TSA Locks Out Local Pilots

So, as this security conscious government goes into overdrive to limit what was once a casual visit to the airport to go flying, I continue to imagine how far can this agency that didn't exist 10 years ago, go into undermining Americans right to exist.

If you put it to the TSA, I would be pretty sure that if they could do so at this moment, they would ban all casual, general aviation flying in the United States and think they were doing all of us a favor. Sure, keep the terrorists out, but we have to take some risks, otherwise, by what definition, do we consider ourselves a FREEDOM LOVING SOCIETY. .. lakotahope
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TSA Locks Out Punta Gorda Pilots

As the Transportation Security Administration continues to eye GA as a security threat, it locked out a group of owners from a through-the-fence arrangement at Florida's Punta Gorda Airport, south of Sarasota. Pilot Larry Hofmeister told us Friday that a group of owners with hangars on private property adjacent to the airport had a good working arrangement that allowed them to taxi from their hangars to a gate into the airport, which they could open by remote control. This week, the TSA halted that arrangement, claiming that it represents a security threat.

Now, to access the airport, the owners have to notify the FBO, which will send a lineman to open the gate on a time-permitting basis. Hofmeister told us the hangars have their own fenced-in area which itself requires a security card to access, so access to the runway is controlled by not one, but two gates. The TSA apparently took the action because it was unhappy with a pilot who taxied away from the access gate before it was closed. TSA didn't immediately return our call seeking additional information.