Santa Barbara Airport exit after 10 PM

[MooneyMitch]

Whoops, I'm a dunce.  I accidentally deleted my previous thread and have no idea how to reinstate.

Regardless, TSA is not to affect general aviation activities, hangars, businesses,etc. that are not specifically associated with secure operations.

Further information on the TSA over restrictions regarding the Grand Junction airport battle, and its eventual success can be viewed on my October 11, 2013 Mooneyspace thread titled "Grand Junction TSA area reconfiguration success!"  and  https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2013/october/10/colorado-pilots-receive-sharples-award-for-advocacy-efforts

Lots of additional information on this subject via internet searching. 

[GeeBee]

Did you know there is no Federal law requiring you to wear a seat belt? Yet, every state, district and territory has had to make a law requiring you to wear a seat belt? Do you know why?

 

 

[N201MKTurbo]

20 minutes ago, GeeBee said:

Did you know there is no Federal law requiring you to wear a seat belt? Yet, every state, district and territory has had to make a law requiring you to wear a seat belt? Do you know why?

 

 

MONEY

[GeeBee]

Bingo! That is how they "regulate" you. Next Airport grant, guess what you need to do?

 

[MooneyMitch]

You, nor I, nor AOPA have access to the TSA directive due to its SSI [Secret Sensitive Information].  However, the document states [allegedly of course] that all airports with commercial service are to provide security for those commercial services, and is not to encumber general aviation areas.

Due to the ambiguity of the directive, most airport administrations chose to make the entire airport the Airport Operations Area and imprison everyone.  It is all quite complicated indeed.

Again, the good folks at Grand Junction took that imprisonment to task.  It was a huge and drawn out effort all the way to the top.  With their research, discovery and implementation of electronic surveillance for the secure commercial areas, the hangars and businesses were freed from the AOA, and therefore no longer encumbered. 

[MooneyMitch]

Oh, my friend's Southwest flight shows a delay into SBA of mid-night tonight.  With the computer issues reportedly plaguing Southwest, hopefully the flight will arrive then, if at all.

I sure feel bad for the person picking her up [ME! ] so late at night.  I'll monitor all on flight aware.

Sure wish SBA had a pedestrian gate exit so I could have flown in instead of driving down 

[EricJ]

1 hour ago, N201MKTurbo said:

MONEY

Plus there's the whole saving lives and reducing injuries thing...

[N201MKTurbo]

2 minutes ago, EricJ said:

Plus there's the whole saving lives and reducing injuries thing...

But you are commenting on what they are doing not how they are doing it.

It would be proper to do it by legislation or regulation, not through grant stipulations. 

[Hank]

3 hours ago, EricJ said:

Plus there's the whole saving lives and reducing injuries thing...

Locking the gate so that late-arriving pilots can't leave, and early-arriving pilots can't enter, saves lives and reduces injuries? Never realized that sleeping in your plane was so much safer than sleeping in a hotel . . . . 

[EricJ]

Just now, Hank said:

Locking the gate so that late-arriving pilots can't leave, and early-arriving pilots can't enter, saves lives and reduces injuries? Never realized that sleeping in your plane was so much safer than sleeping in a hotel . . . . 

Non-sequitur due to thread tangent.

 

[Hank]

Just now, EricJ said:

Non-sequitur due to thread tangent.

 

That happens. But it sure threw me . . . . .

[MB65E]

Well, how did it go? ;-)

-Matt

[MooneyMitch]

It was a beautiful night for a clear sky fun flight from SMX to SBA!  But, it was an equally beautiful night for my drive up and down Highway 101. Plane arrived 12:40 AM. 

There's always something magical about sitting an that airport viewing area [east end of field], looking out over the brilliant blue taxiway lights and white runway lights on a clear night and watching those bright landing lights of an approaching airliner on final.  Had my handheld tuned to 119.70, which makes it even more exciting! 

I did arrive early and perused the east perimeter for pedestrian gates.  One next to Atlantic area, but locked tighter than a drum with no way to exit the ramp unless one had the correct badge to swipe.

Oh well, twas a fun late night adventure!

[ilovecornfields]

2 hours ago, MooneyMitch said:

Oh well, twas a fun late night adventure!

No need to fill us in on the details. Glad you were able to reconnect with your friend despite the hardship.

[GeeBee]

20 hours ago, MooneyMitch said:

You, nor I, nor AOPA have access to the TSA directive due to its SSI [Secret Sensitive Information].  However, the document states [allegedly of course] that all airports with commercial service are to provide security for those commercial services, and is not to encumber general aviation areas.

Due to the ambiguity of the directive, most airport administrations chose to make the entire airport the Airport Operations Area and imprison everyone.  It is all quite complicated indeed.

Again, the good folks at Grand Junction took that imprisonment to task.  It was a huge and drawn out effort all the way to the top.  With their research, discovery and implementation of electronic surveillance for the secure commercial areas, the hangars and businesses were freed from the AOA, and therefore no longer encumbered. 

Yeah, well that was all until Congresswoman Shiela Jackson Lee (You know the lady who wanted NASA to run the Mars Rover over to where Neil Armstrong left the flag) proclaimed that Houston GA airports were hot beds for terrorism. Then the DHS IG got involved and you got this study and document reporting to Congress. DHS does not having Congress on its back, so they are going to push just as far as they can. You are correct, that airport managers are lazy and like to make "one size fits all" security. That is why it is so important to get the alphabet groups involved.

 

[MooneyMitch]

20 hours ago, GeeBee said:

That is why it is so important to get the alphabet groups involved.

As the co-creator of the all-volunteer groups Mooney Ambassadors [promoting Mooney and promoting general aviation], Friends of Oceano Airport, as a Vice President of CalPilots, and learning from the king of general aviation defender's, AOPA's Bill Dunn [aka Bulldog], I learned that advocating for general aviation and our airports has to be a grass routes effort. 

The alphabet folks are there to offer guidance and help with exposure of our efforts.  They can, and do step in to write letters, speak publicly, counsel government representative, etc. on behalf of our battles, but again, the core of all has to be a well defined and organized group, local to the issue[s].  A perfect example of this are the two spearheads of the Grand Junction successful TSA airport imprisonment rollback effort, Steve Woods and Dave Shepard.  They were relentless and completely dedicated to the project.

Our fight at Oceano Airport several years ago cannot compare to the insurmountable efforts put forth by the Grand Junction folks, but Oceano is another example of how a local grass routes group, supported and promoted by AOPA, was and can be highly successful.