Private Aircraft and Airports

[thetexan]

TSA controlled secured areas on the ramp are typically marked off with a red identified line around the secured portion

[Charlies.Contingency]

TSA controlled secured areas on the ramp are typically marked off with a red identified line around the secured portion

I never noticed that, but I have only played around private airports, I take great pains to avoid TSA. They never seem to like me. Must be because I always have so many pockets, but it never fails that I get the extra searches.

You can take satisfaction secure in the knowledge that you don't have to do what I think makes sense. Like most of you, I participate here to share my experiences, read about others experiences, share what I know and learn what I don't.

If you don't approve of my suggestions, don't bother with them. You are under no compulsion or obligation. Do what makes sense for you. There is nothing in my posts suggesting that I would think of telling anyone what gun to wear, what caliber. That's nonsense. You've not attempted to reason with me AFAIK.

If you chose to have "gun fearing liberals" as clients, you may want to do things differently. I myself always tried to avoid those guys, in a 40 year career as a lawyer in gun fearing, socialist hellhole of California, and I certainly wouldn't have one riding around in my airplane. Let 'em walk! YMMV, of course.

Just don't make your posts so assaultive. Your opinion came on a little strong, but as you know, when you cater to the public sector, it's not exactly business smart to refuse services to businesses because of their political beliefs, especially when they are the one's writing you the check.

Have you any experience with California airports? I can imagine they even harass people at private airports, but that's just my mental picture of California.

[cb1000rider]

I don't know big/fast of an aircraft your buddy is operating, but it's relatively easy to stay out of airports that are in any way controlled. Which makes the issue a moot point.
Even operating at entry-level controlled airports (those with a tower) most are pretty relaxed about access with most only having you walk through a door that's controlled by the business that provides parking and fuel.

I'm not flying enough with the big/fast boys to be using airports with general aviation in a secured area... So it's going to depend on your typical use case.

Three things do impact me:
1) When flying over states that are not gun friendly, you do run a risk of doing something illegal if you have to touch down due to weather or emergency. Illinois, NY, NJ, California come to mind.
2) I'm pretty paranoid about pulling long guns out of the plane in front of the tower, even if they're in a case. I usually call it in and let them know that I'll be moving firearms to a transport vehicle... It'd just take one guy to make a call about someone with a rifle at the airport to cause a big problem... Concealed, it doesn't show, so it doesn't matter.
3) I don't like carrying concealed in the plane. I've got enough stuff strapped to me already and enough stuff to take care of. Flight bag, kneeboard, immediate navigation, electronic navigation, backup navigation, batteries, headset... Not saying that it can't be done, but I find that the more I can focus on flying and less on dealing with "stuff" the more better off I am...

And as a slight rant, we spend billions every year so people with a pocketknife can't get on a commercial aircraft, yet many airports have commercial-class jets available that anyone can walk up to with little or no security. No, you won't find a 747 fueled and ready, but it's easy to find a business-class jet that holds quite a bit of fuel. Ask the barefoot bandit if aviation security is working out...

[John Galt]

Horribly off topic...

Back in the early '70's Kansas had an attorney general named 'Vern Miller'. Back in those days, Kansas was a dry state -- you couldn't buy liquor by the drink. (May still be that way for all I know.)

Anyway, to make this post somewhat relevant, he wanted to prohibit airliners from serving liquor while in the air over Kansas. This lead to political cartoons of him in a private aircraft with a "bubble-gum" (police light) on the top, trying to "pull over" a 707 in flight.

I had forgotten about that.

[JALLEN]

I don't know big/fast of an aircraft your buddy is operating, but it's relatively easy to stay out of airports that are in any way controlled. Which makes the issue a moot point.
Even operating at entry-level controlled airports (those with a tower) most are pretty relaxed about access with most only having you walk through a door that's controlled by the business that provides parking and fuel.

I'm not flying enough with the big/fast boys to be using airports with general aviation in a secured area... So it's going to depend on your typical use case.

Three things do impact me:
1) When flying over states that are not gun friendly, you do run a risk of doing something illegal if you have to touch down due to weather or emergency. Illinois, NY, NJ, California come to mind.
2) I'm pretty paranoid about pulling long guns out of the plane in front of the tower, even if they're in a case. I usually call it in and let them know that I'll be moving firearms to a transport vehicle... It'd just take one guy to make a call about someone with a rifle at the airport to cause a big problem... Concealed, it doesn't show, so it doesn't matter.
3) I don't like carrying concealed in the plane. I've got enough stuff strapped to me already and enough stuff to take care of. Flight bag, kneeboard, immediate navigation, electronic navigation, backup navigation, batteries, headset... Not saying that it can't be done, but I find that the more I can focus on flying and less on dealing with "stuff" the more better off I am...

And as a slight rant, we spend billions every year so people with a pocketknife can't get on a commercial aircraft, yet many airports have commercial-class jets available that anyone can walk up to with little or no security. No, you won't find a 747 fueled and ready, but it's easy to find a business-class jet that holds quite a bit of fuel. Ask the barefoot bandit if aviation security is working out...

At the jet centers, serving biz jets, the non-air carrier service airports, the ones I have been to are much more secure these days, certainly more so than the good old days. At the small airports where a twin is a novelty, they are less so.

[JALLEN]

TSA controlled secured areas on the ramp are typically marked off with a red identified line around the secured portion

I never noticed that, but I have only played around private airports, I take great pains to avoid TSA. They never seem to like me. Must be because I always have so many pockets, but it never fails that I get the extra searches.

You can take satisfaction secure in the knowledge that you don't have to do what I think makes sense. Like most of you, I participate here to share my experiences, read about others experiences, share what I know and learn what I don't.

If you don't approve of my suggestions, don't bother with them. You are under no compulsion or obligation. Do what makes sense for you. There is nothing in my posts suggesting that I would think of telling anyone what gun to wear, what caliber. That's nonsense. You've not attempted to reason with me AFAIK.

If you chose to have "gun fearing liberals" as clients, you may want to do things differently. I myself always tried to avoid those guys, in a 40 year career as a lawyer in gun fearing, socialist hellhole of California, and I certainly wouldn't have one riding around in my airplane. Let 'em walk! YMMV, of course.

Just don't make your posts so assaultive. Your opinion came on a little strong, but as you know, when you cater to the public sector, it's not exactly business smart to refuse services to businesses because of their political beliefs, especially when they are the one's writing you the check.

Have you any experience with California airports? I can imagine they even harass people at private airports, but that's just my mental picture of California.

I have considerable experience with CA airports from San Diego to Sacramento, AZ and Vegas. You get more scrutiny at the bigger ones, the air carrier facilities, less so at smaller ones. I was hangared at Montgomery in San Diego, pretty low key, less scrutiny than at Palomar up the coast with air carrier service, but more than at Calexico or Ramona. North Las Vegas was more relaxed than McCarran, Santa Barbara less hassle than John Wayne, and far less than LAX.

I was a lawyer running an investment company. I avoided people I didn't like or deemed unreliable or dishonest. I fired clients when I was practicing law if I realized they were crooks. I didn't want to get involved with people who couldn't be trusted. Nobody needs money that bad. Charles Munger talks about the "seamless web of deserved trust." Works for me!