Hello Dahli

So I'm in Tucson, AZ this morning, doing a walk around and getting ready to
mount up and fly back to homebase after a great little sunrise XC hop
(really amazing sky today...huge God's Eye shafts of light through
virga...awesome...) and I'm also pausing every couple of minutes to snap
some photos of the AZ ANG F16s doing thier thing when a Tucson Police
Officer saunters over and asks if I plan on departing within the next 10
minutes or so... Inwardly, I'm girding myself for the discussion that I was
sure was to come...

As it turns out, the Dahli Llama (yes, THAT Dahli Llama...) was in town and
the immaculate G5 (which I got a good photo of...) near the GA terminal was
waiting for him and would I mind waiting until his party was loaded up? I
was so suprised to find out what all the fuss was about (I thought I noticed
a higher number of police cars parked near the base of the tower...and then
there were those secret service-looking types who just may have been
speaking into their cuffs...), all I could do was just say, "Sure, No
Problem."

Nice thing is, the same Police Officer and one of the security detail both
came over and thanked me for waiting the extra five minutes.

Got the ATIS, got my clearance and had a great flight back...

Just another day in the wonderful world of aviation...

Feeling a bit holier today,

Jay Beckman
PP-ASEL
AZ Cloudbusters
Chandler, AZ

Go along to get along was the smart thing to do...
Whether it was the right thing to do is open for debate...
The Dali Lama is just another bloke who pulls on his BVD's one leg at
a time... He is not entitled to special protection under the moving TFR
following the President, VP, etc... His airplane is entitled to take
the active at a public airport when it's turn comes in the 'first come,
first served' sequence as specified in the FAR and AIM...
Every time we in GA allow ourselves to be pushed around by the
'authorities' we simply add another brick to the prison they are
building around us, and we allow the police officers involved to
strengthen their personal belief that their badge gives them the right
to "accost and detain" anyone in public areas without either a warrant
or belief that person has broken the law... An action that the
Constitution and the Amendments specifically forbid...
Anyway, I may have have done the same as you, depending upon my level
of testosterone at that moment... Or, I may have rhetorically asked
them if I were piloting a scheduled airliner with 400 paying passengers
would I have to wait on the Dali Lama - and then advised them this is a
public airport, I am the public, and I am using it now... The Dali
Lama's airplane can take it's turn as federal regulations specify... I
might have also pointed out the the Dali Lama represents a religion and
by prohibiting my use of public spaces because of his presence the
police as an arm of the state are promoting a religion, an act
specifically forbidden by both Federal Court and US Supreme Court
rulings...
And I probably would have gotten in hot water, again. sigh

denny

On 21 Sep 2005 04:29:27 -0700, "Denny" wrote in
.com::

we allow the police officers involved to
strengthen their personal belief that their badge gives them the right
to "accost and detain" anyone in public areas without either a warrant
or belief that person has broken the law... An action that the
Constitution and the Amendments specifically forbid...

As reported on this newsgroup: http://tinyurl.com/ak699

Just another day in the wonderful world of aviation...

You were held up at public airport for the *Dahli Llama*? In Arizona, USA?

That's even worse than being held up for John Edwards last year in Des
Moines!

I'm torn between laughter and incredulity.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck wrote:
Just another day in the wonderful world of aviation...

You were held up at public airport for the *Dahli Llama*? In
Arizona, USA?
That's even worse than being held up for John Edwards last year in Des
Moines!

I'm torn between laughter and incredulity.

Would you feel the same if it were the pope?

a time... He is not entitled to special protection under the moving
TFR following the President, VP, etc...

I don't believe these public servants deseve special treatment either.

Martin Hotze wrote:
"JohnH" wrote:

I'm torn between laughter and incredulity.

Would you feel the same if it were the pope?

the Pope is head of Vatican City (Holy See)

And?

On 2005-09-21, JohnH wrote:
I'm torn between laughter and incredulity.

Would you feel the same if it were the pope?

Actually, yes I would. The Pope can wait in line like everyone else.

I think it's ludicrous the amount of space leaders are given. The
President of the USA for example is nowhere near important enough to
require a 30nm radius TFR following him (he does have a backup after
all).

I thought it was quite ironic when I made my 100th year of powered
flight celebratory flight that I was free to make that flight, but
people within 30nm of where the actual original flight took place were
not!

--
Dylan Smith, Castletown, Isle of Man
Flying: http://www.dylansmith.net
Frontier Elite Universe: http://www.alioth.net
"Maintain thine airspeed, lest the ground come up and smite thee"

"Dylan Smith" wrote in message
...
On 2005-09-21, JohnH wrote:
I'm torn between laughter and incredulity.

Would you feel the same if it were the pope?

Actually, yes I would. The Pope can wait in line like everyone else.

I think it's ludicrous the amount of space leaders are given. The
President of the USA for example is nowhere near important enough to
require a 30nm radius TFR following him (he does have a backup after
all).

I thought it was quite ironic when I made my 100th year of powered
flight celebratory flight that I was free to make that flight, but
people within 30nm of where the actual original flight took place were
not!

--


While I think the 30NM is a little much do you understand the damage to the
US and world economy if the President were to be killed. The stock market
drop alone would reduce world wealth by a significant amount.

The bad will if the Pope or Dahli Lama were killed on US soil would be huge.

Martin Hotze wrote:

he (the Pope) has the same rights as any other head of state (diplomacy,
imunity, ...). Don't know about the Dalai Lama.

The Dalai Lama is arguably the head of Tibet. He's been in exile since a few
years after China invaded and annexed Tibet. Given the attitude of the U.S.
towards "Red" China, I'd bet that the government sitll officially recognizes the
Dalai Lama as a head of state.

George Patterson
Give a person a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a person to
use the Internet and he won't bother you for weeks.