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URGENT: TSA / LASP Threatens General Aviation
The clock is ticking! We only have until February 27th to
respond.
This week several KCBAA members traveled to St. Louis and joined with
the Greater St.Louis Business Aviation Association and the NBAA to discuss the
pertinent issues surrounding the proposed TSA
LASP (Large Aircraft Security Program) security proposal. What was discussed was unbelievably
alarming and threatens each of us and our way of life in Aviation.
The key issues are:
·
The TSA is attempting to apply blanket airline security
requirements to General Aviation.
·
All flight
departments operating aircraft in excess of 12,500 pounds max gross
takeoff weight will be affected.
·
Security
measures include Criminal History Record
Checks of all flight crew members. (TSA
has proposed a charge of $74 per person
to complete these checks.) Couldn’t this be done when we apply for our FAA
medical each year?
·
All passengers that board your aircraft would have to
be checked against the TSA’s no
fly list. What happens when there’s a last minute
substitution or an extra passenger? Isn’t this why we fly private aircraft; so we
can have some flexibility?
·
All flight
departments would be required to develop a Security
Plan that would be subjected to “Security
Audits” at the operator’s expense.
·
Items such as tools and sporting equipment will be
restricted from transport if accessible in flight
·
Liquid transport
will be similar to airline volume requirements and the “clear plastic bag
rule.”
·
TSA will also impose extensive security measures on airports and Fixed Base
Operators (Some will go out of business – airports might close – and some will
have security screening similar to the airlines)
To help us
stop this proposal, please do the following:
1. Contact
your Congressman and express your
disagreement with the TSA’s
proposal. The NBAA has made this step
very easy; as it only takes 5 minutes to plug your information into a form
letter. Go to: http://nbaa.org/advocacy/contact/ Click #
2. Reasonable and Effective Security for Business Aviation
and follow the prompts. Please Note: If
you live in Kansas
and work and pay taxes in Missouri
you should send this to Congressmen in both states.
2. Submit a
comment to the TSA in opposition to this proposal. This must be done by February 27th. There are only 2,200 comments from the entire
country on record at this time. They need to hear form all of us. Please go to:
http://nbaa.org/ops/security/programs/lasp/
At this website you can review the proposal and then make your comments
by clicking on the link: Regulations.gov
To add your comments click on the “add comments” icon at the top of the
first document. Please keep comments
constructive and to the point. They need
to hear specific ways this proposal will adversely affect your operation. It’s
also important to include examples of how you are already doing your part to
ensure that security is maintained at its highest level. Also give them some alternatives to their
plan that will allow us to maintain the advantages of private aircraft.
If you have trouble submitting your
comment on this website, or if you
prefer to send your comment in the mail, please send it to:
Docket Management Facility
US Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE
West Building Ground Floor Room W12-140
Washington, DC 20590-0001
Subject: Comment on Docket No. TSA-2008-0021
3. Pass
this information on to all those
you work with, the owners of you airplane or anyone else that has a stake in
general aviation. Urge them to take
action to help stop this proposal.
Please make phone calls use email and follow up as we have a very little
time left to respond.
Thank you for your help in this matter,
Tim Bock
KCBAA - President
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