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Time to fear the TSA?

B

BSEC

Registered User
Ham Lake, MN
The following link is to a new article published by The Associated Press today.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7177441/

What caught my eye was they say...

A report by congressional investigators in December found that TSA ?has primarily focused on strengthening the security of commercial aviation.? The report noted that TSA doesn?t understand the risks posed by small private planes, fails to issue meaningful threat information to general aviation airports and can?t make sure charter airlines and flight schools comply with security regulations.

Time to make sure your AOPA dues are current. Once folks get some time on their hands they're going to turn their attention to general aviation.

You know what they say about the road to hell and good intentions.
 
Fox is running a segment at various times on general aviation with some jughead pontificating on how we're now the main threat to America . . . they show various GA aircraft and bemoan the fact that we don't tell anyone where we're going, and we're not being challenged and inspected at airports, etc., etc. Already there's a paper out for "suspicious activity" which includes mud or weeds hanging off your landing gear.

The way things are going, only a matter of time before we're all asked for our papers . . . just before the SWAT team enters our homes to inspect . . .
 
flagold said:
Fox is running a segment at various times on general aviation with some jughead pontificating on how we're now the main threat to America . . . they show various GA aircraft and bemoan the fact that we don't tell anyone where we're going, and we're not being challenged and inspected at airports, etc., etc. Already there's a paper out for "suspicious activity" which includes mud or weeds hanging off your landing gear.

The way things are going, only a matter of time before we're all asked for our papers . . . just before the SWAT team enters our homes to inspect . . .
Click to expand...


They obviously do not have a clue. I can go rent a giant box truck and put my B*mb in there and take it where ever I want. The media is a pain....
 
The thought I can?t get out of my mind is a question.

Why do people feel it's ok to outlaw cell phone use in the car? It's ok to eat, smoke, put on makeup, change clothes, shave, beat their kids, do a crossword (I've seen it) etc. but it's not ok to use a phone.

Is it the phone that's truly offensive or is it some preconceived notion about people who use cell phones that ruffles the public?s feathers?

If it's the latter GA could just as easily find themselves a public target. I could rant on and on about the media?s potential to skew public opinion of an activity a small percentage of folks participate. However... This has been covered more than once on this site.

I'm just reminding folks there are those who would like to curtail our freedom as pilots. Please help support the groups that support us.
 
This evening, Peter Jennings on ABC ran a story on how insecure GA airports are. A reporter was not challenged as he drove on the ramp past some small planes. Then large business jets were mentioned as having no boarding checks of passengers. AOPA is going to have another fight on its hands. By the way, the FBI came to my airstrip a year or so ago because my Cubs had been crop dusters when new. I tried to educate the agents, who were clueless about aviation, but nice guys.

Ron
 
Too bad no one in the media has done a story on the reporters busted trying to create a story at the airports.

Has it been a year already since those reporters snooping around airports got nabbed by the Sherif and FBI?

Sadly no one will remember that but tomorrows office chat will be the threat of the GA airport down the street. :bad-words:
 
I saw a congressman talking about a small plane and 200 lbs. of fertilizer tonight on the news. A friend of mine says when we're all in our individual cages we'll be safe.
Marty
 
Yeah, I've been sitting here most of the day in thunderstorms monitoring the various newscasts. I've heard the it postulated that a SuperCub would deliver a "weapon of mass destruction" (flour-bag bomb I guess) and that some crazy cropduster (that's me I guess) was going to spray the whole US with anthrax, and that some mad corporate pilot was fixing to fly his Lear into a nuke plant, and that some crazed sob would fire a shoulder fired missile into an airliner, and, and, and . . .

All I can say is this: THANK GOD I LIVED THE BULK OF MY LIFE IN SOME KIND OF RELATIVE FREEDOM! The freedom I knew was less than my Father knew, and less than my Grandfather, but at least I knew something of it.

I kind of see where this is all going -- and it's not a pretty place in my opinion.

God Bless America -- freedom by permit only.
 
I find it odd that our government did not ban Ryder rental trucks or fertilizer after Timothy McVey bombed the federal government building in Oklahoma. You think a terrorist might get the same idea??

Before long, we'll need a background check and a permit to leave our homes to go to work or the grocery store. Better be sure your papers are in order!

Anne.
 
Legality of cell phones....

It is NOT legal to do any activity that distracts a driver, meaning: eat, kids, makeup, knit or talk on the phone.

Why do we keep making new "improved" laws instead of enforcing the ones already on the books?????

Remember when the girl flew the cardinal into the thunderstorm. Everyone said children should not fly. As if it was not the instructor's duty....

Maybe we should make them repeal old laws, two for every new law!

