While I am not the MTJ rep, and do
not know who is (maybe you could tell
me) I attended, though I am the rep for Delta
Blake field some 30 miles down the road, with some 60 plus others tonight, a
meeting no one had even heard about until two days ago. And really only
email amongst folks on the field and the EAA chapter caused anyone to be
there. It was a full house, even though the address given was
incorrect. I would guess the average age was 50 with a lot of former
military and airline pilots in attendance, or folks having other long time
security clearances professionally, and who were a bit amazed at all this.
Nearly all pilots.
Four TSA reps were there from
Grand Junction , we
think that is where they were from: Rennie (sp?) Dunn, Chris
Putnam, Dick Wiles and a Peter Cook. Two never said a word, Wiles
offered two or three sentences, and Rennie carried the freight. They all
left in the same US Govt black SUV. One was reputed to be a former
special forces Lt Col in the mid east and
therefore familiar with security concerns. Frankly, none were very
impressive but on the other hand, they had been volunteered for a clearly
thankless role.
The basic overall concept is
another “Federal Unfunded Mandate” which several in the crowed noted, in this
case known as a Security Directive affecting all individuals having access to
commercial service airports to become effective April 30.
Anyone wishing access after that
date must, on only four near term days, apply on a preliminary basis for
security threat screening. Those dates are 2/25/ 2/28 3/4
and 3/7.
Anyone not able to be present on
those four near term dates must pay a $50 fee to begin the screening
process. Persons must bring approved identification from the
approved list to be found at www.montroseairport.com
Reportedly the SD is fourteen
pages, but no one except the TSA is allowed to know what the rules are, as we
ALL understood it, until or unless you break one of the rules. Each of
the four TSA people there acknowledged they had seen the document.
A Catch 22 - Alice in
Wonderland moment.
A question was raised, what
redress or appeal process is available. The answer was surely it would
be reasonably handled.
A local prominent attny who was a
former prosecuting attny opined that not only is this all backwards, in his
view it was simply unconstitutional.
It presently appears that anyone
on the ramp without a TSA ID is subject to fines or convictions in unknown
amounts and arrest or detainment by unknown persons as it seems not to be
known how enforcement will be conducted, or by whom. The sole female TSA
person, I could not fathom or match the persons to the names, quietly said,
the one time she even dared look at the crowd, that patrolling would likely be
random and infrequent. Or something very like that.
Of course the question was then
raised, why bother. No answer.
It further appears that each
airport will need to conduct is own application and fee process and then TSA
will do the screening. It further appears that each of the 450
commercially served airports will have to issue its own security badges,
raising a bit of an issue for those who are professional pilots, travel to
more than one airport, or, put rather dramatically, stop for fuel at self
service pumps. The self service fuel vendor from Grand
Junction , Colo traveled down to this
meeting and advised that at a similar meeting yesterday, the first time fee
for a screening and badge there will be $175 per person. Montrose said
their first badge will be free, and subsequent ones on expiry of the first
will be an as yet unknown amount. I myself flew three states last
weekend. The west is a bit larger than the area within the beltway.
One fellow asked why not have
identical badges at all airports so folks know what to look
for>
One on field commercial operator
said it would be cost prohibitive for all employees who might escort someone to be screened and
badged. And there are certainly are no excess personnel available for such
duty. The airport manager then volunteered the same answer for his
staff.
A couple of ag spray operators who
necessarily fly into a variety of airports here, and are always on call from
various counties, were a bit troubled by the multiple badge requirement, and
since they often are called out to do SEAT wildland fire fighting as first
responders, (until from what I can see the BLM can figure out what to do,)
they felt that waiting for a badge to get fuel and slurry water might be just
a bit of an issue. How are they to anticipate where to apply, in
advance? No answer. Multiple pleas were made of one badge,
nationally, and the response was that concept would be taken back for
discussion.
A local Colorado Dept of Wildlife
pilot felt it might be a bit of a burden to get credentials from all his
typical airports, plus those for the areas served by the other three pilots
when they are on vacation, or out of town, not to mention the economic costs,
or the time to go and apply at different places, etc.
Several FBO employees or free
lance mechanics, or the Western Skyways Engine shop to which has customer s
routinely coming in from Brazil, Mexico and other south and central American
countries, were told, directly, they will need to staff and accompany anyone
not credentialed who is on the field. All of course said this would
break them financially, and the self fuel operators said they too could not
staff a self fuel op 24 x 7.
