Blackpool Security - Idiot Warning
Better red than ...
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Appleby-in-Westmorland Cumbria England
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When in the terminal, ask to be directed to the crew channel at the info desk. Show your (AOPA or other) card. Be polite but firm. Unsually Bingo!
If you can engineer to have black trews (hide oilstains) and a white shirt on, or a flight suit then doubleplusgood. Must admit I've never had a problem at any of the bigger GA airports with this approach.
h-r
If you can engineer to have black trews (hide oilstains) and a white shirt on, or a flight suit then doubleplusgood. Must admit I've never had a problem at any of the bigger GA airports with this approach.
h-r
Last edited by helicopter-redeye; 1st Sep 2006 at 21:14.
Blah Blah Blah
Join Date: Jan 2006
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Pudnecker, I know! Make them use a handling agent who will transfer them by minibus between the terminal and their aircraft. No possibility for them to transfer anything. No cost to us, as the pilots will pay the cost. We even get some rent from the handling agent, and don't have to bother about admin for their landing fees, because the handling agent will look after that. dp
I love them, they signal you to your parking bay, chock you up, fuel you up if you want it. Take you to the coffe facility or landside in their golf buggies, give you free coffee and nibbles, have nice pilot lounges with leather sofas and huge TV's, have excellent FPL facilites. Some even give you a car to use if you want to go in to the town.
And the best part is they never charge you! well actualy one of the FBO's at Daytona once charged me $8 because i would not uplift any fuel...but woopdey do. It's not like i had to pay £50 + to land at an international airport.
Mmmm i wonder why some of us prefer flying in the U.S.
Join Date: Aug 2003
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No common sense
If you enter the RZ of a passenger airport you are subject to the same level of security as a departing passenger, whatever your reason for being there. So when the entry conditions are tightened you will be similarly restricted. The solution for GA is not to go through the RZ and at some airports that is still an option but that must change as the present level of threat is analysed further. The fact that you can wander next to the apron or runway at any passenger airport is appalling - enjoy the ones where you can because that will end - it must. As to the people trying to man central search - well, frankly, with security requirements from the DfT changing hourly, as they did during the critical period of the alert - the only approach staff can take is to unilaterally enforce the rules they are asked to - there isn't the time to stand and argue with private pilots about what they can and can't do because the rules for what you may take into the RZ do not get changed if you shout louder. My advice? If you don't want to be hassled by security rules do not fly into PAX airports where GA is managed through the PAX terminal. If you do you will be treated like everyone else going into the RZ - be you a pilot, a passenger or a cleaner it's the DfT that says what you can and can't do and airport security who have to listen to you protest about it. Happy landings.
Join Date: Aug 2003
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Jobsworth???
I got caught at Blackpool too! Was on a X country with a female colleague. We landed at Blackpool walked through the gate out to the terminal had a cup of tea then paid the landing fee (what a rip off) then got directed to the departure gate to get back airside! Oh Oh! alarm bells wrang I had my usual pocket full of spare odds and sods including my small Swiss army knife, which I purchased in the duty free at Geneva airport, when I saw the metal detector and Xray machine my heart sank. Sure enough a jobsworth tried to confiscate it and when I started to argue he was about to call security, fearing an arrest and all the ensuing hassle I gave in and reasoned with him which resulted in a lecture and being told to leave it in the aircraft. Story over! Wrong! We then flew to Teeside went through the gate guess what! repeat the last part of the story! Oh I do hate Jobsworths!!!
Join Date: Aug 2003
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Universal passes
Some airport passes are universally accepted if an endorsement agreement is in place between the airports but there is also, sometimes, a requirement to have sight of an up to date Criminal Record Check. Maybe if AOPA started a scheme where you could submit an application for an RZ pass for all participating UK pax airports, and handled the processing of these applications to include all the background checks - CRC, 5 years employment history or character referencing - then maybe something could work. At the end of the day owning a permanent pass into an airport RZ requires you to be sponsored by someone, such as an employer, to validate your reasons for being there and to underwrite the pass in the event that you do not behave when you are using it. It is hard to apply such control if you are not employed in the industry, merely passing through.
