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Guys & gals,
We appreciate your help. This Constitutional problem with Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) and similar Federal agencies has been brewing for a while and will not go away overnight. American citizens are not the bad guys. GA pilots are not terrorists. You may recall the 12,500# Program that TSA wanted to extend to small aircraft two years ago. It was successfully fought by many in GA. But this win was a small one for us and we must be ever vigilant to protect our freedom to fly.
As a retired military officer and flier, I can tell you that CBP has put together a large air force and intelligence network and is using it against law abiding U.S. citizens. They are even advertising this capability on their own website. Unfortunately, they appear to be beyond the reach of our elected officials. The fax that we managed to secure and post on this list shows us they view GA as a security problem. As mentioned on an earlier post--they are not interested in answering their bosses (us) questions regarding these intrusions on our personal liberties. I have spent many hours researching this issue and racked up numerous hours on the phone mustering support. This latest attack on GA and our personal liberties occurred at my home airport, involved a good friend of mine who now owns an airplane I built, and was conducted at my hangar.
Where we stand today: I have met with our local law enforcement officials who have conducted these searches based on phone calls from CBP. They are not happy with CBP. CBP has wasted a considerable amount of their time and made them out to be the bad guys which they are not. It will probably be a long time before CBP calls our local police force. Make contact with your local police agencies and advise them of this nonsense --an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The LOBO Board has been reaching out to our friends and allies in GA. I have contacted Congressman Sam Graves' office---he is the chairman of the GA caucus in the House of Representatives. Contact you Congressman and Senator, as well. I have connected with Jim Campbell who has published the pilot's account in www.aeronews.net. Today, I have had dialogue with AOPA and their VP for Operations, Mr. Craig Spence who will be meeting with CBP next week about this issue. I will ask him to invite our VP-- Bob Pastusek, COL USAF (ret.) to attend. AOPA is now giving this issue their top priority. Please give AOPA and Mr. Spence your support and respect. If you have anything else to report post it here or send it to me directly at vtailjeff@aol.com. I would appreciate hearing from anyone else who has had this sort of treatment from our Federal employees-- remember ---they work for us.
Best Regards,
Jeff Edwards
President,
-----Original Message-----
From: Kent <kent@tulsaconnect.com>
To: lml@lancaironline.net
Sent: Fri, Apr 22, 2011 12:56 pm
Subject: [LML] Re: beware, you may be searched!
i passed the copy to a friend and here is what he wrote back:
I just called that number, 866-247-2878.
I was handed off to Tony Martinez <sp> who said he was an aviation
enforcement specialist at the Air and Marine Operations Center in Riverside,
Calif.
Based on the beeping I heard on the line, I assume the telephone call was
recorded.
He wanted to know who I was and who I represented or was "with."
I gave him my first and last name and said I'm simply a pilot in Florida.
The Reader's Digest version of our conversation, taken from memory:
I explained I had some questions about a document -- the one in question --
and read its title to him.
He asked where I got the document.
I said someone gave it to me. More importantly, I added, several of the six
document requirements are almost certainly incorrect, mentioning #5 (pilot's
logbook) and #6 (Form 337). I pointed out these aren't FAA requirements.
He said Form 337s are paperwork for modifications to the aircraft and must
be in the aircraft.
I said I thought the only Form 337 that must be carried in the aircraft was
one for the installation of extra fuel tanks.
He said I should contact the FAA with my concerns.
I said this is a Dept of Homeland Security guide, not an FAA document, so I
didn't think the appropriate action was to contact the FAA.
He said he was more concerned about where I got the document.
I explained I was worried I'd be confronted by law-enforcement officers at
an airport and would run into problems because I wasn't carrying all the
documents listed in the guide.
He said this was a "guide" and "they'll be talking to us." Further
back-and-forth made me realize he meant the officers would be in real-time
contact with Martinez's facility during such a confrontation.
I said this might not be the case, and I mentioned the John and Martha King
incident and one recently at a St. Louis airport, where the police thought
the aircraft was carrying a federal fugitive when in fact it contained a
lieutenant colonel in the Air Force Reserves who flew F22s.
I asked who in the DHS I should contact to get the guide corrected. He said
I could send my input to his facility.
He again mentioned his concern about my having a copy of the doc.
How do we push back against this? AOPA seems too distracted selling wine to
act on our behalf.
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----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, April 21, 2011 10:10 PM
Subject: [LML] Re: beware, you may be searched!