It is clear the Montrose Airport
Appreciation day, when several hundred people visit with old classic cars,
motorcycles, balloon rides, flybys, the LIONS cooking hotdogs and burgers to
raise funds, homebuilts on display, Civil Air Patrol handling off tarmac
vehicle parking and on tarmac crowd control, Americana if you will, could be a
bit of an issue and the TSA suggested local law enforcement could somehow
staff the escort necessities on the field. How exactly do you escort a large
milling crowd? As it happens, I am also the Young Eagles- Co-Coordinator
for EAA chapter 1373. We typically have about 100 young Eagles we fly
with a variety of pilots on those fall days, and as a general rule, with
mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers; you could expect maybe 300 or more
people in the course of a day, not to mention grand parents, media folk, etc
as a part of that operation.
Montrose airport serves the ski
crowd, and movie stars going to Telluride, when A.) the particular aircraft
can not get into Telluride due to size or B.) Weather. And that field is
to close shortly for extended runway re-work. The Montrose FBO asked how
he was to possibly monitor 30 limousines simultaneously, not to mention
accompanying or escorting anyone within the vehicles, apart from getting
changing and independent drivers to apply for credentials. I have seen easily
30 limos there myself, this is not an exaggeration, may be an
understatement.
Questions were raised about what
is or are the levels of thresholds for pass/fail on a security clearance, no
answer.
One asked the TSA folk to verify
the fine was $10,000 a day. They could not verify anything they
said. Might be less.
Questions were raised about
whether a DUI or childhood infraction would be cause for a turndown, no
answer.
A question was raised whether an
existing fire arm permit would be adequate. (Presumably concealed but
unclear.) No answer.
Questions were raised about
whether if a person were to escort someone who had failed a clearance, but the
escorter, not the escortee, did not know it, if that escorting person would be
charged with a violation? (How were they to conduct their own clearances?)
No answer.
Questions were raised about how
many persons one with a security badge could escort. No answer. It
is being looked at….
Questions were raised about on
field ppties or buildings with ramp access and non-secure or public access,
i.e. two doors on opposite sides of a building, were to be dealt with, and the
answer was the doors must all be locked and monitored, or screened. The
following question arose, what if a mechanic was in or under a plane servicing
it, and someone undetected walked through, who was liable. The
impression was the County might be liable.
An unfielded question was raised,
what if locking doors is in violation of the national or local fire code that
all doors must be unlocked during business hours…
Questions were raised about
whether this was wheels or boots on the tarmac, and which would constitute a
violation. NO answer.
Questions were raised why an
existing Federal ID, was not adequate, say a pilots license, perhaps with a
security clearance stamp on the corner. NO answer.
Questions were raised why not a
national one time clearance for all airports, no answer.
Questions were raised about how it
would be possible to get all this done by the deadline, no answer. There
were ambivalent responses that this was only version F or G and that further
“refinements” were likely.
Questions were raised about how
this was all to be paid for; the answer was the County or City that owned the
airport. The airport manager made it clear, especially in these economic
times; they simply could not pay for this.
Questions were raised that since
by far the largest part of the airfield is surrounded by old tired three
strand barb wire fence, why require all the pilots and assorted folks to go
through the clearance process, when anyone could simply walk onto the
field. Answer County responsibility to build new fences.
County has been trying to expand what is there, but there are of
course multiple demands for funds.
No one thought to ask what would
happen if the hundreds of dairy cattle immediately north of the field were to
break down the fence and an unauthorized herdsman were to enter the field to
keep cattle off the runway.
Questions were raised about any
cost-benefit analysis. No answer.
Questions were raised about any
risk-benefit analysis. No answer.
Questions were raised about the
likely source (s) of risk. No answer.
Questions were raised about what
good can any of this possibly do. No answer.
Questions were raised about how
this Directive was promulgated, and by whom, no real answer except it was
signed off on by the Bush TSA administrator.
Questions were raided about how to
contact someone who knew at least some of the answers. No
answer.
Questions were raised about how
this clearance would rate as compared to the various ranges of FBI clearances,
no answer.
Questions were raised about
whether any of the four TSA folks had pilot licenses and current medicals,
none were current or active.
It appeared these four were
selected to stand in front of the pilot question firing squad, and they acted
appropriately enthused.
One young lady said if as a part
of her job she would have to get a clearance and badge, free at first, then
renewing, she could not afford to work at her wage at the airport.
Several questions were raised
about what event caused this directive to be promulgated; we were told they
could not answer.
