Flight Training Makes you Suspicious on Airplanes
Watching CNN I saw this quite interesting story about an American Airlines flight from Dallas to Newark that was detained on landing by TSA and taken to a secure area. 5 passengers were removed for questioning, and all the baggage was offloaded and screened. All the other passengers were interviewed and bussed to terminals.
Their suspicious activity? Sitting and talking together about their flight training they had just undergone for helicopters and having "navigation devices." According to a retired flight attendant passenger, they were doing nothing untoward, and had one glass of wine each, then took a nap.
For those who may not know, I am a flight instructor and pilot. I have seen the freedom of flight in the Washington DC area completely destroyed by ridiculous regulations to stop a ridiculously minor threat. Thousands of jobs (no, I'm not exaggerating) and hundreds of businesses within the "ADIZ" defense area around DC and the FRZ, a smaller area closer to the White House, have been forced to close because people do not choose to fly into an area where they may be shot down for dialing the wrong number in their transponder, or turning in the wrong direction accidentally. I most certainly can't blame them. Since the ADIZ, I have had zero flight students. No students want to take the chance of their first solo being their last. Flight instructors are too terrified to sign students off for mandatory solo training, since if the student gets into trouble, the instructor loses her license. The blanket of fear covering the general aviation community is palpable, and shows itself at any airport inside the zone. These airports resemble ghost towns where once was bustling activity. But back to the American Airlines flight...
It is so comforting to know that the TSA is doing so much to promote flight training and general aviation as to automatically put flight students and/or pilots into the "possible terrorist" category just by talking to each other and existing. Many pilots I know routinely used to carry flight manuals and handheld GPS devices in their carry on baggage, especially when going to and from training, or to pick up an aircraft and transport it elsewhere. Does this mean that we all deserve "special scrutiny?"
Meantime we only screen a very small percentage of cargo that goes on board an aircraft, not to mention the cargo that comes into ports. Which is the greater threat? Some kid with a Gleim manual and an E6B or Cr in a bag?
Get over yourselves, TSA and so the REAL job you're here for. Stop chasing ghosts in the general aviation world, and start screening ALL cargo.