Blackball

I have been told that the Security staff at Edinburgh now have to search all Flight Crew when they arrive from abroad as they no longer trust "Foriegn" secuity. This only applies if the crew concerned wish to remain "Airside" for any reason.
Can anyone throw any light on this? Are we in the UK becomming paranoid?

Final 3 Greens

As a pax, I had to go through search when arriving at and departing from LGW on connecting international flights.

Then again, I've had to do the same at DXB, FRA, ZRH and other major airports.

Harry Ramsden

Blackball, Yes you are right. When we come back from Europe, after we leave the aircraft we clear customs which takes us off airside. We then have to go through the monkeys on staff search to go airside again to get to the crewroom in order to complete post flight duties! Utter farce. The only light I can shed on it is that it is jobs for the boys!

Final 3 greens, we have to put with this nonsense everyday, your lucky you are a passenger.

Final 3 Greens

Harry

Not that it will make you feel any better, but I have to put up with it about 120 times per year, which is bad enough.

And we don't have an expedited channel like crew members often do. Yes, there is "Fast Track", but that took 25 minutes last Wednesday evening at LHR - should be against the Trade Descriptions Act

missioncontrol

I watched a refueller being frisked by a security agent under the wing of a Delta Airlines 767, which was parked on stand 4 yesterday morning.

Is this some local arrangement "Delta" have with their refuellers at Edinburgh?

Also what were they actually hoping to achieve, with the refuelling bowser actually parked under the wing and the hose connected, at the point the refueller was frisked by the security chappie?

Nil further

Re EDI security
No surprise there ,of all the places all over the world i have worked these guys get the award as a uniquely beligerent bunch of goons , none of this has anything to do with security, when will the public wake up and realise that they are paying for this nonsense .
Superb letter in the (Glasgow) Herald today from a GLA based CPT about the confiscation of his tabasco sauce.Sorry im not very techy so cant post a link !

BAA airport "security" directors had better wake up soon and realise that they are at risk of killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.I have travelled a lot as a passenger lately and the entire airport experience is one entire ghastly , stressful unneccesary mess .Our customers will soon migrate to other modes of transport if this keeps up.

"security" is a catch all excuse for levying higher fees and little hitlers to go about massaging their egos ."its your security" no it isnt .My security would be greatly enhanced if we targeted the guys climbing over the fence setting fire to parked aircraft , how many grannies were being frisked at GLA whlist that little number took place ?

Get real folks or you will have us all out of a job .

I do not want special treatment , just a modicum of common sense and profesional courtesy please !

ps. i do not envy the staff at the business end trying to impliment ever stranger regimens , buy and large they do a good job of wading through all the nonsense from above .

Sinbad_633

Here you go....

http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/...th_reality.php

SISOSIG

What an excellent letter - well done that man

ABO944

Nice letter !!

I got through EDI staff search twice last week with a bottle of water in my flight bag ! Didn't realise it was in there 'til I was on the aircraft!

Blackball

The interesting thing is that there is no rebutal from the BAA over these fiascos.
It almost makes one believe that there must be truth in these articles. I know itsot politically correct to harp back to 1939, but I don't recall from the history books that the Gestapo took such draconian measures.
It really is pleasant to be living in Blairs/Brown's "Third Reich".

Symbian

Interesting to see what is been said about GLA goons as came across one today who didn’t seem to understand English i.e. I asked that he use the electric wand which I prefer to a groping by hand. For some reason he took exception to this as I heard him say as I was walking away some people are unbelievable! Now what on earth do you think his problem was with a request that was made in a polite manner?

I guess it must just be a case of pay peanuts get monkeys and I apologise to all monkeys for using that analogy.

He also honestly felt that he was doing some good by searching me as he said you can’t be too safe. I didn’t even bother to explain the futility of his actions as one needs a brain to comprehend.

BEARO

Passed through LDY last Saturday morning. Not a usual stop for our airline so we were unaware of the utter nonsense that awaited us.

There is no designated staff security so we went through pax search. I went through first and my bags were screened. No problem. FO and Cabin Crew were told that their baggage would have to go down the belt at check in and they could collect it themselves once airside. They could not bring any of their baggage through pax screening because they contained cosmetics, shampoo etc.

Bear in mind that my baggage also contained toiletries from our night stop and was screened by same goon that insisted other members of my crew return to check in. I brought to there attention the fact that my bags was also full of 'hazardous materials' to which I received what sounded like a grunt and a shrug of a shoulder.

I was fuming at this stage and made my feelings known to both grunters and shoulder shruggers alike. When the crew returned from check in they were then further insulted by being asked to wear a high vis jacket before proceeding airside. You guessed it......high vis jackets had just been checked in.

When we finally made it outside to the ramp it was pissing with rain and after collecting their bags we all arrived at the aircraft seething and not in the correct frame of mind to perform the five sector day that lay ahead of us.

I believe Logan Air crews tolerate this BS on a regular basis in LDY and would greatly appreciate any input.

The Bear.

llondel

On a more serious note, this is indeed the hole in the whole liquids through security thing, but to point it out to the in charge of the security empire would probably result in a total liquid ban again.

I wonder what would happen if someone got a bunch of 125ml containers, had some labels printed that looked like the originals but said 100ml on them? I've not yet seen a bucket of water at security to check actual volumes yet.

SKI

The best way to deal with this is simple, select a date begining of the school summer holidays is a goody, ALL airside airport employees not just pilots, to have a couple of days off!!!!!!! then you would see some real chaos!....if only every one would do it?????????????

Jay Arr

Guys, I asked the question before but got no real answer: anyone figure out a way for foreign aircrew to sign this e-petition? As it stands, only UK residents and/citizens can sign. Presumably continental Europeans cannot. Australian pilots (me) flying into LHR cannot. And I want to - the insane UK security affects us all.

Ideas, anyone?

BusyB

Just click the expat offering and put an overseas address.

Jet A1

I understand its the DFT who are making the rules and that these "operatives" are following orders but why they have to treat us like 5 year olds each morning has reached a head with me now. It's like a running battle and I'm fed up of the stress and hassle every single day I go through the security channels to do my job.

Up here at MAN they are now bringing in mandatory trials of Iris recognition for access airside. Since I have got an airside ID - is this now worthless - where will it end ?

I'm fed up...

forget

Jay Arr’s got a good point but Mike’s novel idea wouldn’t be used by many non UK pilots. Isn’t there someone, on the Computer Forum perhaps, who could produce an independent (and properly worded) Petition where non UK pilots can have their say. This could then be formally presented to Downing Street, maybe by IFALPA, with a demand that it be made part of the UK Petition. Anyone?

Jay Arr

Yes guys, for any petition to be taken seriously and respected, people must use genuine names and addresses. Won't be credible otherwise and could actually work against the intent.

Mods - do you have the necessary software tools within this bulletin board to create such a petition? You will surely get a lot of foreign signatures.

Why in hell are 100% of crew at LHR required to remove shoes, whilst only a random selection of pax have to?

ZFT

Retread 7

The problem is, from previous experiences they are either cannot read English or are too busy on a tax payers, all expenses paid junket to take note let alone respond. (Certainly my ex MP Laura Moffett falls into this category).