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As most of you on the list know we had an incident in April here in St. Lo=
uis where one of our own was "stopped" by local police based on a "tip" fr=
om Customs and Border Patrol. Here is an update to that story:

Bob Rickard (who was the individual stopped) and I have received more emai=
ls from other Lancair pilots who have been stopped as well based on "tips"=
 from CBP. So this is not an isolated incident. I contacted AOPA, my congr=
essman's staff, and CBP themselves. AOPA's Craig Spence is presently worki=
ng this issue on our behalf. He already had ascheduled  meeting with CBP=
 on Wednesday, so he brought this subject up. He said that CBP wants to be=
 the new "skycop".  He conveyed our concerns to them --targeting GA for po=
loce searches and the issue of the fax that is sent to police agencies jus=
tifying detaining pilots. Mr. Spence told them that the fax has errors on=
 it and agreed to help them correct those. On the issue of tracking GA fli=
ghts and detaining pilots, Mr. Spence said the CBP is not budging. He beli=
eves we need to take this to Congressional leaders --he said we are in for=
 a long battle with CBP.=20

The day after Mr. Spence's meeting I received two phone calls from CBP (so=
 it is true about smelly stuff rolling downhill). The first call was from=
 "Carlos" at CBP HQ. Carlos works in Gen. Mike Kostelnik's office in DC.=
 Kostelnik, a retired AF two star,  is the head of the CBP Air and Marine=
 Center. Carlos wanted to know what our concerns were and I repeated that=
 we did not like getting stopped based on bogus information. He wanted to=
 know how I was certain CBP was behind these stops (he implied they had no=
thing to do with it) and I said it was from information from the local pol=
ice and the fax AMOC sent to them. (Ah, the truth and evidence is so great=
)  He was pretty agitated during our conversation and said if we were stop=
ped and the police questioned us then we should tell them what they wanted=
 to know. I said I disagreed (Fifth Amendment) . I gave him the specifics=
 of Bobaloos stop two weeks ago and he agreed to look into it.  I said tha=
t in the best light their intell is either unvetted or their analyis is po=
or. He disagreed (of course) and gave many other reasons (all bogus) as to=
 why their intel was good. He said it could have been because the aircraft=
 was a prior drug aircraft. I replied that would be pretty difficult since=
 I built it, flew it and then sold it to Col. Rickard. I said that in the=
 worst light --their folks are making up stories to get the local police=
 to stop GA pilots--for the crime of ....flying. Of course he about blew=
 a gasket. I asked him to  tell me where CBP got this information about Bo=
b carrying a fugitive. He replied that is a matter of national security an=
d could not tell me.=20

A couple of hours later I receive a phone call from Tony C. at the CBP AMO=
C in Riverside, CA asking again about my concerns. Again I expressed the=
 same and while he was very polite and cordial and appears to be a dedicat=
ed public servant doing a tough job I reiterated that law abiding GA pilot=
s do not enjoy getting stopped by law enforcement based on seemingly bogus=
 information. Tony said they are just trying to "put their eyes on people"=
--meaning us. I remarked that there has to be a better way of doing that=
 than surrounding a pilot with 6 police cars and ten officers. He said the=
y have  tough job catching bad guys. I said that  that they need to do a=
 better job screening their intel. It seemed both he and Carlos went back=
 and forth on whether the intel came from internal sources or external one=
s. At one point he said people were calling their hotline with tips -- so=
 I challenged him as to how someone would know the Mr. McCrae was on Bob's=
 airplane and then called them in Riverside to report it. The story seemed=
 to change to they had strong intel internally. Never an admission that th=
ey screwed up. Just more reasons why their intel is solid. Even at one poi=
nt denying it is their intel-- "it comes from somewhere else-- they are ju=
st the middle man." Tony said they are all ex military and are all pilots=
 so I pointed oujt that the fax has numerous errors and the FARs contains=
 no language allowing detention of  a pilot for failing to have his medica=
l or logbook on his person (look for that to change as CBP will probably=
 write criminal regulations re: pilots) . The whole time I could hear a =
 beep every ten seconds or so probably indicating I was being recorded. Al=
thoug Tony was pleasant there was no progress on this issue. None.=20

I spoke with my congressman's senior staffer as well. I relayed the detail=
s of the issue to her and she seemed sincerely interested. She said it is=
 best to generate a letter from our organizations (we are) and forward tha=
t with a personal note to all of our congressmen.  She said I should be ca=
refull so that I don't become a target.=20

All for now.=20

Jeff "Bullseye" Edwards

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<font color=3D'black' size=3D'2' face=3D'arial'>
<div><br>
As most of you on the list know we had an incident in April here in St. Lo=
uis where one of our own was "stopped" by local police based on a "tip" fr=
om Customs and Border Patrol. Here is an update to that story:</div>


