Security and Pittsburgh's Airport

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Vadim Antonov <avg () kotovnik com>
> Date: May 12, 2008 6:57:15 PM EDT
> To: David Farber <dave () farber net>
> Cc: ip <ip () v2 listbox com>
> Subject: Re: [IP] Security and Pittsburgh's Airport

> David -- just to make it clear - deer on the airfield are a very  
> serious
> safety issue. Much more serious than all terrorists in the world - the
> likelihood of hitting a deer and wrecking the landing gear (with  
> likely
> fatal outcome for the pilot and passeners) is much higher than being a
> victim of a terrorist attack. And this is not like "no one knows who
> these people are", they have to be escorted by a cleared airport  
> employee.
>
> Besides, "non-authorized" personnel can easily walk onto airfield  
> through
> the general aviation parking and FBOs in *all* US airports. As a  
> member of
> a flying club I got codes to combination locks on gates in different
> airports, so I can pick up aircraft during off-hours - and I didn't  
> have
> to go through any clearance process.  I can easily bring firearms,  
> too, -
> no one's looking, and it is not prohibited (i.e. one can rent an  
> airplane
> to go for a hunting trip).  The only "guns prohibited" signs I've  
> seen in
> GA areas are at the entrances to the federal facilities such as  
> control
> towers, radar sites, etc.  Heck, I do not even have to show my ID to  
> get
> keys to an aircraft, as long as I know the name under which the
> reservation has been made, the a/c registration number, and smile  
> nicely.
>
> The "access to airfield" controls are security theater, plain and  
> simple,
> designed mostly to impress and intimidate the sheepie. It is nearly
> impossible (and prohibitively expensive) to secure a civilian airfield
> against an intruder which has minimal tactical and camouflage skills  
> (and
> a bolt cutter, if he's too lazy to climb over the fence), so no one  
> really
> tries.
>
> So this article should be read as a barely covered pimping for more  
> funds
> to TSA (and more useless restrictions and hassle for the rest of  
> us), and
> not as a valid alert about some new security threat or especially lax
> attitude of the airport administration, with obligatory anti-gun  
> paranoia
> mixed in for a good measure.
>
> Regards,
>
> --vadim
>
> On Mon, 12 May 2008, David Farber wrote:
>
> > Begin forwarded message:
> >
> > > From: K.E. <admin () edu-cyberpg com>
> > > Date: May 12, 2008 2:49:16 PM EDT
> > > To: "ip () v2 listbox com" <ip () v2 listbox com>, David Farber <dave () farber net
> > > >
> > > Subject: Security and Pittsburgh's Airport
> >
> > > The airport is restricted private property but if you know someone
> > > and get your name on the list and go shoot animals.
> > > Video: Hunting On Pittsburgh International Airport Property
> > >
> > > Favorite Quotes:
> > >
> > > The airport should have a professional wildlife biologist on site,
> > > as have many other major airports, including Philadelphia and
> > > Cleveland. Those airports contract with the USDA for that service.
> > > Pittsburgh does not.
> > >
> > > Allegheny County Airport Authority gave 28 of its employees
> > > exclusive rights to hunt deer on its 9,000 acres in and around
> > > Findlay Township.
> > > You can carry a gun and shoot . You can even bring your friends with
> > > you and no one at the airport knows who those people are.
> > > http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/16192688/detail.html
> > > "The airport authority allows those 28 authorized employees to bring
> > > buddies along, and officials have no idea who those buddies are. We
> > > do not track the names of the guests," Jenny said.
> > >
> > > Just how many deer live on the airport's 9,000 acres is unknown,
> > > because according to a 2007 USDA document, the airport authority has
> > > never commissioned a deer density survey.
> > > Even without the study, the USDA says current density far exceeds
> > > the recommended five-to-12 deer per square mile.
> > >
> > >
> > >
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