Here is a copy of a fax CBP sent. See if you can find the mistakes! I am a bit surprised they believe they can detain you if you do not have your pilot logbook onboard. LOL!!!!
Jeff
-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Rickard < r.rickard@rcginc-us.com>
To: lml@lancaironline.net
Sent: Wed, Apr 20, 2011 11:49 am
Subject: [LML] Re: beware, you may be searched!
We were able to get a copy of the fax that was sent to the local police. The “Tip” came from Customs and Border Patrol in CA. And the local Police chief was actually apologetic because he knew it was bogus. The tip itself is BS. They made it up. IF they had been watching me or investigating me they would have known my wife was with me and not some dude. That is the only part that is really a violation, they are making up an excuse to get the locals excited, and then seeing what they find. Another example was a guy accused of transporting computer chips that were stolen. I can imagine them making up stories over the coffee in the morning.
How would the public react if any Fed agency routinely made up tips so the cops would come to your house and want to search? Imagine the news coverage. That is the same thing going on here. If they have something on you, then absolutely go for it. But they did not in the 3 cases we know about just at our local airport.
The lesson you derived is correct though. Know your rights, and also know how you can help them do their job without violating your rights. That is the best thing you can do (if innocent) while saying the least amount possible.
Bob R
Seems pretty standard to me. They checked out a tip that proved to be bogus. I don't see any rights violations here or anything out of the ordinary.
The main lesson IMO is that, while there are plenty of cops who abuse power, for the most part if you behave in a civilized manner and realize they are just trying to do their job, most of them will treat you fairly. That seems to be what happened here.
Fellow LML’ers
It seems inevitable that the govt will search you at some point. Just some info on what happened to me yesterday, you can hopefully use this to react appropriately for your situation. This is the third incident just at our little airport in Missouri of this happening…..
Bob Rickard
IV-P
On 18 April, 2011, I filed IFR from KGEU to K1H0 direct, with my wife on board. At 0845L, I departed KGEU VFR and picked up my filed IFR clearance to K1H0 at FL210 with ABQ center. The flight was uneventful and I cancelled IFR approximately 10 miles from K1H0 with St. Louis Approach and landed at 1443L. Upon landing and taxi to my hanger (P3) at Creve Coeur Airport, I was surrounded by 6 Maryland Heights Police cars and about 10 officers. I exited the plane and was approached by the supervisor and asked if I had any identification. I produced my military ID (I am a LtCol in the Air Force Reserve flying F-22’s) as well as my driver’s license, and asked the supervisor what the problem was. He told me that he got a “tip” from the Federal Government that there may be a federal fugitive on board by the name of Robert Mcrae. He wasn’t sure of the name and asked me if I knew anyone by a name similar to that, to which I answered “no” to all. He also stated that he was surprised to see a woman in the plane with me since his informant said there would be two men in the plane. I inquired as to who would give a tip like that, and he was vague. A this point my wife exited the plane and was asked to produce her ID as well and was questioned as to what we were doing and where we were going and where we came from. It was apparent to the supervisor pretty quickly that my wife and I were not federal fugitives as they ran our ID’s, but he asked to search the airplane anyway. I told him that I was aware of my rights and he could not search anything without a warrant, and he was quick to add “or your permission” and “I could have the dogs come out”. (side note – they don’t need a warrant to have the dogs check out your aircraft – if the dogs find something and indicate, then they have probable cause to search you without a warrant. If the dogs find nothing they cannot search your aircraft until a warrant is issued). I told him that I would play nice, had nothing to hide, and that my plan was to take my belongings out of the airplane and put them in my car to go home, and I would allow him to see what I took out and visually see inside the cockpit and baggage compartment, but I was not allowing a search of the airplane. He agreed to this. I took my 2 pieces of luggage out of the back and showed him the contents briefly (not a complete search but opened up the zipper and showed clothes on top) as well as the couple of vases we had bought in Phoenix and lunch/sodas we had in the cockpit. They saw nothing of interest and returned my wife’s ID, but kept mine and made further calls. The supervisor indicated “I’m on overtime, I am outta here” and left, but another officer checked with “EPIC” (unsure of the spelling) which he told me was an international consortium that traded information on travel, etc. He told me he was aware of my trip earlier this year to Mexico and the Cayman Islands (honeymoon cruise) but there was nothing to get me in trouble. He then returned my ID and let us go.
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