"Burt Compton" wrote in message
...
Scenario # 1: I've got 2 guys (with FAA SEL Pilot Certificates) who
planned to
come to Marfa, Texas for glider training next week. Neither has a US
Passport
nor can they obtain a Certified Copy of their Birth Certificate because
they
are told you need to go to your home town or county to obtain it in person
from
the Clerk's office. ...
Scenario # 2: Third student is a local 13 year old youngster. Hopes to
solo
on 14th birthday over the Christmas Holidays. Has no previous glider
training
except great RC model flyer. Been reading books and watching soaring
videos.
No Passport. Mom working on getting an original certified copy of his
birth
certificate from out of state.
...
I guess we will have to advise our students well in advance of coming to
fly
with us to get their documents in order. The spontaneous days of the
touring
airplane pilot who sees a gliderport and wants a spur-of-the-moment
introductory dual glider flight are gone, unless they are carrying a US
Passport.

You clearly have something wrong Burt. The TSA says that it is OK to
impose this rule without public input or advance notice because it will have
very little economic impact and is easily complied with.

Looks like every American at every age should obtain and carry a US
Passport.
Makes life easier to carry your "papers".

I can't think of a polite way of saying this, but it looks to me like
the TSA is completing Osama's work for him. In their zeal to put us all in
a bubble of safety, they are inadvertantly destroying the very liberties
they are charged to protect.

My wife and I saw this coming two years ago and applied for our
passports.

But then again, I'm not trained to detect forged Passports.

Exactly! ...or forged birth certificates. As happens so often with
government regulation, this rule is a problem to everyone except for those
who don't care about doing things legally.

Vaughn