Questions were raised about what
would happen if a transient pilot landed, needed unknown repairs, or fuel,
walked about the ramp without clearance, trying to find a shop or mechanic,
and each turned the pilot away and would not escort him to wherever, were they
liable? No answer.
Questions were raised about what
would happen if a pilot landed, say at night, at an unattended field except
maybe the tower, if there even were one, and needed fuel, and were spotted by
a local police or sheriff. What was either the pilot or sheriff to do?
No answer.
The six county representative for
the newly appointed Senator Michael Bennett was in attendance, made a few
notes, and urged a group letter or email, not individual contacts, and assured
the crowd the Senator would not see individual contacts but would be aware of
a group letter from someone on his staff.
Virtually every commercial
operator said the plan, to the extent it was disclosed, was either totally
unworkable, or will bankrupt them. One self service fuel vender said it
would immediately break them. Some noted this was not highly desirable
for the vendor, the pilot, or the national financial
recovery.
A comparison was made between this
directive and early TFR’s which had no areas defined, and were not published
anywhere, until AOPA began publishing them, but pilots were advised they would
be dealt with harshly if they violated those unpublished TFR’s since release
of the data was secret and a national security issue..
The TSA lead suggested pilots look
at the World Aeronautical Guide to see what airports had commercial service
before landing. Several pilots said what were they to do if weather,
turbulence or lack of in in-flight Guide, or inability to read it and fly the
plane simultaneously, and in-flight mechanical issues were to cause them to
make a precautionary landing at an unplanned airport for which they had no
badge.. No answers.
It was noted this concept was
brought by the Dept of Homeland Security whose first head on national TV
proposed everyone getting visqueen and duct tape to wrap their houses against
chemical attacks, and the TSA who mandated a certain very ill considered
pistol holster for Federal Flight Deck Officers, which most thoughtful and
knowledgeable gun folk thought was sure to result in accidental discharge, and
did, in an Airbus, by a captain who was nearly brought up on charges til
covert circulation of an actual demonstration of how this gun would have
inevitably been accidentally fired.
A wide variety
of questions were posed as to whether the TSA or Department of Homeland
Security had really thought all this through. No real
answer.
I raised the question of if there
are some 600,000 licensed pilots, and untold numbers of passengers, limo
drivers and their passengers, mechanics, vendors, etc why not have the TSA and
FAA do a mass clearance by pilots’ licenses, rather than all these one off
clearances nationwide, which would be far more efficient, with a high
volume and low cost per pilot, paid for by the TSA, not the Counties, or
pilots, and at least get those 600,000 clearances to people statistically
unlikely to be a problem, then move on to all the other groups. NO
answer, except it appeared the TSA said they had no funding. Actually,
who does?
What is the estimated cost? Aren’t new proposals
supposed to be accompanied by reasonably estimated cost?
There were a variety of questions
and intramural mumbling about how effectiveness could be measured, whether a
program this dumb could be continued, and whether the real goal, perhaps by
the commercial carriers, was either to kill off general aviation, or at least
get it totally off the 450 air carrier airports? No
answer.
A question, by a recently former
US Army helicopter pilot, how long would it take to get clearances, now, or
subsequently, if an ID/clearance was needed for a new or differing airport,
where access was needed? No answer?
A question was raised about
whether local police, sheriffs, fire dept or their volunteers would need
clearance to get on the field. The answer seemed to be, probably not.
It was clear the airport manager
and county commissioner were trying to be gracious in view of a new surprise
regulation, for which they too were not given any or many answers, but were
supposed to somehow make work, and fund, when they are already unable to fix
roads, bridges, human services etc. They made it abundantly clear, they
did not see how they could fund or staff badging on an ongoing basis, much
less the escort issue.
A former county commissioner who
does a great deal of heavy and timely airfreight shipments, asked how that was
to be done with a variety of vendors or delivery services coming to the field
with differing drivers at all hours that needed access to load
planes. No real answer on how he could continue to
ship.
I could go on but I can not recall
with any specificity all the issues raised, I might be able to identify and
get you a contact for one person who worked feverishly to record it all on a
laptop. The meeting, opened by one Montrose County Commissioner, was
really rather civil, which that commissioner and the airport manager
both charged the crowd to be. In view of the near total lack of
answers, or real responsiveness, this was remarkable. It certainly did not
inspire confidence in the TSA or Homeland Security folk.
This was not TSA’s finest
hour.
Hope this representative
recollection helps. I am sure I overlooked some things, and could not
hear others.