasons to oppose this directive. Here are four.let
> me know if you think of others:
>
> 1. It will be a massive inconvenience. Think about it: If you are
> visiting even a tiny airline airport, at any time of day, you won't be
> able to use the self-serve fueling station, won't be able to drive your
> rental car out to plane to get your bags, and won't be able to wander over
> and look at that cool airplane with the "For Sale" banner you saw on the
> ramp. Your needs are not important.
> 2. It means that, even though you are a federally-licensed pilot
> carrying both a pilot's license and the required photo ID, you are ASSUMED
> to be a security threat to the country that issued you the license.
> 3. It will be an enormous burden on FBOs, and will cause a further
> reduction in their business (during the middle of an economic depression,
> at least in aviation). Many pilots will choose to avoid airline airports
> they used to fly to. (I will no longer stop for fuel at one of my favorite
> airports.) And, when we do use those airports, an FBO employee will have
> to drop what they're doing to meet us and play escort service. (I guess a
> side benefit is we might get better service from small-town FBOs, but many
> of those operators only have 2-3 people working at a time, if that. Is TSA
> going to compensate FBOs so they can hire more staff? Yeah, right!)
> 4. It will cause even more of an "us vs. them" attitude by GA pilots
> vs. the airlines. GA pilots will strongly resist adding airline service to
> airports that don't already have it and many will call for the abolishment
> of the Essential Air Service program that enables their own small airport
> to have airline service.
>
> Remember, this is coming on the heels of the TSA's Large(?) Aircraft
> Security Program, which will require all private operators of aircraft
> bigger than a King Air 300 to have an airline-style security plan,
> including screening all their passengers against the "do not fly" list and
> inspecting their bags. All for a threat that has yet to be proved to
> exist.
>
> I do not see how GA is a threat to this country when compared with trucks
> which can be rented by anyone from U-haul or Ryder. (Remember the first
> World Trade Center and Oklahoma City bombings? Those were trucks, not
> planes.) And, if GA pilots are such a great threat to this country, how
> come the government hasn't even done such a simple thing as run all pilots
> through the "do not fly" list, revoking the licenses of those who are on
> it?
>
> Folks, this may well be The Big One that requires thousands of us to fly
> our planes to Washington in protest. (Of course, we'll have to take the
> FAA's Washington ADIZ test first!) Hopefully, the actual "badge" directive
> is not as severe as the early reports are saying...perhaps not all airline
> airports are affected. But we just don't know because they aren't telling
> us!
>
> If true, something has to be done, and it sounds like the only thing we
> can do is try to get the attention of Congress, which controls the purse
> strings of TSA. About the only compromise I can think of is a universal
> pilot badge that costs $50 and is good at ALL airline airports. But TSA is
> not proposing such a thing, and they aren't taking public comments on
> their proposal.
>
>
> Please forward this message to every GA pilot you know; don't delay! And
> if you hear any further news, or learn what YOUR airport is being forced
> to do to comply, please let me know so I can alert others.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Marc C. Coan,
> marc@skymachines.com

[N171TD]

WOW TSA check stations in the bush villages of Alaska - we've been so in danger from terrorists all these years - when are going to take back our country and use common sense again

[flat country pilot]

when are going to take back our country and use common sense again

Its up to the voters, the majority just voted for "change" and its here in a big way.

Brace yourself.

Bill

[GAHorn]

when are going to take back our country and use common sense again

Its up to the voters, the majority just voted for "change" and its here in a big way.

Brace yourself.

Bill

These changes are a continuation of TSA previous policies...not anything new since the election of change to which you refer. Nevertheless, we need to "change" the way bureacracies like TSA work. Write your congressman, senator, and the president. Be respectful and to the point.

[DaveF]

Seven and a half years ago the majority demanded that we be kept safe. The government heard and now we're living with the result. We now have our very own "apparatus of state security" here in the USA.

[wingnut]

I know I've posted this before, but it cannot be quoted to often;

"Those who would sacrifice liberty for the sake of security, deserve neither liberty nor security"-Benjamin Franklin

"A government that is big enough to give you everything what you want, is big enough to take everything you have"-Thomas Jefferson (read; a government that is big enough to offer you security, is big enough to take your liberty)