New TSA announcement....

[The rogue]

Okay, here goes (this is my first "new thread")....It is general aviation related and there is a question so I hope it is in the right spot.

I don't want to get all "Chicken Little" on you guys, but I thought I would post this FYI. What do you guys think about this article? It talks about threats made directly towards US Gulfstreams and Lears, but is a general threat against all general aviation aircraft. If this is true, how much does this suck?

The post comes from the TSA vie Reuters, but I didn't confirm it with them or anything. Here is the article:

By Deborah Charles
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Transportation Security Administration has warned aircraft owners and airport managers that Muslim extremists may be targeting private American jets and urged them to boost security.
"On April 13, 2006, a message posted in Arabic on an Internet forum explained how to identify private American jets and urged Muslims to destroy all such aircraft," the TSA said in an advisory issued on Thursday and obtained by Reuters on Friday.
The TSA quoted the Arabic message as saying: "We call upon all Muslims to follow and identify private civilian American aircrafts in all airports of the world."

"It is the duty of Muslims to destroy all types of private American aircraft that are of the types Gulfstream and Lear Jet and all small aircraft usually used by distinguished (people) and businessmen," it quoted the message as saying.
It said the message explained how to identify private U.S. jets and also provided the tail number of a private plane believed to be used by the CIA.
The TSA and other law enforcement organizations regularly issue advisories when they have information of a potential threat though there have been no major incidents since the September 2001 hijacked plane attacks on New York and Washington in which about 3,000 people were killed.
The TSA urged airplane owners and operators to boost security measures and secure unattended aircraft and verify identification of crew and passengers.
"Be alert/aware of and report persons masquerading as pilots, security personnel, emergency medical technicians or other personnel using uniforms and/or vehicles as methods to gain access to aviation facilities or aircraft," the TSA advised.
It said the theft of any private airplane should immediately be reported to law enforcement and TSA.
© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.

here is the original link: http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyid=2006-04-21T153811Z_01_N21230252_RTRUKOC_0_US-SECURITY-AIRPLANES.xml

 

[silver-eagle]

I'd probably gone with hanger talk but part of that is because I'm mostly viewing there.
I guess in the overall scheme of things, comparing cars and airplanes, our Pipers and Cessnas are like volks wagen beetles, where gulfstreams are more like cadilacs and gmc denalis, where 747s are like 18 wheelers. It's about time the TSA said something about the bigger guys and stop implying it's the volks wagens of the world that will bring down society.
That said, I still think, and have yet to be proven wrong, that a well packed auto/bus/truck can carry far more explosive power than an aircraft. Cheaper too. I can by a used any car for less than $1000 (or steal it from any curb) where as an aircraft is far more expensive and secured [generally] in a fenced protected area.
Look at the Middle East. Car/bus/truck bombs daily still no cessna cruise missles. Still, freightening the public usually gets more dollars in the budget. Little GA planes sell more papers. And most people have successfully flown on a jumbo jet.

 

[Steve]

I wouldn't be surprised if it was the TSA that gave them the idea to target smaller planes...considering the clamor over restrictions which affect primarily private aircraft.

 

[poadeleted20]

I'd probably gone with hanger talk

...and rightly so -- so I've moved it there.

Ron Levy
PoA Management

 

[bstratt]

"and all small aircraft usually used by distinguished (people) "

I think we're safe!

 

[Everskyward]

It said the message explained how to identify private U.S. jets

They didn't know what the "N" stood for before?

 

[Michael]

You realize though, If 1 terrorist crashes a cessna, I think were all gonna be grounded.

 

[poadeleted3]

You realize though, If 1 terrorist crashes a cessna, I think were all gonna be grounded.

Already been done in Tampa, when the teenaged Al Queda sympathizer stole a Skyhawk and crashed it into a building. If anything it helped our cause, since not even the press could disguise the fact that all it did was break a window. Now, a Citation may be bad for us....

 

[Michael]

Already been done in Tampa, when the teenaged Al Queda sympathizer stole a Skyhawk and crashed it into a building. If anything it helped our cause, since not even the press could disguise the fact that all it did was break a window. Now, a Citation may be bad for us....

Yea, but that was a stupid kid, not a terrorist. A terrorist wouldnt waste their time crashing a small plane in that fashion. They would take it to a school playground or something.

 

[Ken Ibold]

A terrorist wouldnt waste their time crashing a small plane in that fashion. They would take it to a school playground or something.

Ya think? I kinda figure someone someday will hit shopping mall on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Kill the capitalist infidels while they indulge their greed.

Oops. That sentence will get flagged by the FBI's web spiders and right now someone is typing my name on a label that will get stuck on a file folder.

 

[fgcason]

You realize though, If 1 terrorist crashes a cessna, I think were all gonna be grounded.

More like the next time they do the airliner routine again we're all grounded for good. If all the post 9-11 fixes doesn't stop the airline problem, GA has no hope of catching up in the security department.

IMO the flying attacks are likely done. Terrorists are crazy but that doesn't make them stupid. Everyone is watching airplanes so close and they like catching everyone with their pants down around their ankles. There are way too many ground attack opportunities that will cause a lot more damage than a 2000lb airplane could ever possibly do.

There are just some extremely seriously messed up people in this world.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Oops. That sentence will get flagged by the FBI's web spiders and right now someone is typing my name on a label that will get stuck on a file folder.

Oh no, Ken... Not a FILE FOLDER!

 

[poadeleted3]

Ya think? I kinda figure someone someday will hit shopping mall on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Kill the capitalist infidels while they indulge their greed.

Oops. That sentence will get flagged by the FBI's web spiders and right now someone is typing my name on a label that will get stuck on a file folder.

It will happen. I'm surprised it hasn't happened yet. But it will be homocide or car bombers, not a plane... and there will be a bunch of them nearly all at once. Ya heard it here first