Airport Access vs. Security

Steve

Steve

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Tony's thread on his tribulations experienced with getting ramp access after hours got me thinking about what would be the "ideal" setup for a small airport with no "scheduled" service, but with a limited amount pt. 135 activity which would minimize the inconvenience for transient and locally based pilots, but would effectively secure the aircraft movement and storage areas from unauthorized persons.

I'm asking for your opinion as we are working towards improving the security at my local airport (M11). We want locals (non-pilots) to feel welcome and have the ability to "look through the fence" but not wander the airport unchecked. We hope to install a new perimeter fence and with that will come new access controls. I've seen a range of methods implemented at various airports, but I'd like to get a consensus from the active pilots here on the board.

If you had a clean sheet to work from, what would you prefer, both as a "based" pilot and a "visiting" pilot when it comes to getting in and out of an airport after hours or when no one else is around to let you in/out and still have confidence that your plane would not be accessible to unauthorized persons while you were gone?

Thanks in advance for your input. :yes:
 
I'd like it so nobody on the outside of the ramp can easily get in (for the based pilots) without an access card/key/code or an escort.

I'd like it so that any transient pilots can easily get out to the town and back to their airplanes with minimum or no hassle, 24/7.

What that means security wise is that if you exist on the inside of the ramp, as a tenant or transient, you're trusted. The trick is to give transients the trusted status without human intervention.

The best way I've found to do that is with a code system, and you display the code on the inside of the fence, and you change it reasonably often.

Loaner keys/cards can work if you have a 24 hour FBO operation.
 
barbed wire is just plain uninviting. we are trying to promote aviation, not make airports look like prisons.

key pad access to the ramp is fine with me as it 1) provides security for who is coming/going and 2) allows transient pilot the ability to access airplanes after hours. key cards theoretically would do the same thing but has disadvantages. notably they would easily be stolen and you would only have so many so basically there would be a limit to the number of transient pilots that would have the benefit. neither is desirable.
 
I've thought about those room "keys" most motels use now that can be programmed for a specific time span. The problem there is you have to have some available to issue them.

The keypad is high on the list, maybe having a sign on the ramp side that says something to the effect "Today the access code is xxxxxxx" and reference a local freq like AWOS or CTAF or without actually listing the number. Plus a phone number to call for the forgetful on the "out" side.

Thanks for the input. Keep it coming.
 
yea thatd be so much cheaper than a fence with a keypad...
 
:dunno:, Well, I meant when it wasn't attended by someone else, but you get the drift. Anyway, I said problem solved - not problem solved inexpensively...that is what I personally would want as both an owner based there, and a visiting pilot who had to get in and out to my plane.

Steve said:
I'm asking for your opinion as we are working towards improving the security at my local airport (M11).

If you had a clean sheet to work from, what would you prefer, both as a "based" pilot and a "visiting" pilot when it comes to getting in and out of an airport after hours or when no one else is around to let you in/out and still have confidence that your plane would not be accessible to unauthorized persons while you were gone?
Click to expand...
 
Interesting. It would be a challenge to find an aviation savvy individual with good interpersonal skills willing to take such a job in this area, though. We do have plenty of bubbas with guns.

I've been to a couple of airports run by local municipalities that will send a squad car out after hours to let you in/out...even give you a ride to town.

Sadly, here we had an instance last year where a pilot landed at dusk and called the sheriff for a ride into town and was rudely denied. The airport is about 5 miles by road from the sheriff's HQ. The pilot later called again (about 30 minutes later after having called a friend 60 miles away to pick him up) to report a possible plane crash and the deputy that came to check it out made half-hearted attempt to search the departure end of the runway with his Q-beam. Seeing nothing he left.

They found the 152 the next morning off the departure end of the runway about 100' west of the north/south runway centerline, partially obscured by trees and the lowering terrain. The county is now in litigation with the surviving family members, so the airport is currently a sore subject with the sheriff's office.
 
