There is no question that, over the past decade, general aviation's unrestricted access to the skies has been hampered by complexities involving equipment, pilot qualifications, and control. Now, a new threat looms that imposes undue restrictions even before we get to our airplanes on the parking ramp: airport security.
Two years ago, I made an emergency landing at Allentown, Pennsylvania (ABE), in my Cessna 340 because an engine decided it no longer wanted to contain oil. As I touched down, the oil that was streaked all over the cowling erupted in flames. The emergency equipment and airport management made an unfortunate situation tolerable, but as they towed the airplane off the runway into the darkness, I was anxious to return in the daylight to assess the damage. When the next morning arrived, to my chagrin, I found myself peering at my airplane from across the ramp and through a wire fence. It was virtually impossible to find anyone who would allow me access to the parking area. Now, ABE is not exactly a hub airport, and the general aviation facility is clear across the field from the passenger terminal. Needless to say, I was upset and found myself truly inconvenienced by seemingly unnecessary security rules.
The stories we receive at AOPA from members around the country are equally appalling. Businessmen needing to load their airplanes from small trucks or cars are being denied' access to the ramp. Those Civil Air Patrol members who don't own the airplane they fly are unable to obtain gate security access cards. Or airport managers are asking exorbitant deposit fees for the security passes, prior to issuing them. In Lafayette, Louisiana, we recently learned that the airport operator installed a permanent fence directly in front of an FBO, between the ramp and the hangar. There have been reports in the press that vital rescue equipment had difficulty reaching the on-airport airliner crash last March in the snowstorm at New York's La Guardia. Airport security has been blamed for the emergency equipment losing valuable time in reaching survivors.
Somehow, I thought the cold war was over, and the defense and security needs of our country were slowly being scaled back. Not so, according to 1985 changes to Part 107 of the Federal Aviation Regulations governing airport security, however. Recent proposed rulemaking could make general aviation's ramp access tougher than ever and cause all of us to be overly scrutinized just because we own or fly light aircraft. If you want unescorted access to the ramp at airports covered under FAR Part 107 (basically those with scheduled commercial passenger service), the new proposed rules are quite onerous. They will require you to submit to fingerprinting and an FBI criminal records check spanning a 10-year period.
In May 1990, Congress called for these types of checks for airport employees, but your association feels applying these regulations to pilots goes well beyond the intent. Airports with eight or 10 commercial operations per day, such as Columbia Regional in Missouri, are required to establish the exact same security restrictions as John F. Kennedy International. Clearly, this is an example of the FAA exceeding congressional intent and of the agency's willingness to place unnecessary burdens on all segments of aviation, without having thought out what is truly needed and what is not. Your association also has found that each FAA Civil Airport Security Office interprets the rules differently, which results in wide disparities in the implementation of the security requirements around the country.
Airport operators, fearing huge civil fines of up to $10,000, or even potential judicial sentences, are going overboard by essentially locking up the airport, which was never the intent of the security rulemaking. What's more, the FAA cannot force airport management to reduce its level of security if the operator doesn't want to.
There is hope, however. Less than 45 days ago, largely due to AOPA's efforts, the FAA associate administrator for security, retired Marine Corp General Orlo K. Steele, issued a policy "acknowledging" the fact that security measures are adversely affecting general aviation. He encouraged his field people to work with local airport operators to "cut out" general aviation areas from the strictest security requirements where possible and concentrate their measures where they are needed: airline terminals. FAA public meetings on the proposed rule changes were scheduled for April and May in Los Angeles, Dallas/Fort Worth, and Washington, D.C., at the urging of your association. The final date for comments on the proposed rulemaking requiring the criminal background check is mid-May, and you can be sure AOPA will have commented on behalf of our members. What better protection is needed for the public than the wide-open space required for airport runways? In addition, tall control towers at many of these airports allow controllers to spot anything that moves, even jack rabbits. General aviation usually is relegated to locations some distance from the passenger terminal, if not on the opposite side of the airport, providing added protection. Today's general aviation environment is complex enough without imposing more rules we must follow before we even get to our airplanes.
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