As I suspected, the real reason for the closure of Potomac Airfield is
the morons at Hyde. I have noticed for quite some time that there are
certain people at Hyde who seem to have a vendetta against Potomac.
They are extremely lucky I am no longer based at VKX. If they had
caused my very expensive plane to be stranded, they would have to deal
with me face to face. I can assure you that would not be pleasant.
Consider yourself lucky, asshole.




Sorry for the formatting...it's juts pasted from email.





ARE YOU CURIOUS WHY POTOMAC GOT ZAPPED BY TSA?

QUESTION: How do you make a nazi?

ANSWER: you give small people rules they can lord over others, which
makes
them feel like big people.

TSA are NOT the small people in this, not at all, (believe it or not),

The TSA folks have always been courteous, professional, polite, and
friendly;
using JUDGEMENT.

The nazis in this case are certain persons at a nearby competing
airfield who
failed to use JUDGEMENT.



BACKGROUND - For over three years now, TSA would routinely drop by for
an
'inspection' of the field, procedures, etc.

We've been doing that for four years, no problem.

As Potomac Pilots know, in addition to the funny airspace stuff, we
use
essentially the 'community watch' that USSS suggested years ago.

People keeping an eye on other folks they personally know, to make
sure nothing
untoward is going on.

One person designated to make a call to a certain place under certain
conditions, merely to make sure the call gets made.


No, I was not meticulously checking peoples' drivers licenses, because
at
Potomac, we all know each other quite well.

Thus technically, while the TSA procedural speed limit was '55mph,' we
were
running at about 59 mph.

Technically over the speed limit, but well within the intent of the
rules.

So what happened?


Element #1:

My ADIZ newsletter poked some serious holes in the ADIZ.

That set the inflammatory stage; but my opinions often do.

I thought that might 'draw fire. No real harm in that, sometimes
drawing fire
is a very good thing.

I'm trying to replace the ADIZ with something workable and effective,
operationally, and politically.

But no good deed goes un-punished.


Element #2:

Our little friends at Hyde, outraged that I was not meticulously
staying below
55 mph,

For example, by not checking the driver's licenses of people I've had
to
dinner,

Kept telling TSA that "Wartofsky is not following the rules like Hyde,
so what
is TSA going to do about it?"

Up to and including Hyde Field's'security coordinator' storming over
to Potomac
to lecture me.

No kidding.

(It is unlikely I will ever have him to dinner).


So Hyde's 'demands' to TSA essentially rubbed TSA's nose in
well-meaning,
poorly though out first-draft procedures, procedures even TSA has been
stuck with
because they lack the procedureal means to change it.

Hyde Field essentially coerced TSA to formally keep repeating to the
MD3
airports that the posted speed limit was 55, i.e. 'facial
recognition,' 'lists' etc.

Which of course shouldn't really apply to folks you've had to dinner,
not in
the real world.


Element #3:

About a week ago, one Sunday morning, at Potomac, someone from Hyde
Field,
because THEY didn't recognize 'someone standing around,' immediately
reported
'there is no security at Potomac.'

The people who got the call knew it stank, but it was a recorded line
to boot.

When I got word, I called the flight school, and initially got no
answer.

I made another call and was informed that the fellow had been there
since 8AM.

A bit later I called and reached him at the field.

No big deal... thinks I. He stepped out for a minute.

In fact, he told me he had the trots and was in the can.


SO HERE IT GOES:

The Hyde Field's call triggered about 7 inspections of Potomac by TSA
in two
days,

TSA just happened to come by when 'security person #1' had gone out
for an
short errand,

So the poor kid who had failed to 'identify himself' earlier to TSA,

...again didn't SAY he was 'security,' he said, quite correctly, he was
a flight
instructor.

And that #1 would be back in about 10 minutes.

So technically, while the kid WAS a 'security person,' he failed to
identify
himself to TSA.

So TSA annotated the file, 'no security persent #2.'


Next day more TSA inspectors, asking for a copy of our 'approved
security
plan.'

The last HARD COPY TSA ever signed being over 3 years old,

It was out of date, IT didn't show the new people, because it was a
three year
old copy!

The information they were looking for IS current SOMEWHERE ELSE, but
those
inspectors have no access to SOMEWHERE ELSE.


AND SO IT GOES SOME MO Once the machine gets spooled up, it keeps
going.

Next, TSA came by, quite embarassed, with a notice closing us down for
the
above violations.

Can you see me getting ****ed?

Potomac 'Violated' by Hyde Field weasels, because of their repeated
coercing of
TSA to narrowly apply the least effective of its its rules,

Because Hyde follows them to the letter. They 'have acces' to nothing
else.


'Violated' agani because some Hyde weasel dropped a dime, because HE
didn't
recognize anyone Sunday morning. (The security guy was out as his
tie-down).

'Violated' again because some poor nervous flight instructor forgot to
say
'ASC' when TSA asked him what he did.

(I should have briefed the kid better, so that's on me).

Then violated again because TSA inspectors, unaware of other
coordination tools
in use by government agencies (wink wink), walked off with a three
year old
piece of paper; and couldn't find there everything going on for the
last three
years.

IT IS SOMEWHERE ELSE...



So what happens when I get ****ed?

I questioned through Congress TSA's statutory authority for requiring
THEIR
signature on a PRIVATE-SECTOR program.

And I gave the EXOP a heads up; so now I suspect TSA is getting pinged
all
over.


TSA doesn't have signature authority, which is WHY they've never been
able to
sign anything since.

I think they want to do things, but they're caught between a rock and
a hard
place.


No big deal, recognize this as unexpected consequences of too much
information
in too many little boxes,

...keep everyone informed of what you're doing, ignore the catch 22 and
move on.

Regardles, TSA closed Potomac.


======

For those of you in Government getting this, you have my express
permission to
reproduce it.

I verify it to be true, and will do so under oath if necessary.


It is with my deepest regrets for the damage this has done to so many,
I never
started any fight.

Does anyone think I would drag 400 pilots into this?

Whose freedom do you think I've been protecting? Those 400 and many,
many
more.

From exactly this kind of thing.


When people at Hyde dragged a well-meaning but slightly confused
Federal agency
in to pick their fight for them,

(Because Hyde Field is such a negative, lousy, miserable airport,
populated by
people who cannot compete on anything based on what THEY can do),

I merely questioned the authority of that Federal agency, using their
limited
jurisdiction as the way to resovle the matter. But they don't want
their
jurisdiction limited, so that made it more complicated.

No good deed goes unpunished.


So now what?

The problem correctly understood is solvable. We solve the problem.



David Wartofsky 11-5-05