As far as terriorists, the largest military aviation disaster to date was caused by a group of non papered, flying canadians. Could have been from Russia actually, but why did they not check that flock of Geese?? :crazyeyes:
 
I fly back and forth between Waterville Maine and Plymouth Mass. Both this past year have initiated the secure gate system with the card readers. Both have Ramp ID's. Since the consistent snow storms both have broken automatic gates that are now left open. The changes have come slow but my partner and Father in law in the Comanche ,who is the original Rebel for No Cause, was not around for these changes. All of a sudden he called me up in a tirade this last fall because he no longer carried his 35 year old pilots license and was denied access to the PYM hangar and plane that he is a partner in. I think he thought it was my idea some how to keep him away from the Comanche. I could not believe it but the airport manager kept the line and would not let him in. This man has flown out of PYM since he was a student there in the 70's. I now step back and look at both sleepy non commercial airports and realize how absurd the security is. In both areas we have private airports within 15 miles with the same GA aircraft and absolutely no gates or security. Well one does have an attack goose that always lets me go when I show him my ramp ID. Live Free and Fly :flag John
 
It is also going to be time to fear the FCC soon. The just appointed new guy would like to extend the FCC to control as much media as possible - possibliy including the internet at some point, and to step up enforcement and fines. That would mean that supercub.org could possibly have to be shut down because I could not afford the fine if somebody said something that was not FCC approved. It is economic censorship and you should look for more of it coming to a website/sat radio/tv/free country near you.

As for the TSA, as an instructor we are trying to dot all the i's and cross all the t's. I don't want to be the guy they make an example of who failed to sign off in some vietnam veteran pilot's logbook that I checked his birth certificate and he is "safe" to fly our no-longer-quite-as-friendly skies.

sj
 
I have heard it said that we are headed the same direction as a certain European country whose name starts with G some years back.
Marty
 
SJ I hope you tested that Vietnam Veteran for Agent Orange and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder? What can I say Absurd is Absurd. John
 
steve said:
It is also going to be time to fear the FCC soon. The just appointed new guy would like to extend the FCC to control as much media as possible - possibliy including the internet at some point, and to step up enforcement and fines. That would mean that supercub.org could possibly have to be shut down because I could not afford the fine if somebody said something that was not FCC approved. It is economic censorship and you should look for more of it coming to a website/sat radio/tv/free country near you.
Click to expand...

Steve, relax. There is no law that grants the FCC any authority to regulate the Internet. And the U.S. Constitution prohibits Congress from ceding its law-making authority to any agency, right? And, if such a bill came in front of Congress, I'm sure there'd be a public outcry. You're not the only one that has a website or runs an Internet forum, after all! Do you think that the millions of people and organizations that have websites would let such a thing pass quietly? There is supposed to be such a thing as a "democratic process" in this country, in which elected representatives make the laws.
 
Christina,

I am aware that I am not the only person in the center of the universe 8) , however, it won't be laws changing that will cause the stifling of "creativity" (and I am using that word loosely) it will be the economic impact of enforcing the existing regulations on indecency, etc and the levying of huge fines like the in Janet Jackson deal that would bankrupt a company/person to the point of being afraid of pushing the envelope even a little. I agree there will be outcry, and there well should be. But, I have been surprised by how we have allowed so many other freedoms to be walked over in the name of security that this one won't shock me either.

sj
 
steve said:
however, it won't be laws changing that will cause the stifling of "creativity" (and I am using that word loosely) it will be the economic impact of enforcing the existing regulations on indecency, etc and the levying of huge fines like the in Janet Jackson deal that would bankrupt a company/person to the point of being afraid of pushing the envelope even a little.
Click to expand...

My point Steve is that the FCC doesn't have the authority to regulate the Internet, at all. Their regulations simply don't apply. Congress would have to pass a law giving the FCC that authority (to regulate the Internet).

On the other hand, if you want to be really cynical, the FCC should even exist - in this case Congress has illegally ceded its lawmaking authority to the executive branch, contrary to what the Constitution allows.
 
Christina, I think what you said is what Steve is talking about. Where was everybody when the executive branch got way more power than it was supposed to have?
Marty
 
Flying Miss Daisy said:
I fly back and forth between Waterville Maine and Plymouth Mass.
Click to expand...

my dad bought his skyhawk from plymouth mass

we use to leave it at tew-mac B09

then they closed it

back to the security issue... the gate at our airport ive seen people "jump starting" by hand real secure eh?


tom ford
 
No, it's about the freedoms we've lost the last 3 yrs. or so and the increased power a select few have been given.
Marty
 
diggler said:
180Marty said:
Christina, I think what you said is what Steve is talking about. Where was everybody when the executive branch got way more power than it was supposed to have?
Marty
Click to expand...

Is this another Clinton thing?
Click to expand...

Marty / Diggler, No, it ultimately started with Congress ceded the power by creating bureaucratic agencies in the exec branch and the USSC coerced (by FDR) into accepting something unconstitutional. Whenever you cede power to unelected bureaucrats with a vague charter, your going to have this problem - they are going to try to expand it via new interpretations to give themselves even more power.

I'm stopping right here because I see this is getting way off topic.
 
Diggler, no, it didn't. It is worse under Democrat administrations. Ask any Alaskan, who was responsible for the massive power grab known as ANILCA? Which administration lead the charge to close lots of backcountry airstrips in the west? These are just two examples (trying to keep examples reasonably related to the super cub world :-? ) of executive branch abuses of power that was ceded by Congress. I'm not an apologist for the Bush Administration (I certainly don't agree with a lot of what he's done), but it has been consistently worse under Democrat administrations, not just because Democrats believe in big govt intervention more, but also because they want to grow these bureaucratic agencies more (more bureaucrats = more abuse). The FCC thing is just an example of another *potential* power grab.
 
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