GA under attack by CBS everyone HELP!

[310]

ON 14 Jan - CBS evening news, one of the stories will be "can you believe that in this post 9-11 world, at thousands of airports many pilots go straight to their airplanes with no security check!"
Everyone needs to get involved and contact their local CBS station and complain. What about cars and SUVs driving without security- they can carry larger bombs-- if the CBS station has a helicopter, point out they enjoy this freedom.
Can this be emailed to every flightinfo member by someone?

 

[Stifler's Mom]

GA under attack by CBS everyone HELP!

Where do I sign up? I live in Atlanta, and I'll be d a m n e d if I let those Yankees from CBS attack Georgia.

 

[ShawnC]

Link of who to e-mail needed.

Ie. who's the writer? Host etc?

 

[avbug]

Look out, chicken little. The sky is falling. Under attack. First it's the suggestion that more could be done for security, but you watch. that's just a guise, the first step. Tomorrow executives from CBS will be descending on you through your bathroom window with AK47's blazing away. It's a good thing you pointed out this extreme, devestating attack. I for one might have slept through it. Believe me. I'm grateful. You saved us. We could have been attacked and not even known it. But this...we've been warned. Such a gift. And I was here!

Get real.

Personally, I agree with CBS.

 

[labbats]

I don't agree with sensationalizing a story to get ratings. Must be slow news times for them to pull out this muck.

 

[MaxT]

If it's a story on the CBS news with Dan Rather, than there's probably an opportunity for people to call their local stations tomorrow and suggest they send a local news reporter out to your local airport to show people how small these planes are, and how little they carry. All you have to do is remind them of the 152 in Tampa that did no damage other then break a window and move a desk.

We had a local guy who writes for a local paper and is a TV commentator talk about how terrible it would be if a little plane the golden gate bridge. I sent him several emails pointing out that the a small plane has about the same kinetic energy as a car and that trucks were a far more serious threat to the bridge. He finally piped down. But we have to talk to these people and try to educate them.

 

[kabz]

Maybe one of the best things we can do as GA pilots is get our sh1t together and check notams properly, get a briefing, and stop busting TFRs.

 

[350DRIVER]

Everyone needs to get involved and contact their local CBS station and complain. What about cars and SUVs driving without security- they can carry larger bombs-- if the CBS station has a helicopter, point out they enjoy this freedom.

You could gather enough pilots to have a million man march and have Louis leading the group and this likely will have very little impact on CBS or it's affiliates. When a network deems it appropriate to run with something they are going to run full steam ahead, not look back, and not much (if anything) is going to slow them down, remember when ratings are weighing in the balance they surely are going to take the side that they feel will generate the most publicity and interest regardless if it is "factual" or "right". The American public for the most part is pretty nieve to the aviation industry, security procedures, etc, etc, so this probably will come across as making complete sense in more ways than one. Any emails that are sent probably will not do much anything in the way of "proving" anything to anyone since this story is pretty much written in stone and no pilot will be able to make any changes even though we know how one-sided this is going to be. You cannot allow your personal emotions to interfer with what we know is right versus wrong, this would be nothing more than a complete waste of time.. You are along for the ride as a spectator so watch it or do not watch it, your choice.

Most media figures will not be influenced by a few hundred emails being sent out in protest of a story that they plan to air. I see your point, desires, interests, but you need to understand that doing anything is just as good as doing nothing with regards to this issue.


One cannot fault CBS for generating the interst and story even though it may be biased and not completely factual.

3 5 0

>> take the frustration out on a few beers after watching it.

 

[CitationLover]

who the hell watches cbs news?

 

[Midwest]

Nothing on the website.

 

[labbats]

I went to www.cbs.com and scrolled down to the feedback section.
Someone told me once that letters are taken very seriously by businesses, because for every one person who sends in a letter, there's 100 more that feel the same way.

 

[MaxT]

Below is the email I sent to CBS's channel 5 news assignment editor in S.F. last night. Don't know if he'll call--it's not 11AM yet.

I also sent a note to Phil Boyer at AOPA, who in part replied this morning: "... yes, we had heard, but we'll do our best to try to set them straight "

If you feel comfortable talking to on camera about how the real threat is hugh plane with thousands of gallons of fuel, and not spam cans that carry a few hundred pounds and about as much fuel as our governor's Hummer.....then send a note to your own local station. Maybe one or more will come out and show people how small our planes are, and help them realize that vans and trucks and jet liners are the real threat.
MaxT
P.S. I found the assignment editor's name by doing a google search.


Brian,
Regarding the teaser for Wednesday's CBS Evening News:
"There are thousands of general aviation airstrips around the country with little or no security. How can that be after 9-11? We'll have the story on Wednesday's CBS Evening News."

You might want to consider on the local news going to a local airport and showing people how small these planes are,
how little they carry, and hence how tiny a threat they are compared to airliners carrying thousands of gallons of gasoline.

From the www.aopa.org website, AOPA President Phil Boyer testified before congress in 2001 that "in this national tragedy, it was airline security that was breached, and airline transport category equipment used as weapons. However, general aviation was the last allowed to return to the sky, and not all GA is yet flying. "We're not talking about big airplanes," Boyer told Congress. "We're talking about 4-place, single-engine aircraft that are on average 30 years old, cost the same as a car, and have the same weight and kinetic energy of a car."

You only have to look at the pictures of the Cessna that the teenager flew into a building in Tampa to see that these planes are incapable of causing much damage. Most of these planes carry so little fuel they don't even burn when there's an accident.

Give me a call if you want to talk further. I'll be in a meeting from 9-11AM, but should otherwise be free.
best regards,
MaxTxxxxxxxx, flight instructor
650-xxxxxxxxxx

 

[310]

Avbug,
Do you really think that pilots should go thru security before flying? The Tampa kid proved that GA is not a threat -- where's the logic?

 

[labbats]

I called my local CBS affiliate and they are now considering interviewing people at the local airport about this very topic.

 

[Midwest]

Nothing on the website.

Nevermind.

In our Eye on America segment, Bob Orr looks into a weak point in homeland security, the hundreds of municipal airports across the country. By and large, security at these facilities is pretty loose - and as Bob reports - terrorists know it.

 

[Flying Illini]

I like how they ended the segment (talk about scaring people):

"Vulnerability is the price we all have to pay for General Aviation's freedom."

I tried to not let this segment bother me, but it really does. I can't help it. They sure scared alot of people tonight. Nevermind the fact that trucks can carry 2 times the weight of a Cessna 172 (and did in the Ok City bombing). Rediculous.

I hope that AOPA is on their toes b/c they've got some work to do.

PS I find it funny that CBS made no attempt to contact AOPA about their concerns with general aviation.

 

[dmspilot00]

Looks like that airport manager really blew it. If he is so concerned why doesn't HE put up a fence and institute security measures?

 

[Flying Illini]

I thought the same thing...then I began to wonder what else he said that they cut out. I know that happens. Often times what you say during an interview and what is shown on TV are nowhere near the same and can sometimes come across as being opposite of how you feel.

 

[blueridge71]

CBS?

See BS.

 

[MaxT]

...then I began to wonder what else he said that they cut out. I know that happens.

I'm sympathetic to the airport manager who probably got ambushed or was in over his head. The ex-NTSB guy is another story. I can't believe his comment about loading explosives in a small plane.