TSA security proposal worries Alaska aircraft owners

[The Straight Story]

TSA security proposal worries Alaska aircraft owners

By Rob Stapleton
Alaska Journal of Commerce

A new Transportation Security Administration proposal has Alaska pilots and aircraft owners concerned that their aircraft will be over regulated, and may force them to quit flying and scrap their planes.

The proposal, dubbed the large aircraft security program, would require the owners of aircraft that have a gross weight of 12,500 pounds or more to implement the same security measures used on commercial passenger and air cargo aircraft in the U.S.

The regulation would require pilots and their mechanics to have criminal background checks, check passengers against the federal "no fly" list, and that flights using these aircraft - both commercially and privately flown - be approved before each departure.

Don Ballard, a pilot for a DC-3 aircraft, says that should proposed Transportation Security Administration regulations for large aircraft become law, aircraft like the one shown would become scrap metal. Photo/Rob Stapleton/AJOC

The rule would also require some aircraft to carry federal air marshals if directed to by the TSA.

The proposal would also require any airport that hosts these aircraft to have on staff a trained TSA officer and the necessary equipment to screen passengers and crew.

http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/021309/loc_img_local_1001.shtml

[ixion]

1. the TSA is unAmerican, and should be disbanded... along with all those other

BS fascist agencies created under the chimp.

[petronius]

2. Anything that could even remotely lead to the scrapping of a DC-3

is pure evil...

Beyond that, TSA really needs to find something useful to do, other than groping my privates and irritating bush pilots.

[roguevalley]

4. we flew them bringing fish in from Bristol Bay, They are truly awesome

aircraft.

[petronius]

16. Are there a lot of DC-3s still flying in Alaska? (nt)

[roguevalley]

17. not anymore. you have to look hard to find them. we had a 3 and

a 6. SIGH! the good old days. a lot of them are used to fly drugs in from south america. :(

[DemoTex]

11. One of the best airplanes I've ever flown: C-47 (military version of the DC-3)

Look at that wing-sweep of the leading edge! Awesome airplane.


Cockpit of DC-3 of my original airline, Piedmont (with a modern weather radar installed!)


Piedmont Airlines DC-3

[remoulade]

12. Wot th heck are those forty-leven switches under the compass??

:D

[DemoTex]

13. Modern avionics switch panel???

What I flew looked more like this:

[remoulade]

14. Yeah! That looks a LOT more real!

:D

[petronius]

15. Beautiful in any color/livery! It looks like the only thing that hasn't changed

is airline carpeting - I swear I was walking on that blue stuff on my travels just last month...

[DCKit]

3. Force them to apply all the same rules to private jets...

and we'll all be spending a lot less time being felt up at the airport, real quick.

[roguevalley]

5. people use planes up here like you use buses or cars. not the same

thing here.

[DCKit]

9. I don't think these federal rules are specifically targeted to AK.

What I'm saying is those private jets the rich and famous, the bankrupt corporate CEOs and the CIA (Cocaine Import Agency) use like a three year old uses a Big Wheel, aren't being inspected. At all.

If those people had to bear the same costs and burdens, these new rules would evaporate.

[roguevalley]

10. ah. That's good. A lot of places need planes. Stick it to the others

big time. :) Flying from Chicago to X in a huge jet by yourself is evil.

[remoulade]

8. A few more like this and they might get the message

One of my friends flies a VIP who was hassled at Nashville a few days ago...the bossman was not happy.
http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/GA_Security_Sting_An_Error_199720-1.html

[gratuitous]

6. Has Gov. Palin been notified?

Imagine! Pilots in Alaska concerned over programs designed to increase national security! Someone better get those America-hating pilots squared away and fast, unless they want more Americans to die in terrorist attacks. This sounds like a job for the governor, you betcha! (Wink) Also.

[icnorth]

7. When you can see Russia

looking out your back door one can never be too careful can one?