The Airport Security Follies.
 

Good article in the New York Times 29 Dec on Airport Security here,

http://jetlagged.blogs.nytimes.com/2...ies/index.html

..........very interesting reading indeed, would have to agree with pretty much all of that. As mentioned if a well planned terror attack is at the pre boarding stage of the planned attack then it's probably too late, I see this as very true & thank those behind the scenes for stopping terrorism well before the terminal door & we the public probably know very little of their efforts!
No doubt most of us here have experienced or seen the long winded folly of most screenings prior to boarding an A/C. I for one not too long ago was subjected to two different levels of screening with the same brief case containing the same contents wearing the same clothes (had no choice got caught out with no hrs left to fly home) & both at major city airports! One I had to remove my cap, take off my shoes & totally empty the brief case, (which was passed thru the scanner 3 times !!) the other I sailed thru with only the removal of obvious metal objects, watch, keys, money etc.
Don't get me wrong here we have always had some measure of screening before flight & I agree it's needed to some degree just that it's way over the top now & that's just my opinion here, no need for the 'goody two shoes' in here to get in a huff !:}

And what part of an airport is the weakest link???...........the perimeter fence line that can be cut with a $2 pair of wire cutters, often obscured by high dense bushes !!:bored:

Aust thank God is a low risk place, besides who would want to blow up an old QF plane anyway?...........probably the engineers for the way they are being treated, can't say as I blame them:} !!.....joke there, joke !

CW

On a day off last week in Brisi, was going through security check with a mate who was in uniform just after he had signed off.

They spent about 3 minutes thumbing through his Jepps because they had metal binders. We explained that lots more people could die if he left them at home. Have had my stapled together weather snatched out of my hands and shaken to see if a nuke fell out more than once too.

Someone needs to explain to these guys if we wanted to Jihad, we would just need to push forward about an inch and hold that position for 1 to 5minutes - depending on altitude of course.

This is getting more ridiculous every year. Can't wait for the day when security confiscate my Jepps and I have to ring Ops to tell them why I am back in my car heading home.

I think i was about 8 or so the first time I was shown how getting an aerosol can (probably about 100mls) and spraying it over a naked flame produces a nice flame......:hmm:

weakest link.... Hmm baggage handlers and caterers come to work every day at my local without bag searches.

These guys have totally free access to aircraft and bridges (as they should) so it is a lunatic double standard.

The real problem is these so called security people have too much spare time and overworked imaginations.

Unless you happen to be a mentally unstable Silk Air 737 Captain, they really need to cut crews some slack.

They wouldn't let me through the other week because my umbrella had a short metal pointy tip. Even when I pointed out that the metal pen in my pocket that they had no problem with was longer and sharper, the woman (who sounded and looked like a man) grunted and had no answer. I guess it's hard for someone to come up with any rationalisation when their brain hasn't been used in a few years.

These guys and DOTARS need to get a grip on reality.

Dont stress fellow pilots if it takes longer to get to the plane demand more hours! Security may be a blessing depending on conditions! For me bring it on! I need more hours pay! hehe! This security may be pointless but it brings more cash to me so whatever! Having said that I agree it is totally stupid, but hey ,bring it on....

A well written article.

Why no outrage or challenge the writer asks? Not sure about the US but have you guys seen how quickly these people will call the APS if you argue the point?
Probably get tazered over there.... actually one bloke did and died.


Generally I don't get hassled that much - just dont carry what the don't want you to carry anymore.

The system was put in place by the government of the time. Easily led into the hysteria of 'shock and awe' and not too far behind the bush administration in the IQ department.

I know, sometimes you feel like telling these einsteins at security (the smart alec ones) to shut their farking mouth ect before you give them a real security problem but its just best to ignore it and move on.

Just remember - they sit all day at that machine collecting deoderants and toothpaste....:zzz::zzz::D

What gets me is the blatant RACISM that exists!
Why do I have to take off my uniform hat, yet some camel jockey does NOT have to remove his tea towel ? or some woman whose eyes are the only visible part of her can sail thru with ANYTHING hidden in the shawls, yet I get questioned about why my ID card made the scanner go off?

I read a good articel in FLight INternational recently where a lot of pilots are now starting to complain about fatigue and stress due to the over the top security that they have to endure between turnarounds etc. It was a very well written piece, and even stated that the authorities, although having been made aware of the effects it is having on flight crew, will NOT respond to it.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS!!!! I say.... go to the DOTARS website, and read what their "powers"are or aren't!!!
Many of these "security guards" make up the rules as they go along, and many of us just accept what they say as gospel.

