Says Passage Of Proposed Restrictions "Would Be Fatal" To Tour

The Collings Foundation added its voice to the chorus opposed to the Transportation Security Administration's so-called "Large Aircraft Security Program," which proposes to add new security restrictions on Part 91 operations and operators of any aircraft over 12,500 pounds maximum takeoff weight.

"[A]s proposed, it would be fatal to the Wings of Freedom Tour and our ability to take these historic aircraft around the country and share them with millions of Americans annually," the non-profit group stated this week.

As ANN reported, the TSA issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in October, seeking comments on the proposal to impose security programs on thousands of privately-operated general aviation aircraft. The proposed rule seeks to require, among other things, flight crewmember criminal history records checks and security threat assessments; watch list matching of passenger manifests; and security training for all flight crew members. Operators would also be required to have "Security Coordinators" on-staff.

The TSA's ultimate aim is to combine a number of security programs currently in place for general aviation, including the Twelve-Five Standard Security Program, into a single, uniform program... but the Foundation notes the NPRM would only add more bureaucratic largesse to GA operations.

"The Collings Foundation’s preliminary assessment of the proposal is that this legislation would be so cumbersome, far reaching, and virtually impossible to comply with, that our flying of historic aircraft would not be possible," the Foundation told ANN.

Collings representatives also noted TSA issued its 60-day request for comments over a period that includes several major holidays... when, "typically, Washington becomes a 'Ghost Town.'" The Foundation notes three aviation letter groups -- AOPA, EAA, and NBAA -- have asked for that period to be extended to 120 days, "plus public hearings to evaluate the impact and interpretation of the proposed ruling."

The Collins Foundation's annual "Wings of Freedom" tours give paying passengers the opportunity to fly in some of the most storied aircraft in history... including the B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator.

FMI: www.collingsfoundation.org, Read The NPRM Here