State aviation officials and pilots gathered in Cheyenne, Wyo., Sept. 10 through 12 for the first Wyoming Aviation Conference. AOPA Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Craig Spence spoke about what everyone involved in general aviation can do to help enhance security at their airports.
A proven success is AOPA’s Airport Watch Program. AOPA partnered with the Transportation Security Administration to create this voluntary program, which is modeled after the popular Neighborhood Watch. The goal is two-fold: to have 600,000-plus pilots staying alert for and reporting suspicious activities at their airports, and voluntarily securing aircraft with door and auxiliary locks, locking their hangars, and securing their hangar/aircraft keys.
Spence reported that 91 percent of AOPA members secure their aircraft through a number of methods, including door locks, a locked hangar, a throttle lock, and more.
