We saw the TSA for the third time in a year.

The inspectors reminded us of the rules, and it caused me to review them in detail, in preparation for a follow up visit next week.

You will remember that aliens are required to submit to the flightschoolcandidates.gov website images of their rrent and expired passports, as well as voluminous personal history. The website collects money, and enforces a rigorous protocol for approval of each student.

What the agents told me was fascinating. DHS agents do not have access to the information collected across that site. They were therefore interested to see exactly the same information and passport copies in my files. I am bound by other federal regulation to keep this personal data secret. They pointed to the regulation that requires this school to keep records of the candidate's payment of the $130 fee. Why should a school be required to keep records of the government's financial transactions?

Who thought up this process? Two parallel tracks to collect exactly the same data. One set of data is kept by a government contractor paid to keep this data. The contractor will not disclose it to TSA agents. One set of data is to be kept by a flight school for the convenience of TSA agents.

Anyone else with this experience?

Robert

And once again, right on, Robert. I've had this same discussion with TSA agents multiple times now. It is absolutely nuts that they spend time and money to repeatedly demand to see paperwork in our files that they already have in their own computer database. Seems obvious to me that it's busywork for everyone that does absolutely nothing to ensure safety. Once again, that's government for you.

I'm not sure if SAFE wants to embark on on a political advocacy campaign at this early stage. The TSA is powerful entity, but that's the reason we need to be concerned.

It is hard to argue with security as a goal, but we need to look at the costs.

Here is the start of a list of TSA activities, all of which are either a daily headache to flight schools, or are a potential show-stopper. We should maintain this list so that one day, we can address the totality of the TSA approach.

(1) Loss of FAA certificate if you appear on a TSA security threat list. No appeal. No ability to review the evidence.

(2) Flight schools required to collect and maintain all data already colleced by www.flightschool candidates.gov.

(3) Slow turnaround on foreign student registrations at www.flightscholcandidates.gov.

(4) Heavy handed approach to airport operations. Last week they wandered accross out ramp looking for ID badges.

And, as reported in Propwash:

Father's Day In Handcuffs Not So Much Fun Photographer Detained Shooting Pictures Of B-24

A photographer for The Dallas Observer was detained at Dallas's Addison airport, a reliever airport north of the city and Love Field, when TSA officials challenged his right to be on the tarmac taking pictures of a B-24 Liberator (file photo below) which was giving rides for Father's Day.

The photographer, identified only as "Danny" in the blog in The Observer online, had the permission of the owners and pilots of the Liberator to take the shots. He was waiting for the airplane to take off when he was approached by Addison police officers, one with an unholstered gun, who handcuffed the photographer and held him until TSA could clear him. He was told he was violating federal law, and that a report would be sent to TSA. The incident even
closed the airport for a short time.

The photographer was told he could not be on the "tarmac", which he did not realize included the areas adjacent to the runway.

Eventually, the problem was sorted out. One of the Liberator crew told him later that he'd been ID'd as being OK for the photo shoot, and that the tower personnel tried to keep the incident from happening, but "once the wheels were set in motion, it could not be stopped" the photographer said. "The pilots were pretty much cool and laughed at me and were even willing to escort me to take more shots. However, the officer had asked me to leave, so I did. The police were professional, and I consider myself lucky."

(5) Requests for reports not required by regulation.

My local TSA inspectors asked for a list of employees.

I hate to say it, but lately I have been refusing to train foreign students due to the hassle that the TSA has injected into the system. Last year I had five foreign students I trained from the UK and Poland. They were all great students and I really enjoyed working with them. I trained them through a Part 91 flight school that knows the ropes of processing the foreign flight students that come into the US.

Even though the school did everything by the book, it was still a tense situation. This year the economy has mostly killed off any new influx of student activity. If and when the business cycle ever turns around, the TSA and the FAA agencies might not find many flight schools and instructors that are willing to put up with the aggrevation.