More Flight Student Background Checks

[JediNein]

Greetings all,

http://albany.bizjournals.com/albany/stories/2006/09/11/daily1.html

State to require background check for airplane pilot training
The Business Review (Albany) - 8:38 AM EDT Monday
Students attending flight schools in New York will be required to undergo background security checks under legislation Gov. George Pataki has signed into law.

The state Division of Criminal Justice Services must verify the security clearances of the applicants under the new law.

Pataki said his signature on the bill was a tribute to the victims of the terrorism of Sept. 11, 2001. The terrorists who hijacked the four commercial air liners that day received their training in American flight schools.

"We'll now have the vital information that can help prevent people harboring bad intentions from gaining access to this critical knowledge, an important part of our firm commitment of doing everything we can to help keep New Yorkers as safe as possible," Pataki said in a statement issued by his office.

In addition to the background criminal checks, the new law will also require flight school applicants to receive clearance to receive flight instruction from the director of DCJS.

On Monday, Pataki planned a full day of Sept. 11-related commemorative events including attending the commemorative ceremony from Ground Zero in Manhattan. He also planned to attend the funeral of State Trooper Joseph Longobardo in Saratoga County. Longobardo was shot and killed last week while searching for a fugitive in western New York.

First it was Michigan, then New Jersey, and now New York want ALL flight students to undergo their state's own special background checks. The law, freshly signed by the NY State Governor, is, as always, confusing, ill-defined, expensive to comply with, a tremendous burden on the agencies required for compliance, and has steep punishments if a single piece of paper is missing.

Once again we're treating innocent people as guilty first. Their crime? Wanting to learn how to fly.

We're creating new criminals. The starving flight instructor that misses one piece of paperwork while trying to comply with two separate, yet duplicate, checks for everyone. Miss one single item and the starving flight instructor's career is ruined.

We're ruining businesses without reason. More than one flight school reported to various agencies the potential terrorists of September 11, 2001. The proper agencies did NOT respond. So we're punishing the flight schools for the government's failure to respond.

The best part about this new law? It's been SIX YEARS since the terrorists attacks. What are we going to do about all of the terrorists, sorry, new flight students and pilots, that have been trained in the last six years? Are all pilots now criminals?

The terrorists have won by the NY State Legislature allowing fear and knee-jerk politics override sound decision-making.

If you happen to reside in NY, let your elected reps know what you think about this new law:
http://www.ny.gov/governor/contact/index.html

Fly SAFE!
Jedi Nein

 

[VNugget]

"tribute?"

 

[ReverseSensing]

For all the flying skill the 9/11 hijackers needed, maybe NY needs a law requiring background checks for anyone trying to buy MS FlightSim.

Pataki is a typical pandering politician. Ridiculous.

 

[DX Rick]

The don't need to do a background on everyone, just certain ones. Profile. Plain and simple.

2 weeks ago two arab kids from a flight school out of Gilespie Field in San Deigo on Sept 10th.
They we're littering the FBO, walking around the ramp intentionally looking suspicious, looking inside almost every airplane on the ramp. When the fueler was trying to move the Jet A truck, they stood in the way of the fuel truck so he can't move.
When one threw his cigarette butt on the ground, I pointed out the ash tray that was right next to him. He picked it up, and then started saying something to me in Arabic. I'm sure he was telling me he liked my new hair cut.
At one point they took their shirts off and started again wondering the ramp, walking in out of the FBO, yelling in their language.
When they took off (uncontrolled field) they took off against all the other traffic.
I quick tail number check on the Landings.com and we got the flight schools phone number. They guy I talked to said they weren't suprised, as they are trouble back on their home field.

These guys terrorist? doubt it, but they were just trying to piss people off, cause a scene and possibly trying to get someone to beat the crap out of them. They were probably looking to sue anyone for profiling against them.