3 S/Branch police officers and two immigration officers have been camped out at EGTR this weekend, Friday through Monday.
Chatting to them they claim that their only brief is to show a higher profile presence.
More overtime, anyone? That's the reason; nothing to do with fighting terrorism.
Going way beyond their powers to demand ID etc etc is officially known as "looking busy", to justify the overtime. Or maybe they got bored and felt like shaking down some rich gits. Both, probably.
The correct response to an illegal demand from SB, Immigration, Police or the neighbourhood busybody is "F**k **f", or for those of a gentler disposition, asking them to explain and prove their authority in law to demand that.
You are not required by law to carry ID to operate an aircraft within the UK, so far as the law is concerned, except possibly your licence (I'm not certain about that). You may need all sorts of documentation so far as the aircraft owner and/or airfield operator is concerned, for commercial, insurance and safety reasons, but that's not the Police's business. And filling in landing cards after a domestic flight is just ludicrous.
I expect the next lucrative weekend out for the lads will be Long Mynd. Tricky lot, these silent but deadly glider pilots; never know where they've been.
They don't even file flight plans,
can you believe that?
What's more, one of 'em was a bit rude when requested, quite politely, to fill out his landing card after landing in a field in Norfolk". The sooner they're all given ASBOs and closed down, the better.......