?APSA?SECURING YOUR FLIGHT?
ARMED PILOTS REDUX:
APSA?S FIGHT INTENSIFIES
Fighting for Our Airlines?Whether They Like it or Not!
In this issue: The fight for armed pilots INTENSIFIES. Learn WHY.
APSA hires full time Washington lobbyist. NOW? Learn WHY.
Three APSA pilots in first FFDO class. New APSA Website,
memberships, discounts nearing launch. APSA Growing! Be a part!
This just in: Air Transport Association?s (ATA) chief economist
David Swierenga, as quoted in the March 17 issue of Aviation Week
& Space Technology, regarding the effect of more terrorism
against US Airlines coupled with the present war: ?Losses would
be unbearable. They could approach $13 billion and threaten the
continued viability of the industry.? The ATA adds, ??a total
industry collapse is virtually certain.? The ATA believes the
probability of more terrorism against our airlines is ?relatively
high.?
In other words, the airline lobby group acknowledges that the
possibility of another terrorist attack on our airplanes is high
and that its effects would destroy the industry. Yet they and the
TSA still resist arming pilots! We find ironic the fact that APSA
still has to fight against the ATA for the most common-sense, law-
enforcement-approved (and cheapest) security enhancement capable
of preventing cockpit takeovers. If arming pilots deters or
prevents more hijackings, it will be APSA that averted a ?total
industry collapse,? not the industry itself.
The Good News is, Pilots Can Attend Training to be Armed.
The Bad News is, You Can?t Get There from Here.
And, Perhaps, Who Wants To?
Wait a minute, did we say, ?still fighting?? Arming pilots is
the ?law of the land,? why doesn?t APSA just move on to the next
problem? We have been accused of being a little too single-issue
focused: Guns in the cockpit vs. other aspects of airline
security. The reason is obvious: our adversaries just won?t quit.
As long as someone is swinging at you, you have to fight back. We
aren?t choosing to keep this issue alive, the ATA and TSA are. We
were hoping that the very strong law we ushered through Congress
had put this matter to bed. By all rights, it should have. But
then, some people don?t do the Right Things.
Arming pilots is the law; but the TSA is not letting that deter
their political agenda. Three of four APSA directors who
volunteered for the first ?prototype? Federal Flight Deck Officer
(FFDO) class have been selected and are being screened (and
screened?and screened). As we have related, the ?screening?
process is far beyond what any other Federal Law Enforcement
Officer has to undergo?and includes a multi-step, subjective
psychological screen that is clearly aimed at deterring
participation and minimizing graduations from the course. This
for pilots who are already among the most screened professionals
extant. Some APSA Directors said that, if they hadn?t invested 30-
40 hours per week on this issue over the last year and a half,
even they would not volunteer. The TSA threatens in its thirteen
page application to report to the FAA and the pilot?s
employer ?any information obtained throughout the selection
process? about the applicant. It is our view most will choose not
to play ?I bet my job? on this program. This is a purposeful
violation of the will of the Congress, which clearly intends a
large program that will have the desired deterrent value. In a
brazen twist, in direct violation of the law, one APSA Director
has been prevented by his airline from attending this class?they
refused to allow him the time off when it was clearly within
their ability and convenience to grant it. (Another APSA pilot is
attending in his place.) This has set a dangerous precedent: if
you can?t get a solid week off?on your own?you don?t go to this
once-in-a-lifetime training event. This is yet another obstacle
APSA is attacking.
?It?s Ten O?Clock. Do You Know Where Your Gun is Now??
