TSA- They Eased-Up!

SCCutler

SCCutler

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Spike Cutler
For those of you who contend that AOPA doesn't do any good, I offer this new news!

"TSA lessens security restrictions on transient pilots

By AOPA ePublishing Staff


The Transportation Security Administration confirmed that is has a new security directive signed by TSA Acting Administrator Gale Rossides that tones down proposed security restrictions for transient pilots flying into commercial-service airports.


The new directive, called SD-8G, clarifies and corrects some of the issues that AOPA and the GA community objected to in SD-8F. The new directive will go into effect June 1. As AOPA has previously reported, SD-8F would have required pilots based at or flying into commercial-service airports to undergo a background check and receive a security badge in order to continue to have unescorted access to their airports.


According to the new directive, transient pilots who fly into commercial-service airports no longer need to get an airport badge or background check. However, they must remain close to their aircraft, leaving it only to walk to and from the fixed-base operator, service provider, or airport exit. The TSA also has said that it will make provisions for self-fueling operations and grant allowances for emergency situations...



See full story at:


http://www.aopa.org/advocacy/articles/2009/090528tsa.html
 
The real test will be if they (TSA) have learned anything. (>-{
 
OMG, the TSA discovers common sense.

I wonder if they know this is pretty much how we been handling it already.
 
But they did not ease the rules if you are based at the airport with either a tie down or a hanger.
 
I had kinda been hoping TSA would be intransigent. They were about to get whacked by a Congressman from Florida who introduced legislation to curb "security directives".
 
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I'm not so sure I'd give AOPA credit for this one. It didn't involve user fees....

Thank God the TSA is SOMEWHAT malleable. I'll take this over some of the other crap they were pushing. Now I need to get that document and link it instead...
 
Hard to believe the TSA actually bent to the force of intelligent thought. I guess even they can see which side of their bread is buttered.
 
Actually this still sux. Let's face it, you arrive in an airplane - what threat are you exactly, on the ground??? The requirement to walk straight to the FBO takes away one of my greatest pleasures -- checking out the other aircraft on the ramp. Now if I see something neat on the ramp and decide to check it out, I'll be considered a terrorist. There's something wrong about that. :confused:
 
Still entirely incorrect. The entire premise that any additional security measures are required is flat wrong.
 
absolutely, Scott. It's the first little success and a move in the right direction. Now, let's continue!
 
Problem is the TSA villains are learning to play the game. Propose hugely onerous secret regulation. When someone in Congress blinks, lesson still onerous but slightly diluted new regulation. Congrescritters win, because they get to truthfully tell their constituents that they (the Congrescritters) successfully intervened. And the TSA is one step closer to it's evil plan of world domination. Remember, people are safest when they're tightly controlled.
 
steingar said:
Problem is the TSA villains are learning to play the game. Propose hugely onerous secret regulation. When someone in Congress blinks, lesson still onerous but slightly diluted new regulation. Congrescritters win, because they get to truthfully tell their constituents that they (the Congrescritters) successfully intervened. And the TSA is one step closer to it's evil plan of world domination. Remember, people are safest when they're tightly controlled.
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BINGO.

This "easing up" is no victory at all. It changes NOTHING for those of us based at air carrier fields, and the only thing it changes for transients is that you don't need FBO personnel to escort you to your plane. Whoopty freakin' doo.

All they did is put a chocolate chip on top of a big pile of bullsh!t. No cheering here. :mad3:
 
jesse said:
Until they turn on you...in an angry tight group.
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It's no problem then, either,...
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...even when the group is as large as ours isn't.
 

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flyersfan31 said:
Actually this still sux. Let's face it, you arrive in an airplane - what threat are you exactly, on the ground??? The requirement to walk straight to the FBO takes away one of my greatest pleasures -- checking out the other aircraft on the ramp. Now if I see something neat on the ramp and decide to check it out, I'll be considered a terrorist. There's something wrong about that. :confused:
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A year or two ago, when I was walking around at Wings Field during the fly-in, I looked at a Cirrus parked at the FBO and WAS treated like a terrorist. No airline service. Was told to please not walk up to the planes. So -- TSA or no TSA - I think public attitude & fear is a big problem no matter where you are.
 
skyflyer8 said:
A year or two ago, when I was walking around at Wings Field during the fly-in, I looked at a Cirrus parked at the FBO and WAS treated like a terrorist. No airline service. Was told to please not walk up to the planes. So -- TSA or no TSA - I think public attitude & fear is a big problem no matter where you are.
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I bet I know who it was - the same thing happened to me at Wings, and that was after I earned my PPL there and six months after I started hangaring my first plane there. :eek:
 
I'm still not excited. I don't like being treated like I've done something wrong for doing something so legal and that I've rightfully earned - flying into controlled airports. The airport is considered our home, how would you like it if someone escorted you from your car to your front door? After all it's still possible for someone to jump you between the two. Imagine how life would be if we had to be escorted in the walmart parking lot.
 
flyersfan31 said:
I bet I know who it was - the same thing happened to me at Wings, and that was after I earned my PPL there and six months after I started hangaring my first plane there. :eek:
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I bet I know who it was too. Same guy who called the cops because my truck was parked there (with permission, I might add)?
 
