----- Original Message -----=20 From: APSA Alert=20 To: APSA-ALERT@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx=20 Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2003 07:59 Subject: SPECIAL REPORT - NATIONAL PRESS CONFERENCES *********************************************************************** Very Important: To Remove or Unsubscribe from this list you must follow the directions at the bottom of this email. *********************************************************************** Airline Pilots Security Alliance:=20 SPECIAL REPORT -=20 NATIONAL PRESS CONFERENCES September 2, 2003 On August 26, the Airline Pilots Security Alliance, the Allied Pilots = Association, the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association and the Coalition = of Airline Pilots Associations, and hundreds of concerned pilots, held a = series of simultaneous press conferences across the country to protest = the TSA's mismanagement of the Federal Flight Deck Officer Program. = Press conferences in Miami, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Cincinnati, Los = Angeles and Honolulu were very successful, garnering much local, state = and national media coverage. Several members of Congress spoke on our = behalf and the TSA (for the first time) responded with a press = conference of their own in Washington. The Professional public = relations firm, Shirley and Bannister assisted in planning APSA's press = conferences. =20 As a direct result of these press conferences, APSA has established = itself as one of the preeminent airline security-consulting firms for = media contact. We presented as professional, unbiased and responsible = agents for change. Today, when Homeland Security Director Ridge = announced a plan to cross-train immigration agents as Federal Air = Marshals, it was APSA the media called for a reaction. Look for more important developments in the weeks ahead, as we approach = Congress for legislative changes to the law, and continue to get the = word out to the public. More and more of the public and the politicians = are waking up to the TSA's tactics and getting angry; many more are = joining our side. We will win this fight! It will take energy, it will = take motivation, it will take confidence and, of course, it will take = money! DONATIONS The TSA has, virtually, a bottomless pit of money from your tax dollars, = while APSA exists at the pleasure of our members' generosity. Our = volunteers receive absolutely no compensation for anything they do. = Press conferences are expensive, and, while this past week's were money = very well spent, we need to concentrate on garnering financial support = to continue the fight. We will never ask unless we truly need your = support. If you are in a position to back up your frustration at the = TSA with money, we'd like to hear from you. You can make a donation at = www.secure-skies.org. It's important, and we're grateful. Thanks to all of you who supported us and continue to. We promise you = we will not rest until professional airline pilots are truly given the = tools with which to defend their passengers and aircraft from acts of = terror.=20 Some of the comments from the different press conferences: MIA - "We had a total of 7 television cameras present at the press = conference. Two of the TV stations did separate interviews before the = press conference. I had prepared Media Packages and all were taken. I = would definitely say that we got our message out and that it must have = been a bad day for John Moran." DCA - "The media turn out was awesome. On the down side, the pilot = turnout was a bit low, but I think we got our points across. I spent = some time doing a post action analysis with some of the TV folks, and = with the local ABC producer. Every one of them is highly supportive of = our cause and has a lot more respect for us than the TSA." =20 HNL - We had coverage from three local television stations. One pilot = flew over from Maui the night before in order to attend. He also spoke = to the press. Reporters were receptive to our remarks. Local radio = coverage mentioned several times that pilots from "Washington, DC to = Honolulu" were protesting, which gave the entire effort a grand scale." =20 ATL - "I did have a Kevlar knife, ice scraper and ink pen that was = actually a 4" steel blade, all of which will and have been thru security = at one point or the other. These drew alot of interest from the press = and they actually got the idea that we needed guns to protect ourselves = and the aircraft from non-conventional weapons. Rep. Bob Barr spoke at = the event and was very much welcomed by the media. We had = CBS<NBC<ABC<FOX, Associated Press, and a BUNCH of local media. The Fox = team showed a lot of interest in the weapons. I did hear from folks in = the ATL area and we got raving reviews." =20 *********************************************************************** Follow these directions carefully. To Remove your email or Unsubscribe from this list use the following urls, do not reply to this email or send email to the from address listed above or the sender of this email. The only way to Unsubscribe or remove is using one of the the below urls depending on how you signed up originally.=20 To Unsubscribe or Update your information, click the url below: https://www.secure-skies.org/apsamembershipupdate.asp (for pilot, non pilot, non FFDO pilot or FFDO Volunteer) Be sure to UN-Check the box at the bottom of the page after you login. If you have no password use "temp" as a temporary password in = conjunction with your personal email address to get to your information. If you are still having problems and need your password reset. 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