Comments on: TSA is after General Aviation this Time

By: TSA Large Aircraft Comment Period Begins - Jetwhine: Aviation Buzz and Bold Opinion

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:45:29 +0000

[...] now, most aviators are aware of the TSA’s new focus on general aviation security now that they have slapped the airlines around enough over the past five or six years that is. [...]

By: Bill Strait

Bill Strait — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 00:12:16 +0000

It was predictable. It is interferrance in business. It is just another example of governmental intervention where it would be better for them to pay attention to trying to keeping our country on the road.

By: Robert Mark

Robert Mark — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:28:10 +0000

Not sure if we’re talking abut the same thing here.

My comment was about how ineffective the TSA is portrayed in the Atlantic story which is the biggest concern I have.

Will their efforts at GA be just another show that looks good to outsiders but be considered a huge waste of time and money to those of us on the inside?

With TSA’s track record I’d say that’s a pretty strong possibility.

But to your point about keeping airplanes on the ground. I honestly hadn’t though about that.

Most of TSA’s work comes through the aviation segment. If they stopped everything they’d have no work.

Sounds crazy, but this is the government gone wild in the past decade. Who knows what they’re thinking. I doubt they do.

By: Sky Pilot

Sky Pilot — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 02:44:49 +0000

I have a little trouble with that statement. It’s like saying the only way aviation can be 100% safe would be if there was no flying. Maybe the goal of extending Security Theater to general aviation is really to cut the number of aircraft accidents to zero.

If it wasn’t so true, that article in The Atlantic would be funny.

By: Robert Mark

Robert Mark — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 01:44:05 +0000

Patrick’s suggestion of the Atlantic article about TSA is a good one.

It would be funny if it wasn’t so true, especially that interview with Kip Hawley.

By: Patrick Smith

Patrick Smith — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 01:21:58 +0000

The potential silver lining here might be that it will piss off enough people in the GA world to help get a TSA reform movement going.

This is something the airlines can’t really get behind; there is too much liability, and they can’t be seen by security zealots as advocating for “less” security (even if “less” is in fact *better* security).

Commercial passengers, meanwhile are too scared and/or too frightened to speak out against TSA.

Maybe I’m wrong, but it seems to me that GA pilots and employees tend to have shorter tempers and less tolerance for stuff like this, and AOPA too can be pretty ornery.

By: Dale Kettring

Dale Kettring — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 23:47:32 +0000

Brendan Hickman Says:
October 16th, 2008 at 6:12 pm

“I think security is only secure when it is 100%.”

See, here is the real problem with security, or any one of a number of other issues. There is absolutely NO WAY to insure 100% security.

TSA, and all that it represents is really not much more than closing your windows, and locking your doors at home. It keeps the honest honest, but does little against a really determined criminal.

Though the TSA is making things a little more inconvenient for those desiring to disrupt our lives, the real impact is to those the TSA is, ostensibly, trying to protect. The things that were simple and mundane are becoming complicated and bizarre.

By: Brendan Hickman

Brendan Hickman — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 23:12:56 +0000

I think security is only secure when it is 100%. If there is a glaring opportunity for terrorists…that is what we are talking about…in the general aviation areas of small and large airports, it needs to be addressed.

Might be inconvenient and expensive but, trying not to be trite, the situation is what it is. Either aviation is secure or it isn’t.

Brendan Hickman
Principle, Transportation Management Group

By: Patrick

Patrick — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 21:13:59 +0000

Check out the new article from Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic about how the TSA is nothing but security theater. Why don’t they figure out how to secure commercial aviation properly first?

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200811/airport-security/