Will CBS Finish the Damage Done to GA That Was Started by al
Qaeda?
When you want to do an
internationally broadcast piece on general aviation security, who
do you put on your interview list?
Knowledgeable Experts... Right?
The potential list is huge... folks from AOPA, GAMA, TSA, DHS,
and so on... good experienced experts with solid credentials
that will have plenty to say and the expertise to back it up
with solid data and input.
But... a real estate agent?
The cornerstone quote from a very negative anti-GA news piece,
aired on the not-maligned-enough CBS Evening News was a statement
from a Virginal Real Estate Salesperson who helped CBS' Bob Orr to
clobber the GA community as a serious national danger to domestic
security.
"Every house has a
paved taxiway to the runway," said Lesley Hock, a Realtor from the
Eagle's Nest AirPort (who is probably going to have a hard time
selling to the GA community after this statement). Other statements
made by Ms. Hock included, "There's really no security in regards
to living with your airplane..." and "You Can Fly In And Leave
Anytime You Like, There Are No Restrictions..." (used in Tuesday's
brutal promos).
Other quotes from the manager of the airport (John Trissel) did
further damage and illustrate the need for we flyers to think
carefully of the consequences of our words when dealign with an
aero-ignorant media. It was not our finest moment.
It was a pretty damaging, if poorly written/researched piece. It
obviously had an agenda in mind (and did not want facts to drive
them from their point), did not avail itself of the many aviation
and security experts available with solid knowledge of security
issues AND the realities of general aviation (not even a call to
AOPA, as we confirmed late Wednesday afternoon)
The CBS story noted, "These general aviation airstrips, like the
one in Eagle's Nest in western Virginia, are an open invitation for
terrorists."
Oh, really? And their terrorist sources are....?
The fact of the matter
is that ANYTHING is a weapon in the hands of a determined
terrorist... but as hazards go, GA birds make for truly lousy
weapons. They are too light, too slow, too closely
watched, and have too little payload... and in this day and
age (especially with programs like AOPA's Airport Watch, in force),
our small community of flyers is simply way too alert (and frankly,
too paranoid) to make them easy terrorist weapons.
Mind you, if you want a small and powerful weapon that can be
targeted closely and accurately, all you need to do is head to your
local Rent-A-Truck operation and be prepared to lose your security
deposit. Worse; if you have the resources of an al Qaeda type
operation (and if you don't...), you can use a rubber boat, a
semi-truck, an RV (you would be amazed at how close you can
position an RV to most major Washington landmarks... including the
White House), you name it.
And yet, the owners of rubber boats, semi-trucks, RVs, rental
trucks and the like pretty much have the right to feel put-upon, as
well, when under the kind of scrutiny we're opposing. The problem
is NOT the vehicles... it's the sickos who might abuse them... and
a lot more international policing and intelligence work is probably
going to do far more to enhance security than anything they might
to do to GA.
A few other counterpoints...
The CBS story states
that, "There are 19,000 general aviation airports in the United
States, and most are like Eagle's Nest, with just a single landing
strip. There are no fences, no gates, no security systems and no
federal requirements to have them."
ANN might note that there were no gates around the airline
cockpits that were overtaken on 9/11... and no gates, either --
just wave after wave of airport security that failed miserably,
simply proving that when madmen are at work, that they will act in
unpredictable, maddening ways. Screwing a valuable America resource
like GA is not going to hinder terrorists... it will show them that
what they did on September 11th is working beautifully...
What CBS seemed to be advocating were even more excessive
controls and associated bureaucratic tyranny than we have
encountered thus far. Mind you, we are licensed pilots, people who
have earned, and continue to earn, our right to fly each and every
day (which is more than most journalists can say...) and such
tyranny is simply a violation of the American way of
life. We'll have more on this subject shortly... but suffice
it to say that CBS blew this one, big time.
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a
little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor
safety.
--Benjamin Franklin
ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (04.15.24)
See All