In the United States, there are about 650 airports certified for scheduled airline service. That number is very small in comparison to the approximately 19,200 landing facilities available to general aviation. Who uses these other facilities? The short answer is general aviation, which is all civilian flying except for scheduled airline service. The security measures taken at large airports are well documented and well known. The security checkpoints, x-ray machines, liquid prohibitions and the removal of shoes are all well-known and a dreaded part of airline travel. How exactly is security handled at the small general aviation airports? How can law enforcement partner with their local airport and help make the entire aviation system secure?
As the war on terror continues, police officers receive 911 calls to small, local general aviation airports to investigate questionable and/or suspicious activity. Upon responding, police officers have to conduct an investigation and determine what, if any, course of action to take. Many of the reported incidents are a direct result of the efforts of the pilot community and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) has partnered with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to develop a nationwide Airport Watch Program that uses the more than 650,000 pilots as eyes and ears for observing and reporting suspicious activity. The Airport Watch Program includes warning signs for airports, informational literature, nationwide toll-free hotline, 866/GA-SECURE (866/427-3287) and a training video to teach pilots and airport employees how to enhance security at their airports. Although the terror threat is always on our minds, the more common activity is theft from aircraft as many small general aviation aircraft are equipped with expensive avionics.
Pre-Planning
Nothing beats the personal knowledge and relationships of key airport personnel. Patrol officers should spend a few minutes at their local airport getting to know the airport managers, local airport business people and just to get a general feel for the landscape of their airport. Airports range from just one person running the entire show to a formal airport management team with several persons helping to manage the airport. It might surprise some people to learn how large their "small airport" can be! Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, an airport with no scheduled airline service, is home to several hundred employees! Some general aviation airports have US Customs permanently assigned there and also have professional and dedicated Crash and Rescue Personnel assigned as well. Knowing these people informally and without the pressure of a crisis will be invaluable if or when a real crisis or incident occurs.
Investigating Suspicious Activity
The more than 650,000 certificated pilots in the United States are being asked to keep their eyes and ears open and alert for any suspicious activity. All general aviation airport personnel are doing a good job of keeping general aviation safe. A few years back, a national news agency tried to rent a small airplane with questionable documents and with ambiguous, vague information at several general aviation airports. All airport personnel responded appropriately and not only denied their requests to rent an aircraft, they notified law enforcement.
If a patrol officer receives a 911 call for suspicious activity what documents must a properly certificated pilot have on their possession when operating an aircraft? The documents that a pilot must have in their possession are:
- their Pilots License, issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
- their Medical Certificate which is issued by a designated Aviation Medical Examiner
- a government issued photo identification card such as a passport or drivers license.
By federal law, these documents must be produced for a law enforcement officer upon request. These are the most likely documents produced to a police officer by a pilot if the officer is conducting an investigation. In addition, the pilot must be able to produce the following documents for the aircraft they are operating:
- airworthiness certificate
- registration
- operating handbook
- weight and balance information
In reality, these documents are largely an administrative issue for the FAA, but it can help to at least understand what the pilot should have if they are flying an aircraft. All aircraft registered in the United States have a unique number, much like a license plate, known as an N-number, because all US registered aircraft start with the letter N, or tail number. For example, the N-number of one of the NYPD's air-sea rescue aircraft is N414PD. The FAA maintains a public database that can be used in a preliminary investigation to check airman certificates and N-numbers. The database can be accessed through the FAA main page at faa.gov. Any information obtained at this site should be confirmed officially with the FAA and should never be used as the basis of official action. All normal procedures and methods for conducting any investigation should be followed. If additional information and/or resources are needed, contact the closest police aviation unit or the FAA. They should be able to assist with any aviation questions.
The Threat
The media always widely reports the incident of a small general aviation aircraft violating restricted airspace. Fortunately, these incidents have always been pilots that inadvertently violated the airspace and there was absolutely no malice or bad intent. But what if a general aviation aircraft was to be used as a weapon? In Tampa, Florida a suicidal teenage student pilot crashed a small general aviation aircraft into a skyscraper killing him instantly. Fortunately, no one else was hurt and the damage to the skyscraper was equivalent to a minor fire. When New York Yankee pitcher Corey Lidle accidentally crashed into a New York City apartment building, Mr. Lidle and his flight instructor were killed and one apartment received damage due to the crash and fire. Certainly a car or truck bomb would be a much more lethal threat. In large part, the general aviation threat is a result of media hype and slanted, often erroneous reporting of general aviation facts.
So can you ask for pilot license and registration from a pilot? Well, yes, in certain limited circumstances such as an investigation, however you cannot write them a ticket!