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Access controlled by a push button security lock. code is 1215 (emergency freq) or the local unicom/ctaf freq with a sign stating so. Its not perfect but non-pilots have to do some research to figure it out. You really only want to keep out the opertunistic trouble maker anyway because if they really wanted in a 10' high chain fence with barbed wire (razor is outlawed in some places) would only stop someone for about 2-5 min
 
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Steve said:
I'm asking for your opinion as we are working towards improving the security at my local airport (M11). We want locals (non-pilots) to feel welcome and have the ability to "look through the fence" but not wander the airport unchecked. We hope to install a new perimeter fence and with that will come new access controls. I've seen a range of methods implemented at various airports, but I'd like to get a consensus from the active pilots here on the board.
Click to expand...

1) You're gonna have a fence. But, to make things more welcoming, I'd suggest a viewing area inside the big fence but surrounded by a shorter fence. The viewing area would be accessible only while the airport is attended. For a great example of this (well, sans the big fence), get Grant to take a pic of the viewing area at his home airport, 1C5. They have an area right next to the restaurant where visitors can sit and watch planes.

2) For transients: On the opposite side from the observation area, a gate with a code. C29 recently got a fence, and has an outdoor outlet cover on the inside of the gate that says "lift for gate code." Can't see it from outside. Most places I've seen use CTAF or "emergency frequency". Alternatively, every airport in Michigan uses (used?) the same code, so if you have a local custom... You may be able to get it listed in the A/FD as well. I've also seen quite a few places where there's a keypad on the air side that lets you into the FBO when it's closed, again with CTAF or something like that for the code.

3) For based pilots, have a vehicle gate near the hangars with a keypad.
 
The TSA guideline for security at GA airports

http://www.tsa.gov/assets/pdf/security_guidelines_for_general_aviation_airports_may_2004_a-001.pdf

doesn't even have fencing on the menu until the airport had a pretty high risk score. Is this document outdated? A fence is very desirable for protection of personal property and from a public perception standpoint but a throttle lock or prop lock is pretty effective at preventing the use of an airplane for terrroristic purposes. Protection of personal property is not a TSA concern.

We have added keypad gates, also controllable with a "garage door" opener, to keep vehicle access limited to those who have a reason to be there but the purpose is aviation safety and property protection, not terroristic act prevention. Ramp continues to have ungated pedestrian access. Feedback from TSA folks indicates that what we have is adequate for them.

We also provide FBO night access with a keypad door lock using a pilot decodable combination so folks can access the weather terminal and restrooms.
 
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I like the idea of an intermediate area for plane spotting. That is something we could implement after the perimeter fence is established. Sometimes the aviation community forgets that an airport paid for with public funds should be accessible to the public to at least some degree. I personally think is important to garner support by taking every opportunity to counter the idea that a small airport is a "private club" without inviting undue attention. I like what I've seen at College Park, MD, an area set aside for school groups to be introduced to aviation. Too bad the flying activity at that historic site is less than desireable (on my side of the security argument, at least) or else they'd have more to look at.

I have a copy of the TSA guidelines. They're not too worried about runway or ramp incursions, it seems. We did have the local "Emergency Management" coordinator (TSA proxy) come by with a state DOT official and look the place over. We believe we can get full funding from the state, less 2.5% the county will kick in. We just don't want to end up with a prison farm.

We have deer stands not more than 100' from the east side of the airport. I've been looking at the http://www.nixalite.com/ deer fencing as a possibility.

I'll be taking your ideas to the next airport commission meeting. Thanks for the help!
 
We really have a deer problem. We have had a deer/plane collision about every third or fourth year on average the 14 years I've been around here. Game & Fish used to thin the population when ever it got to be a problem but now they reluctant and are suggesting that we allow bow hunting on the airport to keep the deer population down. Hunting leases are common here. I suppose we could advertise and lease bow hunting rights (and obligation) so we only had one party to work with. Due to the purpose, it probably wouldn't be season limited. Maybe make a little money for the airport. What sort of rules would we need? No shots within arrow range of the runway or ramp unless directed away? What is an arrow's range? I suppose it depends on the bow.
 
