Fences at Colorado’s Grand Junction Regional Airport (JGT) are cutting off economic development and pushing pilots to take their business elsewhere, it was reported in the Denver Post. A story notes that pilots packed the City Council chambers last week to vent mounting anger about the “prisonlike fences” cutting aviation businesses off from normal commerce. Read the full story here.
About Janice Wood
Janice Wood is editor of General Aviation News.
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This TSA “prison like” feeling is not confined to GJT alone. We
have an identical situation here at SMX.  This is a TSA issue that went out of
control by our local airport board of directors. There is no oversight to this
group whatsoever. We are an airport district and the board members are not controlled by the
city or anyone. Repeated pilot complaints have fallen on deaf ears.
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Our nearby airport SBP has pretty much the identical
“prison like” feeling as well. I believe these are not isolated situations at
airports across our country. Some 400 or so of these TSA controlled facilities more than likely have a similar situation where this false security has come into
play, keeping honest general aviation pilots isolated from their personal
aircraft. If you fly into one of these airports and exit the perimeter fence,
you cannot get back to your aircraft without an escort from a restaurant wait
person, or another authorized secretary type person at a business on the
field. If these establishments are closed for the evening or weekend, you
cannot get to your airplane without an expensive call out fee or other user unfriendly
situation! Unfortunately, in my opinion, it has become a way of life in our GA world and it
appears we have come to accept it.  Pathetic! Bully for the pilots at GJT. I
wish them success in helping to bring common sense and freedom back to their
airport.