Team,
Just got back from a wonderful 2 weeks flying in Scotland. Absolutely awesome.... However....
On the way back to the South, decided to pop in and see my sister who lives near blackpool. So, landed there as normal with plane full of camping gear, personal effects etc. Unloaded, walked past the fuel farm, a couple of expensive biz jets etc to the fire station (who control the non-normal pax exit).
Just before going through the final gate, I asked about getting airside again. The reply was through "Central Security" - alarm bells starting ringing, so I asked if we had to be x-rayed like everyone else. The answer to this was Yes. I was also told that the same rules applied to us as it did normal pax. Uh oh...
Had a massive argument with their main security guy in the terminal and made the following points:
- My plane, I'm PIC, it's totally my responsibility for safety of the aircraft and pax, not his
- That I don't have a hold nor a handling agent so can't "check in" baggage
- That I needed to bring some spare oil in for the plane
- That the rules do not affect private planes on private flights
The answers were no, no, no, no and no again with something about 'jobsworth' stuck in the middle. You can imagine I was not at all pleased... I did also make the point that the authorities are all too quick to distinguish between airlines and GA but when it suited them to lump everyone in together again.
So, chaps a warning not to fly to Blackpool if you want to get anything to your plane...... What a bunch of plonkers.
So much for being a GA freindly airfield....