Steve said:
I like the idea of an intermediate area for plane spotting. That is something we could implement after the perimeter fence is established. Sometimes the aviation community forgets that an airport paid for with public funds should be accessible to the public to at least some degree. I personally think is important to garner support by taking every opportunity to counter the idea that a small airport is a "private club" without inviting undue attention. I like what I've seen at College Park, MD, an area set aside for school groups to be introduced to aviation. Too bad the flying activity at that historic site is less than desireable (on my side of the security argument, at least) or else they'd have more to look at.

<snip>

I'll be taking your ideas to the next airport commission meeting. Thanks for the help!
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I suggest the spotting area be designed in from the beginning. You may find it works better outside of the fence, but with "viewer friendly" fencing. Add some picnic tables and a play area and you may be good to go. Not knowing your airport's configuration, I might be blowing smoke here.
 
Gate with combo lock, "For Access, Squawk VFR."
 
How about a system similar to those used for parking garages. You press a button and it dispenses a magnetically-encoded paper ticket. You have a reader on the outside that will open the gate. You could either hard-code them for a specific length of time, e.g. 1 day, or provide a length selector for the pilot where they indicate how long they'll be parked. You could even tie that to a billing system so that if they say they're going to be parked more than, say, two days, it requires a credit card. That gives some sort of proof of identity and the ability to (optionally) charge for longer stays.

Another idea, though one with great personal security implications, would be to have them insert their credit card. You then store an encrypted version of the mag stripe (not the entire thing), and then they insert the same CC on the other side to gain access. I figure most pilots have some sort of CC!
 
yea we have to carry them to pay FBO's ridiculous fee's to get back to our aircraft :)
 
The credit card thing mentioned above would work really slick. It'd be really easy to build an embedded machine running Linux to do that too. (well..kind of easy) :)

Of course I imagine some people would freak out thinking you are storing their credit card number.
 
Many drivers licenses have info magcoded on them now, and I think it's a requirement of ID-21... So the concept of having someone use a token they already have to "register" on the way out and then grant them access back in is a good one.
 
jangell said:
The credit card thing mentioned above would work really slick. It'd be really easy to build an embedded machine running Linux to do that too. (well..kind of easy) :)

Of course I imagine some people would freak out thinking you are storing their credit card number.
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Yeah, that's what I was referring to when I said "great personal security implications". Unfortunately, I don't think all DLs have it encoded yet. Now, if there was a stripe on our Pilot's Licences! Maybe when we get photo IDs.
 
We're already using credit cards for the Easy Check In kiosks at the airports ... so might not be a stretch to do the same for gate access.
 
We'll be moving the access to the airport from the north side to the west side so the road no longer connects directly to the ramp, but to a vehicle parking area with controlled access of some kind to the ramp. We'll need a fence along the abandoned access, which I consider to be a prime location for an airport overlook. The runway is downhill from the current access road. I've suggested an exercise trail for the neighbors, too. They definitely need one....:D

Cap'n Jack said:
I suggest the spotting area be designed in from the beginning. You may find it works better outside of the fence, but with "viewer friendly" fencing. Add some picnic tables and a play area and you may be good to go. Not knowing your airport's configuration, I might be blowing smoke here.
Click to expand...
 
The credit card idea might work. I've used them for everything from pay phones to unattended automatic car washes. I think some one who uses them is already accepting some level of privacy loss.

If I make enough trips to DC I could use the Smart Pass cards I've accumulated, too. Or that stack of plastic hotel pass keys...
 
TMetzinger said:
Many drivers licenses have info magcoded on them now, and I think it's a requirement of ID-21... So the concept of having someone use a token they already have to "register" on the way out and then grant them access back in is a good one.
Click to expand...

WI driver's licenses started getting magnetic strips years ago, but were then "upgraded" to a 2-D bar code thingy for added security.
 
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