The TSA is watching all of you dangerous airplane owners!

[runon]

Re: The TSA is watching all of you dangerous airplane owners!

This is why I drink Boston Lager. I very much support the Samuel Adams mindset.

[Mark Julicher]

Re: The TSA is watching all of you dangerous airplane owners!

Tuesday a helicopter entered our traffic pattern and landed at the fuel island. Another airplane in the pattern witnessed that the copter had been closely trailing another landing airplane and not making any radio calls. Two guys stayed in the copter while two others dressed in swat gear and well armed literally ran to the fixed wing plane that had just landed. After some questioning, the fixed wing pilot was allowed to go on about his business and the helicopter left the area. Small badge on the copter said it was Homeland Security. Appeared to be many sensors on the helicopter.

It is a different world.

[taylorcraftbc65]

Re: The TSA is watching all of you dangerous airplane owners!

Was the plane in question large enough to be carrying drugs??

[M Towsley]

Re: The TSA is watching all of you dangerous airplane owners!

Just about any plane is large enough to carry a large amount of drugs, depending upon what the drug is.

[Mark Julicher]

Re: The TSA is watching all of you dangerous airplane owners!

It was a C-172.
Last year I flew my BC12-D from Eagle Pass to Zapata and the FBO got a phone call from the Feds.

[M Towsley]

Re: The TSA is watching all of you dangerous airplane owners!

You live in what is called a 'source state'. Mark. The border states and Florida are also 'source states'. Congrats.

[cvavon]

Re: The TSA is watching all of you dangerous airplane owners!

We have a drug cop that rents a office at our air port and a hanger for there pa18 supper cub that they use for pot spotting a side benefit we have two very nice late model Volvo suv that were from a drug bust also a john deer backhoe a diesel air craft tug all drug related that did not cost us any thing and the Police presents is good for vandalism.Thank You Drug Task force.

[astjp2]

Re: The TSA is watching all of you dangerous airplane owners!

http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Pilot-Arrested-After-DHS-Surveillance221141-1.html

[paulnuss]

Re: The TSA is watching all of you dangerous airplane owners!

Wow! " According to the criminal complaint filed against him, Burrows attracted attention on his two-day flight from northern California by trying to avoid it. He stayed at low altitude, flew a route that avoided urban areas, refueled at small airports". Sounds like the way I fly my Taylorcraft most of the time. And same for many, if not most, of my friends... Mighty suspicious behavior??? Probable cause for a search warrant? In this case the drug enforcement types just plain got lucky! And how many pilots must get their rights trampled on for the occasional drug bust like this? And how many cars or trucks could have been making the same trip without any attention given to them? I resent suggestions that this type of law enforcement is OK. Over the years our small airplanes have become suspected weapons of mass destruction and terrorism; now they are becoming the drug-dealer's choice of transport? I am saddened by what is happening in our country.

[astjp2]

Re: The TSA is watching all of you dangerous airplane owners!

That was my point with this thread, I fly the same way. I avoid large airports and dont have a transponder. So will I be subject to this type of treatment?

[runon]

Re: The TSA is watching all of you dangerous airplane owners!

Targeting Pilots for random searches is like targeting boyscouts. There may be one or two here or there that aren't, but as a whole the Flying community is a salt of the earth "good old boy" crowd.

in my opinion..
"They" are running snipe hunts mostly to justify the costs of the program. In politics it's far worse to show you DIDN'T use the resources($$) allocated than to use too much.
The war on drugs and the war on terror are a goldmine for politicians. All the money spent in this arena is allocated for those particular government agencies alone and it's an asset that stays there (be it everything from Union support to equipment that remains a valuable $$ asset). As opposed to building new roads, bridges or utility infrastructure which has very little political return on investment (A 10 million dollar overpass would be "more difficult" to sell than a 10 million dollar helicopter).

**Oh and I forgot to add**
These random stops/searches are TOTAL BS!!! and they piss me off to no end when I hear about them

[astjp2]

Re: The TSA is watching all of you dangerous airplane owners!

Try telling that to our local airport manager, they just added 5 cops to the access list for the ramp because we are so bad that we need to get parking tickets!