Join Date: Feb 2005
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If you enter the RZ of a passenger airport you are subject to the same level of security as a departing passenger, whatever your reason for being there. So when the entry conditions are tightened you will be similarly restricted. The solution for GA is not to go through the RZ and at some airports that is still an option but that must change as the present level of threat is analysed further. The fact that you can wander next to the apron or runway at any passenger airport is appalling - enjoy the ones where you can because that will end - it must. As to the people trying to man central search - well, frankly, with security requirements from the DfT changing hourly, as they did during the critical period of the alert - the only approach staff can take is to unilaterally enforce the rules they are asked to - there isn't the time to stand and argue with private pilots about what they can and can't do because the rules for what you may take into the RZ do not get changed if you shout louder. My advice? If you don't want to be hassled by security rules do not fly into PAX airports where GA is managed through the PAX terminal. If you do you will be treated like everyone else going into the RZ - be you a pilot, a passenger or a cleaner it's the DfT that says what you can and can't do and airport security who have to listen to you protest about it. Happy landings.
There must be a solution to this that satisfies both sides. My suggestion is to restrict passenger flights to BAA owned airports, but I am prepared to compromise.
Join Date: Aug 2003
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It seems crazy that if you flew yourself into Blackpool on business, which required to to take your toolkit with you, you could pass unhindered from airside, but not return to your aeroplane with it. If you travelled by passenger jet (excluding Ryanair, of course), your toolkit could go in the hold, but I can't see how that would work with a C172! The logical conclusion to the current state of siege is that "international" airports should not allow GA aircraft to land, unless they departed from a similarly controlled airport, or there's compulsory handling. Either option will hit GA hard at those airfields.
There must be a solution to this that satisfies both sides. My suggestion is to restrict passenger flights to BAA owned airports, but I am prepared to compromise.
There must be a solution to this that satisfies both sides. My suggestion is to restrict passenger flights to BAA owned airports, but I am prepared to compromise.
Of course some of the points I was making were aimed at the 'tools' who stand at central search giving grief to the security staff before heading out to their 172!
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Bordeaux, France
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Hand luggage allowance would be a matter for each additional airline, not security. Security will not refuse to let you through because you have 15kg of luggage instead of 10kg, nor because it's in two bags not one.
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=238932
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=239945
Why cant it be like a recent flight I made through Renne? Separate entry/exit for all pilots/aircrew, I showed my licence, photo ID, the nice lady still X-rayed/searched my bags, but was quite happy that I was indeed a pilot and had a leatherman and drinks for the flight. However, waiting for the fuel truck was a different issue.....
I hear some of you say, I had liquids....and even a knife!! This goes to show that the airport/government security show/farce/brainwash is really working if supposedly inteligent pilots can fall for the fact that the OBJECT is the danger and not the INTENT of the person.
Think about it.
Regards, SD.
Join Date: May 2003
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I think the issue here is that you are entering a RESTRICTED zone (forget landside/airside for a bit). Now these things have been around for donkeys years, and no matter who you are you CANNOT take certain articles in to this zone. No matter if you are a GA pilot or a B747 crew member or security guards themselves there are no exceptions. Also at many fields you will have a CONTROLLED zone where if you have an airport pass, or Pilots license and aircraft on the ramp you will be allowed access WITHOUT the security search issues. Both these zones are 'airside' but it depends on which area you are entering as to the security requirements. Shouting the odds certainly wont help and just makes you look like a tw*t.
Some more money for Capt PPRuNe
Join Date: Jan 2002
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When I went through the "new" security arrangements at Blackpool fairly recently I asked what would happen if I needed to take tools etc through - they said there would be no problem, I would be escorted to my aircraft. Seems reasonable.
Join Date: Feb 2005
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But if you had arrived at Blackpool from a grass strip, replete with tools, cans of oil and bottles of water, I bet you wouldn't have been escorted from your aircraft. Anyway, who needs such weapons if you have an aircraft you can launch at a passenger jet on its takeoff run? Seems unreasonable.
