Hey, My Plane was on TV!

[Bob Chilcoat]

WABC this evening in New York had a hatchet piece on the "Security" (or lack
of) at small airports in the area. Phil Boyer had a couple of seconds on
camera pointing out the billions it would cost to fence in and secure all
the small airports in the country. The reporter drove around a number of
metro area airports, but intentionally did not identify them "for obvious
reasons". The basic premise was that anyone could get at the planes that
were just parked "next to the road". He said this as the camera panned past
our Archer at SMQ. "Anyone can get to these planes, and steal them", he
said, ignoring the prop lock on our plane, which was only shown from the
rear. All in all, it was a bit better than the CBS job (which I didn't see,
but which I gather was terrible). At least he did interview Boyer. The
camera panned past "AOPA Airport Watch" signs at least six times, but no
comment was made on these. I do wish he had at least made the point that
there is no money to secure our airports better. Most of the airports he
showed (I recognized Solberg as well) just barely make it as it is. Of
course there was obviously no intent to inform; only to frighten and
sensationalize. Sad.

--
Bob (Chief Pilot, White Knuckle Airways)

[Orval Fairbairn]

In article >,
"Bob Chilcoat" > wrote:

> WABC this evening in New York had a hatchet piece on the "Security" (or lack
> of) at small airports in the area. Phil Boyer had a couple of seconds on
> camera pointing out the billions it would cost to fence in and secure all
> the small airports in the country. The reporter drove around a number of
> metro area airports, but intentionally did not identify them "for obvious
> reasons". The basic premise was that anyone could get at the planes that
> were just parked "next to the road". He said this as the camera panned past
> our Archer at SMQ. "Anyone can get to these planes, and steal them", he
> said, ignoring the prop lock on our plane, which was only shown from the
> rear. All in all, it was a bit better than the CBS job (which I didn't see,
> but which I gather was terrible). At least he did interview Boyer. The
> camera panned past "AOPA Airport Watch" signs at least six times, but no
> comment was made on these. I do wish he had at least made the point that
> there is no money to secure our airports better. Most of the airports he
> showed (I recognized Solberg as well) just barely make it as it is. Of
> course there was obviously no intent to inform; only to frighten and
> sensationalize. Sad.
>
> --
> Bob (Chief Pilot, White Knuckle Airways)
>
>
>

It sounds as if someone in Homeland Security is trying to get more
restrictions put on GA. They are using "tame" reporters to spread their
agenda.

[Don Tuite]

On Fri, 06 Feb 2004 03:43:39 GMT, Orval Fairbairn
> wrote:

>In article >,
> "Bob Chilcoat" > wrote:
>
>> WABC this evening in New York had a hatchet piece on the "Security" (or lack
>> of) at small airports in the area.
>
>It sounds as if someone in Homeland Security is trying to get more
>restrictions put on GA. They are using "tame" reporters to spread their
>agenda.

Good call. This in indeed how public relations is practiced. Editors
welcome story suggestions. The need is to counter undesirable
publicity with our own desirable stuff.

Don

[Vaughn]

"Bob Chilcoat" > wrote in message
...
> WABC this evening in New York had a hatchet piece on the "Security" (or
lack
> of) at small airports in the area.

I left two perfectly functional cars parked in my driveway within easy
access of the road last night. Either one of them is easily capable of
transporting a nuclear weapon to anywhere in the country. Peeking out the
window, I don't see any reporters.

Vaughn

[Bushy]

Isn't it great being able to say your plane was on TV and you saw it!

Peter

[TaxSrv]

"Bushy" wrote:
> Isn't it great being able to say your plane was on TV and you saw
it!

Not when they videotape activities for voice-over, and you're landing,
but have that occasional bad day!

Fred F.

[EDR]

In article
>,
Orval Fairbairn > wrote:

> It sounds as if someone in Homeland Security is trying to get more
> restrictions put on GA. They are using "tame" reporters to spread their
> agenda.

Shortly after 9/11, the FAA sent out letters to all commercial airports
"recommending" that they fence their boundaries if they had not already
done so.

Because it was a "recommendation" and not and order, the FAA is not
required to provide funding.