On Jul 20, 5:14*am, Scott wrote:
Eric Greenwell wrote:
On 7/19/2010 6:00 PM, Scott wrote:

WTF? *Isn't that why they say they are going to this 3 year
registration...because people fail to send in change of addresses??? *
I suppose it will be better for them as with the "new" system, files
can only be a maximum of three years out of date. *So drug smugglers
will only be able to use a plane for smuggling for 3 years before the
FAA cancels their N Number, forcing them to buy (steal) a new
airplane. Gotta love the gov....
Why would drug runners want to fly a stolen airplane with the actual,
known as stolen, N numbers on it? Wouldn't they just repaint them after
they steal it? And do they really use a stolen plane for that long,
instead a month or two, because of the risk of getting caught, and the
cost of maintenance? If you want to use it long term, it seems much
easier and safer to just buy one - the profits are there to make a good
ROI.

Or is this some odd humor I don't get?

My point was that with the new system, addresses can still be up to 3
years out of date and the FAA published in their final ruling that this
new registration is to help provide law enforcement with timely info.





I once read a calculation that if the entire US GA fleet was used for
drug smuggling, it could supply only about 10% of the demand. There
just aren't enough airplanes and they can't carry enough or fly far or
fast enough. In reality, we're talking about maybe 1% coming in by GA
aircraft. We're just a high profile target for the DEA/FAA.

Most likely the vast majority of drugs are rolling across our borders
in heavily laden 18 wheel semi-trucks. Or using the new tactic -
submarines.

The Chinese are happy to sell their latest diesel-electric subs to
anyone with $300M cash - pocket change for a drug cartel. These subs
are so stealthy they have taken to surprising the US Navy by surfacing
within torpedo range of our carriers. I can imagine deals where the
Chinese trade training for cartel sub crews for information on eluding
the US Navy. There's probably a "Narco-sub" in Chesapeake Bay right
now - they don't have to tell the FAA where they live.