"Andy" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Feb 3, 12:10 pm, "Kilo Charlie" wrote:

Thanks for the update Tom. This is somewhat concerning to me since I
don't
see this as anything but another excuse to treat the glider community as
second class.

No, they are not picking on glider pilots. It is normal now (in USA,
the land of the free)for any airport that has scheduled airline
service to have a ramp area and terminal area that is restricted to
only screened scheduled airline passengers. I landed my airplane at
one airport, got gas, took a leak, and was nearly arrested because I
attempted to go out of the wrong door to get back to the airplane.

Andy

I can't remember if you've been to Ely or not Andy but its a sleepy airport
that to this point has had few restrictions and so don't argue with the idea
that the usual controls were lax.

That being said my point was that in order to have it all up to standards
there would have to be many changes there not the least of which would apply
to the powered traffic as well seeing as how they are by far and away the
main utilizers of the airport.

Other than being out of sight how is it more restricted to have glider ops
on another area of the airport i.e. what prevents the glider pilots from
crossing to the other side once they are through the fence? I could go out
the correct door just like the powered guys do, I could drive my car through
a security limited gate in order to load water just like the others do to
load baggage. Whatever the requirement might be I don't see a way that
gliders and their pilots are to be placed in a more limited category than
the others wrt security.

As I stated in my first post, I'm all for getting away from the dust and
gravel being blown on our gliders but it seems its happening for the wrong
reasons. We also stage pretty early in the day on the approach
end.....can't see how that's going to work either. "Times they are
a-changin'".

Casey