Jetstar Avalon Security Incident
Joined: Jun 2000
Aviation Qualifications: ATP+Mil
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From: Australia
What happened next? Did he get his blast fence?
In those days Pacific islands airports didn't have blast fences. In fact at the airport where the incident happened the locals sometimes played soccer on the runway in between flights.
On one occasion at another Pacific island runway which was 5600 ft long, we had just touched down at night and selected reverse thrust, when our landing lights illuminated a a drunken local wandering across centre of the runway. We steered off the centreline to avoid hitting him. He must have got a big shock seeing a 737 bearing down on him.
At the same airport there was a road that paralled the full length runway 50 metres to one side. Occasionally we would see a motor bike rider on the road crouched over his Honda 1000 cc bike revving his motor and as we started the take off roll he would race us down the runway. He would beat us to 80 knots but by the time we passed 100 knots he would fall behind. All he was wearing was a T-shirt, shorts and sandals
This was 45 years ago mind you
In those days Pacific islands airports didn't have blast fences. In fact at the airport where the incident happened the locals sometimes played soccer on the runway in between flights.
On one occasion at another Pacific island runway which was 5600 ft long, we had just touched down at night and selected reverse thrust, when our landing lights illuminated a a drunken local wandering across centre of the runway. We steered off the centreline to avoid hitting him. He must have got a big shock seeing a 737 bearing down on him.
At the same airport there was a road that paralled the full length runway 50 metres to one side. Occasionally we would see a motor bike rider on the road crouched over his Honda 1000 cc bike revving his motor and as we started the take off roll he would race us down the runway. He would beat us to 80 knots but by the time we passed 100 knots he would fall behind. All he was wearing was a T-shirt, shorts and sandals
This was 45 years ago mind you
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 569
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From: Australia
As an aside, the aircraft was a Boeing 707-373C operated by World Airways, registration N374WA. It also featured in other movies. It had a brief connection with Australia, having been photographed at YSSY back in 1968 I think, while ferrying US troops to Vietnam.
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 569
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From: Australia
So how come this guy had a car at age 17?
How did he got a hold of a shotgun?
Questions.
I suppose that now we will see increased security actions in particular in particular in GA.
So some rabbit with a shot gun trying to take over an airline flight will affect GA be it at the likes of the secondary airport and maybe even the country airports !
Congratulations !
How did he got a hold of a shotgun?
Questions.
I suppose that now we will see increased security actions in particular in particular in GA.
So some rabbit with a shot gun trying to take over an airline flight will affect GA be it at the likes of the secondary airport and maybe even the country airports !
Congratulations !
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 569
Likes: 383
From: Australia
Victoria Police backs cautions over charges for young offenders.
The verdict on the caution and diversion program comes as youth crime hits a 15-year high in Victoria, sparking a political crisis for the Allan government, blamed for fuelling a revolt in last month’s by-election in Werribee – located near Wyndham – that saw Labor’s vote collapse and the party cling to the seat by just a couple of hundred votes.Crime data released late last year has exposed the scale of offending by children aged 14 to 17, showing crimes rising by more than 20 per cent, with 20,753 incidents recorded.
(From The Australian March 5th)
Don't worry, the Victorian crackdown on crime will see this 17 year old get a severely worded caution.
Maybe if the AFP got involved and got out the Commonwealth Crimes (Aircraft) Act - the outcome would keep him occupied for quite a long time!
That would be......................... good, diffferent.
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 569
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From: Australia
People are starting to say "enough is enough", and taking miscreants head on.
Man in Rundal Mall uses a good old "hip and shoulder" bump to nab some prick who was assaulting a woman....it is alleged.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxZD...7NEWSAustralia
Man in Rundal Mall uses a good old "hip and shoulder" bump to nab some prick who was assaulting a woman....it is alleged.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxZD...7NEWSAustralia
Maybe there'd be a different result from security guards provided by shops in the Mall if the security guards, properly trained of course, were armed. There is nothing like a pistol on a holster to focus the attention. I once spent 15 minutes arguing with a couple of pricks one night at an airport that were making threats and throwing around abuse and even the baggage handlers who heard the commotion and came and stood with me didn't do much to shut them up (not a criticism, I was very appreciative of the blokes, very decent thing to do but these brainless morons were going to argue regardless), BUT, when the two Victoria Police walked in, country cops with basic uniform (no ties, just open neck shirt no jacket, no caps but a (then) S&W .38 on each of their hips, these heroes turned to jelly. "Show us you're ID". "Why?" "BECAUSE I ASKED FOR IT!". One of them made a remark to one of the ladies present and no one heard what he said but the taller of the two coppers did and turned to him and yelled "SIT DOWN. SHUT UP. YOU'RE NEXT!".
