Why GA is Dying

A slightly different context and it's just good airport security.... a
local news outlet decides that they need an airport security story and
sends a reporter out to the local strip to investigate. He walks on the
ramp and starts taking photos and asking questions. This isn't
hypothetical because it happened at my home 'port.

However, before the guy got far, he was challenged by 2 different
resident/pilots. He actually never got a chance to investigate because
he was interrogated first, "so, can anyone just drive up and walk on? I
don't see a fence" says the reporter. "Obviously not, we keep an eye on
things (even though this is just a private grass strip), so what exactly
are you looking for"

But I do know how you feel. I never like to be stopped or questioned
but you have to pick your battles and choose your spots while
maintaining some perspective. I don't think this has anything to do
with GA's problems. I'm not even sure we have problems; this is the
best place on the planet to fly. We may have some challenges and
perhaps this incident addresses a few of them.

Kyle Boatright wrote:
After I landed from this morning's flight, a young guy (maybe 18 or 20 years
old) came over, complimented my airplane and asked if he could take some
pictures. Of course, I was flattered and told him to shoot away. He hung
around and we talked for 20 minutes or more as I wiped down the airplane for
bugs, cleaned the canopy, etc.. Turns out, he has his "ultralight pilot's
license? (???) and is about ready to start training for his PPSEL. Nice
guy.

Once I took care of a few things (and the airplane cooled), I taxied over to
the wash stand and gave the RV a nice bath. - Can't go to Oshkosh with a
dirty airplane. The young guy from before happed to be over by the wash
stand with his camera, so we had another conversation as I was washing the
airplane.

In the middle of this, one of the employees from the FBO came over and asked
the guy to go to the FBO and present his photo ID so the FBO would know who
is making pictures at the airport. I steped in and asked where this
requirement came from, and the FBO guy hemmed and hawed, saying that he
thought it came from the airport authority. I asked if he could show me the
requirement in writing. He hemmed and hawed some more, and never could
answer the question. The FBO guy said that people didn't like having others
make pictures of their airplanes. (Huh??) Like, who? I asked. Again, no
good response.

I'll verify this with the FBO owner and the airport authority on Monday, but
no way, no how, is there a "must present an ID before taking pictures"
policy at my home field. Someone at the FBO didn't have anything to do and
decided to play "big man on campus" for fun.

So, what does this have to do with the slow death of GA? It has to do with
the attitudes around some airports. Today's 20 year old picture taker will
be tomorrow's private pilot who'll be paying for flying lessons, gasoline,
etc. and will eventually rent aircraft or own his own airplane. That is, if
he wasn't put-off by the FBO. In which case, that's one more person who had
his dream squashed, and will never become a pilot. Given the sharp decline
in the number of pilots in the US, it amazes me how unfriendly FBO's can be.
You'd think they would be out begging for business. Naah. It must be far
more productive to run off prospective customers. No wonder there are so few
new pilots.

FYI, my home field is just outside of Atlanta. Go one airport farther away
from Atlanta in any direction and you'll get great service by very friendly
people. Go to any of the airports closer to the city and they will
practically beg you to leave unless your aircraft is turbine powered. I'd
bet those unfriendly airports turn a lot of people from potential pilots to
boat or Harley owners.

By the way, the 20 year old guy did go inside the FBO and present his ID.
His choice, and a nice gesture. I thought a different gesture might have
been appropriate.

KB

Security doesn't just have to be about preventing terrorism or a reaction to
terrorism. Plenty of airplanes have very expensive and very easy to remove
avionics and parts.



I find it strange that so many people will defend the right for people to
walk around an airport un hindered taking pictures or just looking around..

Yet I would guess that if the same person were walking around the marina or
the RV storage yard or your house taking pictures or writing down your
license plates, boat registration numbers you just might consider it
suspicious and challenge the person yourself. ( a picture is the same as
writing it down, it can be reviewed later)



And let's not forget that it is only the aircraft tail number that anyone
can go to the internet and lookup the owners name and address on the
internet..



I have a feeling that the people who complain the most about the fences or
the locks on the doors are the ones who don't own an aircraft that they want
protected from any kind of harm..

In article , "me" wrote:

I have a feeling that the people who complain the most about the fences or
the locks on the doors are the ones who don't own an aircraft that they want
protected from any kind of harm..

I'm an aircraft owner. The fences and locks are idiotic. Anyone who thinks
that they actually enhance security is an idiot.

--
Bob Noel
Looking for a sig the
lawyers will hate

Security at airports is a tightrope walk. If you're on some rural
airfield, security is really just a matter of knowing who your neighbors
are and who should or shouldn't be entering their airplane.

At larger municipal airports, the key concern is that you may not be
able to know who the folks around you are, so some form of fence and
perhaps a combination lock system is probably appropriate.

I've always been of the opinion that the best security one could buy at
an airport is a regular picnic or cookout where the folks can socialize
and meet the other folks at the airport. Then you're all looking out
for each other because that's what you'd do anyway.

Being anonymous in a very public major city airport can lead to
draconian measures for security because nobody knows you, yet you may
have every reason for being there.

I would never introduce a newcomer to aviation by taking them to an
international airport.

Meanwhile, small private fields are disappearing day by day as the land
around them gets developed for more exurban sprawl. The reason aviation
is dying is the same reason that farming is disappearing. It's gotten
too efficient at what it does and now there are all sorts of regulations
and restrictions as fewer and fewer people are graduating with technical
aspirations in mind. We're becoming victims of our own success.

It's basically a war of mediocrity against those with smarts. And the
moguls of mediocrity are winning. Sigh.

Jake Brodsky