skyflyer8 said:
A year or two ago, when I was walking around at Wings Field during the fly-in, I looked at a Cirrus parked at the FBO and WAS treated like a terrorist. No airline service. Was told to please not walk up to the planes. So -- TSA or no TSA - I think public attitude & fear is a big problem no matter where you are.
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flyersfan31 said:
I bet I know who it was - the same thing happened to me at Wings, and that was after I earned my PPL there and six months after I started hangaring my first plane there. :eek:
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flyingcheesehead said:
I bet I know who it was too. Same guy who called the cops because my truck was parked there (with permission, I might add)?
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Adam Z, me thinks you'd best have a talk with our friends at MCA. I know I didn't experience anything like this, but that's not the way to treat actual or potential customers!:nono:
 
skyflyer8 said:
A year or two ago, when I was walking around at Wings Field during the fly-in, I looked at a Cirrus parked at the FBO and WAS treated like a terrorist. No airline service. Was told to please not walk up to the planes. So -- TSA or no TSA - I think public attitude & fear is a big problem no matter where you are.
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Must be something about Cirri. I was looking at Joe's Cirrus at BPK in '07 and was told by the FBO to stay away from it. I told them to go away :)

This new change just goes to show how pointless this directive is overall. I'm supposed to walk only to the FBO or exit? Great! Who is going to enforce that? Security? Riiiight. Airport police? From talking to a few of them, I've gotten the distinct impression that they don't think the TSA is worth any more than we do. Also, what's the punishment if I don't walk straight to the FBO? Probably nothing or not much. In other words, I can try to walk anywhere else with impunity. Sort of like I can bring anything to a airport terminal checkpoint and if it is confiscated, I can just try again.

We have idiots running the show :(
 
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gprellwitz said:
Adam Z, me thinks you'd best have a talk with our friends at MCA. I know I didn't experience anything like this, but that's not the way to treat actual or potential customers!:nono:
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Grant,

IIRC this guy isn't an MCA employee. He might be on some kind of airport board or something like that, but my memory is a bit fuzzy. Adam knows who I'm talking about, and I'm just guessing it's the same guy Kate and Andrew are talking about.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Grant,

IIRC this guy isn't an MCA employee. He might be on some kind of airport board or something like that, but my memory is a bit fuzzy. Adam knows who I'm talking about, and I'm just guessing it's the same guy Kate and Andrew are talking about.
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Thanks for the clarification. But then I wonder just what his authority he has?
 
Here you go:

Isn’t it nice to be able to drive anywhere you want to, whenever you want to? Isn’t this one of the freedoms we have come to expect here in the USA? Sure, you need to be responsible, have enough gas in the tank, possess a license, and be physically able. But you can do it without the government watching to see who you are carrying, where you are going, and when you are planning to be there. But if the rules being imposed on aviation in the United States take their full course, folks with boats wanting to go out and play on the river and folks wanting to go somewhere in their cars will have something entirely new to deal with – restrictions on their freedom to travel.

Yes, as it stands right now regulations are in place that will severely limit the ability of United States citizens to travel freely around the country by personal aircraft. Efforts to enforce identification requirements are being imposed on airfields, passenger manifests are being scrutinized, and entire blocks of airspace are being deemed off limits to these special citizens. Is this the way we want to live in the USA? Did our forefathers die for these restrictions on our freedom? I don’t think so…

The entire premise for these restrictions is flawed. Sure, hijackers stole aircraft and murdered thousands of Americans on that fateful day in September 2001. Does that mean we should all cower behind a plethora of ineffective regulations? We have had laws for a long time against hijacking, carrying a weapon onboard an aircraft, and speeding down the highway for that matter. Did those rules stop these events from happening? No. The only way these sort of events are stopped is through pressure from our fellow citizens paying attention and standing up for their freedom. Personal safety results from personal responsibility. Public safety results from public responsibility. Good police work and communications beat broad stroke searches and restrictions every time.

The hijackers from 9/11 were known to the US government and their methods were already understood; it was the failure of our public institutions to act that enabled these criminals to act. Imposing blanket restrictions on the citizens of the USA does not solve the basic bureaucratic problems that exist in our government, nor does it add any safety to our citizens. Each of us needs to take responsibility for our own actions and act to protect ourselves and our freedoms. We must not shirk these responsibilities. When we allow our freedoms to be compromised in the name of ‘safety,’ then we will have lost some of the inalienable rights that this country is based on. Homeland Security has a sour sound to it that does not express my desire for a free United States of America. Freedom has a cost and sometimes that cost will be in human lives. We must not let the sacrifices of those that have gone before us be for nothing.
 
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flyingcheesehead said:
Grant,

IIRC this guy isn't an MCA employee. He might be on some kind of airport board or something like that, but my memory is a bit fuzzy. Adam knows who I'm talking about, and I'm just guessing it's the same guy Kate and Andrew are talking about.
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Actually, no Kent. Different guy. It's an FBO employee to whom I refer. He was told to keep an eye on strangers on the ramp, so he does. He was cool after I explained things. I can't really fault him -- having heard many stories about avionics and fuel thefts at airports, I'm glad someone is actually keeping an eye open.
 
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