The same bloke came back about 10 minutes after the cops kicked them out and we'd bought a coffee for the officers and they saw our eyes look at the doorway. One of the coppers turned around and said "Whatta you want?" the bloke said "I need to use the toilet, it's urgent". The copper with a pretty straight couldn't give a #### look on his face just looked at him and said "Terminal's closed." to which the bloke replied "But it's urgent" and the copper just said "There's a servo about 20mins down the road, off ya go, you'll be right".
Bloody brilliant. I'm sure they were hoping he'd piss out the front of the terminal so they could arrest him LOL.
The coppers must have been on night shift because the same two blokes came back the next morning and walked into the terminal and there were the two coppers leaning against the wall. "G'day" one of them said.
Of course, none of that would stop this kid but just shows that in the proper hands, just the presence of police sometimes can change the dynamic.
Joined: Sep 2008
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
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From: 41S174E
Maybe there'd be a different result from security guards provided by shops in the Mall if the security guards, properly trained of course, were armed.
If you are going to spend that amount of money on training and vetting , ( and increasing salaries commensurate with the responsibility I presume?) then you might as well just increase Fed Police numbers by 200 and have a rotating roster through the airports concerned.
If the ‘armed security guards’ are funded by private operations then you won’t achieve the goal of them being ‘properly trained’ as the financial imperative takes effect, ( I can read the Headlines now after someone gets shot for talking back at the x-ray machine and it isn’t de-escalated).
If they are federally funded they might as well be full time Police and utilise the economies of scale regarding training and vetting and firearm management etc. In addition they can benefit the nation in a multitude of other ways than just airport security.
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 467
Likes: 12
From: Vic
Speaking as someone who had 9 years operating on the ramp at YSSY, domestic, international aprons. Every ASIC holder is instructed to challenge anyone in a secure area who is not clearly displaying an ASIC. Now at Avalon which has no airbridges, mobile steps are used and there would have been a stair puller at the ready. How did someone who "looked" look like an engineer get past plod at the bottom of the stair, especially when pax are on board.
Now I say "looked" in a loose way. A real engineer looks like an engineer. There is no way a loopy 17yo could pull that look off authentically. How many 17 year old LAMES have you seen?
In any case, Avalon is a small port, it only takes 1 or 2 shifts to know the faces who are regularly on the ramp. You know the guys from engineering because they are around all the time, you know their faces. But they still don't get up the steps without displaying their ASIC. A pimply 17yo "boy" trying to pose as an engineer (a LAME no less), should have stood out like you know what.
My oh my, how have standards fallen.
Now I say "looked" in a loose way. A real engineer looks like an engineer. There is no way a loopy 17yo could pull that look off authentically. How many 17 year old LAMES have you seen?
In any case, Avalon is a small port, it only takes 1 or 2 shifts to know the faces who are regularly on the ramp. You know the guys from engineering because they are around all the time, you know their faces. But they still don't get up the steps without displaying their ASIC. A pimply 17yo "boy" trying to pose as an engineer (a LAME no less), should have stood out like you know what.
My oh my, how have standards fallen.
Joined: Jun 2001
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
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From: FNQ ... It's Permanent!
Joined: Dec 2023
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From: Oz
I’d be interested to know if any foreign links, referring to online, had been involved. The Australian has reported the court has suppressed the information around that.
I was on a flight in Europe last year, seated near the front, and the FO was going back in after the bathroom, meanwhile a gent in row 1 was obviously itching to go to the bathroom, so the minute the cockpit door opened, he jumped up and quickly moved to the toilet door. The cockpit door was still open, and it just reiterates, how easy it would be for someone to enter during flight.
So door is closed and locked, shotgun pulled and aimed at skipper, and he says "take off or he gets it".
Unless you REALLY back your backward-hand pen skills, what happens next?
In all honesty, this was so close to happening - so it's a bit scary thinking about what you'd realistically do next when he says "order flighties to close the doors, take off now"..
Unless you REALLY back your backward-hand pen skills, what happens next?
In all honesty, this was so close to happening - so it's a bit scary thinking about what you'd realistically do next when he says "order flighties to close the doors, take off now"..
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 569
Likes: 383
From: Australia
Speaking as someone who had 9 years operating on the ramp at YSSY, domestic, international aprons. Every ASIC holder is instructed to challenge anyone in a secure area who is not clearly displaying an ASIC. Now at Avalon which has no airbridges, mobile steps are used and there would have been a stair puller at the ready. How did someone who "looked" look like an engineer get past plod at the bottom of the stair, especially when pax are on board.
Now I say "looked" in a loose way. A real engineer looks like an engineer. There is no way a loopy 17yo could pull that look off authentically. How many 17 year old LAMES have you seen?
