A Transportation Security Administration directive mandating badging at airports serving commercial air carriers is scheduled to go into effect June 1. The controversial new requirement expands the airport identification process to include private aircraft owners, GA maintenance providers, FBO employees, flight instructors, flight school students and other airport tenants needing unescorted access to the airport operations area.
General Aviation groups are concerned that the TSA is using a security directive to create regulations affecting a broad range of previously unregulated people who will need to undergo a “security threat assessment,” which includes fingerprinting and a criminal history background check.
By taking the security directive approach, the TSA was not required to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking, thus avoiding a lengthy comment period during which those affected by the proposed rule could express their concerns publicly and offer suggestions for securing the operating areas more appropriately.
As I understand, Independent Flight Instructors who are not tenants (do not own an aircraft and do not have a hangar) cannot get a security badge. The airport managers say, just go to the office and apply for a one time pass for each CFI lesson (I teach at various airports). I ask, what about at night, are you going to be in your office 24/7 to grant entrance approval? He replied “Why would you want to go to the airport at night?†DUH…to fly, Part 61 requires three hours of night training, pilots are required to remain current for night landings in order to carry passengers. In my opinion, the TSA is making life miserable for those of us who are not a threat. Being a US citizen and carrying a valid pilots license or flight instructor license should be qualification enough for the security badge, we certainly worked hard enough to earn it, the FAA already knows everything about us….traffic tickets, arrests, everything is reported to them.
What kind of supervision does the TSA have? Who is directly responsible for monitoring and controlling its behavior?
I think the fact that the TSA put a muckraking reporter from CNN on
the ‘no fly’ list and would not respond with justification pretty much says it all.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/07/17/watchlist.chertoff/index.html
I intend to write my representatives about the out of control TSA.
So far, they are not earning my respect, only my fear.
Chris Shaker
More stupidity from the TSA.
As you point out, IF we need such ID tags, they should be federal, and not issued by individual airports.
Chris Shaker
The badge is only good at the issuing airport? Just how hairbrained is that?