murphey
Touchdown! Greaser!
Many of you remember the transcript that was posted here a few weeks ago relating the TSA pronouncement about badging at airports with scheduled airlines. Here's more info about the activities....
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Today I called the Western Skyways engine service shop. Although their
facility is on the far other side of the Montrose, CO airport from
the airline terminal building, they are now required to badge all of
their employees. After June 1 (unless the "alphabet groups" get their
act together), if you do not have a new MONTROSE security badge,
you can not disembark from your aircraft to buy a sparkplug. A
Western Skyways employee must escort you. The badge application is
lengthy and will cost you $150 to apply. It is not usable at any other airport.
So I called the Grand Junction Airport head of security, and received
the same bad news. We will need $175 GRAND JUNCTION ONLY badges for
those of us that regularly work on the TBM Avenger, CAF museum, or
if you just have any airplane hangared or tied down at the airport.
TSA has defined that these badges are required at all
"Air Operation Areas" - which is anywhere an airplane can go on
the airport property - for those airports serviced by airlines.
So this includes any tie-down parking and self-serve refueling stations
even if located away from the airline terminal. One badge per airport.
A phone call to AOPA got a "we are working on it" reply although
I have seen NOTHING yet officially from AOPA, EAA, etc. The person
answering their phone said "but you will need a security badge at
your home airport ONLY if it is serviced by airlines, therefore
not many pilots are affected" and he was then surprised when I
replied with "what if I wanted to fly to another airport?" Admittedly
I was not working very far up the AOPA responsibilty chain, but
he noted my displeasure at lack of information being published
by AOPA, and said he would inform the AOPA Security Vice
President. I "think" that was a good thing.
This Security Directive (SD 1542-04-88F) was unilaterally enacted
by TSA on December 10 and will become effective on June 1.
You might also watch this TSA-related newscast.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMB6L487LHM
Have a nice day. Feel safe.
----------------
Today I called the Western Skyways engine service shop. Although their
facility is on the far other side of the Montrose, CO airport from
the airline terminal building, they are now required to badge all of
their employees. After June 1 (unless the "alphabet groups" get their
act together), if you do not have a new MONTROSE security badge,
you can not disembark from your aircraft to buy a sparkplug. A
Western Skyways employee must escort you. The badge application is
lengthy and will cost you $150 to apply. It is not usable at any other airport.
So I called the Grand Junction Airport head of security, and received
the same bad news. We will need $175 GRAND JUNCTION ONLY badges for
those of us that regularly work on the TBM Avenger, CAF museum, or
if you just have any airplane hangared or tied down at the airport.
TSA has defined that these badges are required at all
"Air Operation Areas" - which is anywhere an airplane can go on
the airport property - for those airports serviced by airlines.
So this includes any tie-down parking and self-serve refueling stations
even if located away from the airline terminal. One badge per airport.
A phone call to AOPA got a "we are working on it" reply although
I have seen NOTHING yet officially from AOPA, EAA, etc. The person
answering their phone said "but you will need a security badge at
your home airport ONLY if it is serviced by airlines, therefore
not many pilots are affected" and he was then surprised when I
replied with "what if I wanted to fly to another airport?" Admittedly
I was not working very far up the AOPA responsibilty chain, but
he noted my displeasure at lack of information being published
by AOPA, and said he would inform the AOPA Security Vice
President. I "think" that was a good thing.
This Security Directive (SD 1542-04-88F) was unilaterally enacted
by TSA on December 10 and will become effective on June 1.
You might also watch this TSA-related newscast.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMB6L487LHM
Have a nice day. Feel safe.