Exactly! An aircraft was tampered with at Coober Pedy yesterday. I don't know about the "security" arrangements there, but it has an RPT service.

DF.

Kiwiguy, you say "Mentally unstable Silk Air 737 Captain"

The facts simply do not support that statement but those same facts do very strongly indicate that the other Kiwi guy was responsible for the MI 185 tragedy.

Boney refers to simply pushing forward an inch and holding that position for 1 to 5 minutes. It's more likely in this particular case that a rudder pedal was just pushed hard over and the pilot standing behind the seats was unable to save the aircraft and the 100 odd souls on board.

Have a look at the South Asia and the Far East forum if you are interested in this current thread.

The main point here on this thread is simply that Security could not have foreseen or prevented the MI 195 tragedy.

Bunch Of Flat Feet!!!!
 

WENT THROUGH SECURITY MEL LAST WEEK IN UNIFORM WTH ONE HAND IN MY POCKET. WAS ASKED IN FRONT OF NUMEROUS PAX IF I HAD ANYTHING IN POCKET! JUST FU8K OF PIZZA HUT DELIVERY BOY!!!!:ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::mad::mad::mad::mad::ma d::mad:

Gotta be on your guard though... wouldn't want some pilot trying to get into the cockpit and take control of the plane:rolleyes:

Does anyone else find security to be more nazi-ish at the smaller, regional airports???

Maybe one reason they seem that way Capt is that they are generally only working for short stints during operational periods and therefore more focused for the duration of their relatively short shifts. I'd say our airport has about a >80% capture rate doing random ETD on pax and carry on. SYD, MEL, PER, BNE etc wouldn't have a hope of achieving those figures.

I would be interested to know specifically what you mean by "more nazi-ish"? Is it just me or has there been an obvious attitude shift in a lot of the security screeners over the past couple of months. Perhaps they have finally had some lessons in dealing with the public and not letting their miniscule authority levels go their heads. :E

In my part of the world, anyone working at my base can drive out to their car, in a company vehicle,
load up a 50 megaton bomb, drive it onto the base, plant it into an aero of their choice. :uhoh:
Thank goodness most of us don't own 50 megaton bombs.
How do you feel now!

I'm still scratching my head at the security screening all passengers got put through at Melbourne a few weeks ago after ARRIVING on a Rex flight...........and it looks like its a permanent arrangment to do it, too!

What really got me was the (very polite) security person asking me if I had any metal binders in my hand luggage...............AFTER it had been x-rayed! :confused:

I mean, I'd just ARRIVED on the bloody plane, and obviously hadn't used my (non-existent) metal binder(s) to cause mischief on the way, so what the hell was I supposed to be going to do with my metal binder(s) at that point when I was clearly no longer ON the plane???

I just shook my head in disbelief, said no. :ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh:

This is bureaucracy gone totally and utterly out of control.:{

Security Pure and Simple
 

:} Well, you Jet Jock guys and gals, et al, until you decide you're gonnna get some (ahem) BALLS, you're gonna have to put up with the witless idiocy of the gorillas (guerillas) dragging their knuckles on the security floor.
How much longer are you gonna put up with this humiliation?
It is embarrassing as a retiree travelling as a Pax watching the unformed crew berated by these dickheads, but more so because none of you standup up to them.:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Standing up and screamin your tits off at screening staff will achieve nothing. They are not the ones who drafted the legislation. Argue and refuse to comply all you like but you will come off second best every time. It is the government that needs to change the legislation and before that occurs, they will need to be convinced that changing that legislation will not in any way diminish current security levels. Never mind the fact that those measures already in place when appiled to aircrew achieve little.

Not quite - a 50Mt device weighs about 27 tonnes. Don't think you'll sneak that onto too many aeroplanes ;) unles you have a spare "Bear" lying around :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsar_Bomba

CORRECT ISL JOCK. U WILL BE SHAFTED IF U STAND UP TO THESE IQ GIANTS!!!!!! MANGEMENT WILL SHAFT U EVERY TIME!!! JUST ASK SOME QF CPTS!!! DOTARS------WHAT A JOKE!!!!!! GIVE ME A BREAK!!!!:mad::mad::mad::mad:R