In any case, Avalon is a small port, it only takes 1 or 2 shifts to know the faces who are regularly on the ramp. You know the guys from engineering because they are around all the time, you know their faces. But they still don't get up the steps without displaying their ASIC. A pimply 17yo "boy" trying to pose as an engineer (a LAME no less), should have stood out like you know what.
My oh my, how have standards fallen.
Now I say "looked" in a loose way. A real engineer looks like an engineer. There is no way a loopy 17yo could pull that look off authentically. How many 17 year old LAMES have you seen?
In any case, Avalon is a small port, it only takes 1 or 2 shifts to know the faces who are regularly on the ramp. You know the guys from engineering because they are around all the time, you know their faces. But they still don't get up the steps without displaying their ASIC. A pimply 17yo "boy" trying to pose as an engineer (a LAME no less), should have stood out like you know what.
My oh my, how have standards fallen.
When the tasks are so compressed that time is of the essence and staffing levels low, people can't have eyes in the back of their heads so something gets missed. Hopefully, this incident will create a reassessment or a mandating of a presence but I won't hold my breath.
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 569
Likes: 383
From: Australia
Poorly thought out idea smacking of immaturity and lack of experience.
If you are going to spend that amount of money on training and vetting , ( and increasing salaries commensurate with the responsibility I presume?) then you might as well just increase Fed Police numbers by 200 and have a rotating roster through the airports concerned.
If the ‘armed security guards’ are funded by private operations then you won’t achieve the goal of them being ‘properly trained’ as the financial imperative takes effect, ( I can read the Headlines now after someone gets shot for talking back at the x-ray machine and it isn’t de-escalated).
If they are federally funded they might as well be full time Police and utilise the economies of scale regarding training and vetting and firearm management etc. In addition they can benefit the nation in a multitude of other ways than just airport security.
If you are going to spend that amount of money on training and vetting , ( and increasing salaries commensurate with the responsibility I presume?) then you might as well just increase Fed Police numbers by 200 and have a rotating roster through the airports concerned.
If the ‘armed security guards’ are funded by private operations then you won’t achieve the goal of them being ‘properly trained’ as the financial imperative takes effect, ( I can read the Headlines now after someone gets shot for talking back at the x-ray machine and it isn’t de-escalated).
If they are federally funded they might as well be full time Police and utilise the economies of scale regarding training and vetting and firearm management etc. In addition they can benefit the nation in a multitude of other ways than just airport security.
I never said anything about airports, I was responding to a posted video about a shopping mall in South Australia.
Your response in any case is flippant and unsupportable by facts.
For example, we have Armourguard vehicles trundling around shopping centres and areas heavily trafficked by ordinary members of the public and the guards that drive them and collect money, YES, they are transporting MONEY, not protecting lives, are armed with either revolvers or automatic pistols. They are trained to a standard that obviously would require them to shoot an assailant to protect the money on the truck.
So, what you're saying by implication is that this is perfectly reasonable but ordinary members of the public who might be assaulted frequently (if the news segment is to be believed) are fair game and at the mercy of the perpetrator and a 'security guard' armed with a baton and zip ties but if there's MONEY involved, it demands a firearm?
To be consistent, you must also require Armourguard personnel having their firearms removed and resort to defending their cargo with sticks and stones?
At an Airport of course, AFP or PSOs of whatever grade are what should be deployed because it's under COMMONWEALTH jurisdiction.
We need to get past this irrational fear of firearms when properly used. Not too many years ago before the advent of bullet proof shutters, etc. in banks, the people who sat behind the tellers each were armed - two people in my family worked for different banks and each had a Browning .32 automatic pistol with a full clip under their desk(s), my local bank branch staff I know remember doing their firearms training before the systems were changed.
I only gave the example of the Police attending a small regional airport that night to illustrate that it makes a difference as per the old adage that you get further with a kind word and a gun than just a kind word but as I say, if you READ what I wrote, it was in response to the news segment.
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 3,862
Likes: 444
From: QLD - where drivers are yet to realise that the left lane goes to their destination too.
Mr Suss [Avalon Airport chief executive] said the airport would offer Mr Clark "free flights for life" after his act of bravery.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-..._content=other
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-..._content=other
Otherwise I guess Bazza will start booking a lot of J class fares for his trips now, and probably flying a whole lot more often than he might have.
Joined: Aug 2022
Posts: 1,087
Likes: 274
From: Melbourne, Victoria
..perhaps the only difference being that if your jet-ski broke down off the coast of Avalon Airport and you hiked if all the way to the terminal cold and wet, you'd probably die of hypothermia and/or starvation before anyone found you.
FWIW, an interesting comparison study would be Singapore (Changi) Airport security: They tend to shoot first and ask questions later.
Last edited by PiperCameron; 13th March 2025 at 01:17.