Join Date: Aug 2003
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Erm actually ...
But if you had arrived at Blackpool from a grass strip, replete with tools, cans of oil and bottles of water, I bet you wouldn't have been escorted from your aircraft. Anyway, who needs such weapons if you have an aircraft you can launch at a passenger jet on its takeoff run? Seems unreasonable.
Gotta say I was horrified at AN Other airport to see friends of a GA pilot standing about 200 yards from an active runway taking pictures of him with no-one escorting them.
Join Date: Feb 2005
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The solution to this problem is political, but it will worsen as long as the government continues to treat it as a "war". We should either mind our own business, like they do in Scandinavian countries, or actively help to set up a Palestinian state, and get out of Iraq - in direct opposition to US policy. That would make it much harder for Islamic extremists to recruit new martyrs to their cause, and more likely that moderates would help to oppose them. Much too simple minded an approach for Bush and Blair.
Join Date: Sep 2002
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Good job terrorists are only interested in blowing up aeroplanes.
The bombings of trains in Bombay, Madrid and London were clearly all in the mind then?
Blah Blah Blah
Join Date: Jan 2006
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In this instance was it really necessary to unload all you kit of the plane to take to your sisters for a quick visit??
All you really needed was photo ID and you license. The rest could have stayed in the plane.
All you really needed was photo ID and you license. The rest could have stayed in the plane.
Join Date: Jan 1999
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A social service?
This security thing has nothing to do with stoping terrorists, its about protecting the goverment ministers from Fleet street!
Just take a look at the utter stupidity that guys at the front of an airliner have to put up with and you will see that a bunch of very astute businessmen are making a fortune by employing half-witts to enforce rules written in such a way as to protect the civil servants.
I suppose that the only up side is that we are keeping these numptys off the streets and away from petty crime but it seems a very bizarre and expensive way to run a social program.
Just take a look at the utter stupidity that guys at the front of an airliner have to put up with and you will see that a bunch of very astute businessmen are making a fortune by employing half-witts to enforce rules written in such a way as to protect the civil servants.
I suppose that the only up side is that we are keeping these numptys off the streets and away from petty crime but it seems a very bizarre and expensive way to run a social program.
Join Date: Jun 2006
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Airport Security
I regularly fly in and out of my local city airport and regional airports and nowadays I expect to get security checked. In fact I was asked to show ID on the apron today and gladly presented it. Yes it is a pain queueing with people getting onto a commercial flight to go through the metal detector but we should take it in our stride and as private pilots we should not object to this as our welfare and the security of our aircraft and our privilege to be able to use these airports in the future is being protected. Having access to secure areas is a privilege and just because we have been lucky enough to arrive by our own means does not give us the right to avoid security.
Like it or not these checks are here to stay and sounding off to some poor security guard who is being paid peanuts to do a very boring job just makes us seem self important, petulant and immature. Carry ID, Hi Vis and treat security politely and more often than not they will be courteous and get you through quickly.
Stop getting stressed out about something you can't change and give your coronary arteries a rest,
SB
PS I am not a security guard!
Like it or not these checks are here to stay and sounding off to some poor security guard who is being paid peanuts to do a very boring job just makes us seem self important, petulant and immature. Carry ID, Hi Vis and treat security politely and more often than not they will be courteous and get you through quickly.
Stop getting stressed out about something you can't change and give your coronary arteries a rest,
SB
PS I am not a security guard!
Join Date: Apr 2002
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I will have more respect for security when they get their facts right. Like insisting it is a legal requirement for me to carry my licence. It's not a legal requirement on a domestic flight. I now carry a copy of my licence, but the original stays at home. Far too much trouble if that goes missing.
It's after landing that there is no control on the walk to the terminal building that makes the departure a bit of a farce. No doubt in time they will realise that, provide a mini bus, and charge us mega dosh to be driven to the terminal building from our aircraft.
It's after landing that there is no control on the walk to the terminal building that makes the departure a bit of a farce. No doubt in time they will realise that, provide a mini bus, and charge us mega dosh to be driven to the terminal building from our aircraft.
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