<div>&nbsp;</div>


<div>Bob Rickard (who was the individual stopped) and I have received more=
 emails from other Lancair pilots who have been stopped as well based on=
 "tips" from CBP. So this is not an isolated incident. I contacted AOPA,=
 my congressman's staff, and CBP themselves. AOPA's Craig Spence is presen=
tly working this issue on our behalf. He already had ascheduled &nbsp;meet=
ing with CBP on Wednesday, so he brought this subject up. He said that CBP=
 wants to be the new "skycop".&nbsp; He conveyed our concerns to them --ta=
rgeting GA for poloce searches and the issue of the fax that is sent to po=
lice agencies justifying detaining pilots. Mr. Spence told them that the=
 fax has errors on it and agreed to help them correct those. On the issue=
 of tracking GA flights and detaining pilots, Mr. Spence said the CBP is=
 not budging. He believes we need to take this to Congressional leaders --=
he said we are in for a long battle with CBP. </div>


<div>&nbsp;</div>


<div>The day after Mr. Spence's meeting I received two phone calls from CB=
P (so it is true about smelly stuff rolling downhill). The first call was=
 from "Carlos" at CBP HQ. Carlos works in Gen. Mike Kostelnik's office in=
 DC. Kostelnik, a retired AF two star, &nbsp;is the head of the CBP Air an=
d Marine Center. Carlos wanted to know what our concerns were and I repeat=
ed that we did not like getting stopped based on bogus information. He wan=
ted to know how I was certain CBP was behind these stops (he implied they=
 had nothing to do with it) and I said it was from information from the lo=
cal police and the fax AMOC sent to them. (Ah, the truth and evidence is=
 so great) &nbsp;He was pretty agitated during our conversation and said=
 if we were stopped and the police questioned us then we should tell them=
 what they wanted to know. I said I disagreed (Fifth Amendment) . I gave=
 him the specifics of Bobaloos stop two weeks ago and he agreed to look in=
to it.&nbsp; I said that in the best light their intell is either&nbsp;unv=
etted or their analyis is poor. He disagreed (of course) and gave many oth=
er reasons (all bogus) as to why their intel was good. He said it could ha=
ve been because the aircraft was a prior drug aircraft. I replied that wou=
ld be pretty difficult since I built it, flew it and then sold it to Col.=
 Rickard. I said that in the worst light --their folks are making up stori=
es to get the local police to stop GA pilots--for the crime of ....flying.=
 Of course he about blew a gasket. I&nbsp;asked him to &nbsp;tell me where=
&nbsp;CBP got this information about Bob carrying&nbsp;a fugitive. He repl=
ied that is a matter of national security and could not tell me. </div>


<div>&nbsp;</div>


<div>A couple of hours later I receive a phone call from Tony C. at the CB=
P AMOC in Riverside, CA asking again about my concerns. Again I expressed=
 the same and while he was very polite and cordial and appears to be a ded=
icated public servant doing a tough job I reiterated that law abiding GA=
 pilots do not enjoy getting stopped by law enforcement based on seemingly=
 bogus information. Tony said they are just trying to "put their eyes on=
 people"--meaning us. I remarked that there has to be&nbsp;a better way of=
 doing that than surrounding a pilot with 6 police cars and ten officers.=
 He said they have&nbsp; tough job catching bad guys. I said that&nbsp; th=
at they need to do a better job screening their intel. It seemed both he=
 and Carlos went back and forth on whether the intel came from internal so=
urces or external ones. At one point he said people were calling their hot=
line with tips -- so I challenged him as to how someone would know the Mr.=
 McCrae was on Bob's airplane and then called them in Riverside to report=
 it. The story seemed to change to they had strong intel internally. Never=
 an admission that they screwed up. Just more reasons why their intel is=
 solid. Even at one point denying it is their intel-- "it comes from somew=
here else-- they are just the middle man." Tony said they are all ex milit=
ary and are all pilots so I pointed oujt that the fax has numerous errors=
 and the FARs&nbsp;contains no language allowing detention of&nbsp; a pilo=
t for failing to have his medical or logbook on his person (look for that=
 to change as CBP will probably write criminal regulations re: pilots)&nbs=
p;. The whole time I could hear a&nbsp; beep every ten seconds or so proba=
bly indicating I was being recorded. Althoug Tony was pleasant there was=
 no progress on this issue. None. </div>


<div>&nbsp;</div>


<div>I spoke with my congressman's senior staffer as well. I relayed the=
 details of the issue to her and she seemed sincerely interested. She said=
 it is best to generate a letter from our organizations (we are) and forwa=
rd that with a personal note to&nbsp;all of our congressmen.&nbsp;&nbsp;Sh=
e said I should be carefull so that I don't become a target. </div>


<div>&nbsp;</div>


<div>All for now. </div>


<div>&nbsp;</div>


<div>Jeff "Bullseye" Edwards</div>
</font>

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