A promised top-down review of general aviation enforcement practices by the Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP’s) Office of Air and Marine shows that the agency has heard GA’s concerns. But officials with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) said they will remain vigilant to ensure the rights and freedoms of pilots are respected.
The review, dated Oct. 1, cites “opportunities for improvement” and notes that changes have been implemented to increase accountability, improve training and use CBP personnel — rather than local law enforcement — for stops of GA aircraft.
The report also promises that Air and Marine Division is taking steps to improve communication with the GA community.
“We’re pleased that CBP’s Air and Marine Division has acknowledged our concerns and recognized the need for change,” said AOPA President Mark Baker. “It is encouraging that they are implementing programs to help ensure agency accountability, improve training, and enhance communication with the general aviation community.
“Recently, we haven’t seen any more of the egregious, unwarranted stops our members had been reporting, and that’s good news,” he continued. “But we will remain vigilant to ensure that the rights of law-abiding pilots are respected.”
Baker met with CBP Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske earlier this year to object to the unwarranted stops of GA aircraft. Several members of Congress also expressed concern. Kerlikowske promised to deliver a top-down review of GA enforcement procedures when he was questioned during his confirmation hearing earlier this year.
“We appreciate the leadership of Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kansas) and Rep. Sam Graves (R-Missouri) on this issue,” Baker added. “They listened to the concerns of the GA community and helped shine a light on questionable practices, paving the way for better relationships between pilots, CBP, and other law enforcement organizations.”
The 27-page report notes that the Office of Air and Marine has implemented a tracking system that requires officers to log all contacts with general aviation pilots in order to reduce the likelihood of repeat unwarranted encounters. But while this system may provide increased accountability within CBP, the records are not subject to Freedom of Information Act requests and cannot be reviewed by the public, AOPA officials noted.
The report also notes that the agency has also made changes to increase the use of CBP officers to make general aviation stops, rather than depending on local law enforcement officers who may not have training or experience with general aviation.
And the report indicates that the Office of Air and Marine has improved training, with more scenario-based training and reduced focus on worst-case situations.
While AOPA previously urged the Office of Air and Marine to update its training materials, which were riddled with errors and inaccuracies, those in the GA community have not had the opportunity to review the new materials to ensure their accuracy, AOPA officials said.
“We’re glad the Office of Air and Marine has chosen to offer new training situations and materials, but we have no way of knowing if the new materials are factually correct and accurately reflect the realities of general aviation flying,” said Baker. “We look forward to continuing dialogue with CBP and the Office of Air and Marine on this and other issues.”
The bottom line is that Customs and Border Protection needs to stick to the job that their naming describes period. This chasing down aircraft that never crossed an international border is outside of their mandate and has to stop ! While it is natural for any government agency to seek to expand its role and therefore its funding (and power) this trend goes against the sperit of the constitution and the founding of this country. If people are using aircraft to smuggle drugs between points within the 48 contiguous states that is no business of CBP what so ever. Let that be delt with by the appropriate agency and put an end to these fishing expiditions. Remember if they find drugs they get to seize the aircraft and auction it off as a further funding source and that is the real motivation in these stops.
So they are going to be more polite when they violate our constitutional rights? CBP needs to stop this pracrice, not issue new guidelines for continuing to do it.