APSA has declared the weapon carry and custody protocol
(lockboxes pilots are to carry in their luggage) the TSA has
mandated ?Not Acceptable.? It violates long-established law
enforcement procedure of on-body carry. Even the TSA itself
says, ?We realize this carry method increases the likelihood of
theft and loss of weapons.? They say they chose lockboxes because
they don?t think the law the Congress passed allows them to issue
badges and authorize pilots to carry. Bilge water: the law
specifically does exactly that! APSA believes that forcing pilots
to relinquish custody of their firearms by placing them in their
flightbags/suitcases (which are often out of pilots? hands) has
the very real potential of killing the armed pilots program in
its infancy. And if a few pilots get mugged, injured, or killed
for their guns in dark airport parking lots (since the TSA has
told the press all about this inane carry method), that is a
price the TSA is willing to pay. This is the second bill
Congress passed to arm airline pilots?and it was very strongly
worded. We don?t want to tip our hand, but clearly our approach
and goals are different for this next round of legislation, which
we intend to solve a host of problems. Yet this episode
highlights the high-visibility nature of our issue, and that we
can expect perpetual sniping at us. Eternal vigilance is also the
price of armed pilots.
Watching APSA Grow
To get an idea of the pace of our activities, we are finding more
heads to wear all our hats. Former APSA Chairman/current BOD
member Captain Tracy Price has turned over his Government Affairs
leadership to Rob Sproc. Rob becomes VP Government Affairs, a
post to which he brings his experience working with APA?s
Committee for Armed Defense of the Cockpit. Tracy will focus on
board issues. APSA?s new President, Captain Bob Lambert, will
concentrate on moving APSA ahead during this next phase of our
growth. You will see other new names and faces soon, as board
members divest themselves of particular functions in favor of
dedicated board leadership.
Don?t Worry; We?re Professionals
One area of expansion we are thrilled about is hiring a very
experienced Washington lobbyist to represent us and be our
watchdog. He will work closely with Rob Sproc to cover our
interests. That alone should alert you to the flurry of activity
in which we are already engaged, and what we see ahead for APSA.
Representative Joe Wilson (SC) and Senator Sam Bunning (KY) are
taking leadership roles in our upcoming battles. Stay tuned to
the APSA Website and your email for Action Items!
Many of you have asked when APSA will dive into other areas of
airline security?explosive detection or passenger screening. The
answer is, when we have the resources to expend. Our adversaries?
the airlines and the Administration?have more people, time, and
money to throw at this issue that APSA does?so we have to work
smarter (as well as harder). To give you a glimpse of what we
have been up against: a few months ago, the ATA ran a full page
ad in a national paper opposing armed pilots. Just that one day?s
ad, we figure, cost twice the total that APSA spent getting the
armed pilots bill passed and signed. We bet that never have so
few dollars yielded such great result in Washington lobbying
history. That victory is due to your involvement when we ask you
to call your elected representatives. In fact, one APSA director
was ushered into the office of a very powerful congressional
Chairman to be chewed out because an APSA ALERT that targeted him
tied up his office?s phone lines for two days, and they were not
even able to call out. That, Gentle Reader, is impressive
grassroots action on your part.
Good Deals for You; Funds for APSA. Everyone Wins.
As you have seen on our Website, we will soon debut a new site.
We are finally nearing completing numerous deals with various
companies that wish to offer their products through the APSA
site. Again, like hiring a full time lobbyist, the fact that a
number of well-known companies are lining up to market their
wares through the APSA site indicates a high level of confidence
in APSA?s future busyness (business). Watch for deals on firearms
and other security products, promotional items, and aviation
merchandise. You?ll be able to purchase airline tickets and make
rental car reservations through our site. All aimed at providing
APSA with the funds needed to continue to be the leader in
airline security advocacy. Airline security is ALL we do?not
labor, not Second Amendment. APSA has already jumped to the
forefront of airline security lobbying, and we intend to stay in
front.
If you would like to take a larger part in the new, growing APSA,
contact one of the Directors via the email links on our home
page, or APSA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Please don?t forget to donate! While no one at APSA has received
a nickel for any work done, including incidental expenses,
advocating costs money for such things as preparing and copying
documents, and keeping our lobbyist on duty. Click on www.secure-
skies.org to make a secure (of course!) online donation.
?APSA?SECURING YOUR FLIGHT?
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