Today is a very important day!!!

[IFlyGC]

You guys/gals really P*SS me off with this "I hate foreigners" cr*p. Yes, I'm a Brit (and d*mn proud of it). No, I'm not going to renounce my citizenship just to get the right to vote and to sit at jury duty. Why do I (and probably a lot of others who are over here) stay here? Probably the same as in AvBug's mum's case.....family. Just as it's unfair to FORCE me to renounce my citizenship, it would also be unfair to force my wife to give up her US citizenship if she wanted to move back to the UK. It's called compromise....we accept certain things in order to live a harmonious life wherever we choose to live.

I'm sorry to have to say this, but 99% of the laws brought about after 9/11 are nothing more than words designed to make the public feel better.

TSA security checkpoints - we've all been through and seen the flaws, it's a joke.

Fingerprinting candidates for a/c over 12,500# (the old rules) - yeah, it checks for current terrorists....here's a novel idea....lets keep some innocent guys around to put through training and have THEM crash the planes.

Bulletproof cockpit doors - yep, a bulletproof door held closed with a pin no bigger than 1/4" in diameter and 3/4" in length.....real smart!

New TSA laws for foreign pilots - Do you really think the 9/11 assh*les checked their logbooks to make sure they had a current BFR or 6 approaches in 6 months? Sure, fingerprint candidates if you must, but it isn't going to stop people who really want to learn to fly (for terrorist purposes, anyway). Heck, learn in Iran and then hijack a plane over here.

and that's just 3 of the issues!!!!

The problem is that most of us foreigners see the USA with different glasses. We've seen it from the outside. Just like how racists are racist because that's how they've been raised and come to believe what they say, that's unfortunately how a LOT of americans are. You've only ever seen it from the "America is the best, smartest, blah blah blah......." side of things. Don't get me wrong, this IS a great country to live in and I'm honoured to be allowed to live here, but there are much bigger issues out there. A lot of these rules brought in to make the country safer really don't work....they are a JOKE!

FFDO's are a great idea! Finally a great law! Allow the pilots to defend the plane they are in charge of. Oh wait, hang on a second...... if both of the pilots are foreign then the plane is unprotected. Foreigners aren't allowed to become an FFDO's. Do we fly less important planes? Nope...still has my 121 companies' name on the side.

Is there a fix to all these issues? Sure there is.....but it'll never happen. The only way to prevent a hijacking is to make it painfully obvious that trying to take over an aircraft will be futile. FFDO's on every flight or air marshalls on every flight. REAL screening at airports....not that x-ray crap. Last time I checked, a sharp pencil won't show up on x-rays. Nor will sharpened plastic...or glass. Want REAL security then open EVERY bag and LOOK in EVERY carry-on. It's not going to happen.

Anyway, why the double standards against foreigners? Do American's have to get checked out when they rent a u-haul and then go to home depot to buy 1000 bags of fertilizer, or is Timothy McVeigh the only American who'll ever harm this country?

Before you flame me (which I know some of you will) keep this in mind.....do you REALLY feel safer flying today? Instead of typing to flame me, why not type to your senator with some suggestions on how to improve security. WE ARE PILOTS....WE SEE THE SYSTEM AT WORK....WE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO KNOW HOW TO FIX IT!!! Rather than bitch about it, why don't we fix the bloody thing!!!

 

[Flyingdutchman]

Amen buddy.. What a bunch of BS..

 

[Flyingdutchman]

Will I ever give up my Dutch passport? No, never!

1) Do I feel proud en privileged to work in the US en pay tax in this country? You betcha!

2) Does my country fight your war in iraq as real brothers would do side by side? Yup you betcha! (And we really pissed of our neighbors -french and germans- by doing so, but we couldn’t care any less)

3) What does it take for you to get a job in my country?

- JAA License
- The right to work and live in the EU

4) What did it take for me to get a job in your country?

- FAA license
- The right to work and live in the US

 

[Flyingdutchman]

Oh and by the way, Yes I do know of a few yanks flying for KLM mainline.. And guess what? They are more then welcome, as far as I am concerned.. Did they have to give up their US passport? Guess what? >> no! And that’s ok with me, I can perfectly understand that

 

[Flyingdutchman]

This discussion is always so stupid.. For you Mr. American, go ask where you mom’s grandmother is born.. UK? Ireland? Holland? Spain?
Get over it..

 

[IFlyGC]

Hey Dutchman....I feel your pain but this thread is already divided enough. The whole purpose of my rambling up there was to try and remind people that we are all on the same side. We need to work together to solve this problem, not antagonize them even more.

 

[Vavso]

My rant

my grandparents moved here became citizens and fought in a war for this country They also learned to speak english after arriving here.(though they were european .) The real test is whether in a major conflict you would elect to be drafted to fight for a country you live in .Or would you let a citizen of that country die to protect your butt in that country wherever it may be . The thought of a native born or citizen fighting for a free loader that would not put his bacon in the fire to protect his new home whether permanent or temporary is the ? . I am still wondering where Fly to first comes from . What is the big secret??? In the meantime when I need my next IPC ,BFR or add on rating it will be from a citizen . ANALOGY: The difference between a renter and homeowner is the renter usually takes no pride in his home and lets it go to hell,a home owner makes his home something special and keeps it well maintained . I cannot help but to wonder what some of these people are renters or homeowners.
I am full up to the throat with foreigners who come and pitch a tent here and wind up speaking in only their native tongue, bad mouthing the country in any form and then running down to Western Union to ship a bag of $ home to honduras,Turkey , India or 200 other countries.If you do not like that pack up your tent ,get on the next plane outta here and save some air for someone else to breathe - FREE AIR Vavso

 

[Flyingdutchman]

Dutch and English people die for your country as we speak buddy, while fighting your war, and without being US citizens. Whatever, I’ll rest my case. Hate me as much as you want, I don’t hate you.



FD.

 

[Ailerongirl]

my grandparents moved here became citizens and fought in a war for this country They also learned to speak english after arriving here.(though they were european .) The real test is whether in a major conflict you would elect to be drafted to fight for a country you live in .Or would you let a citizen of that country die to protect your butt in that country wherever it may be . The thought of a native born or citizen fighting for a free loader that would not put his bacon in the fire to protect his new home whether permanent or temporary is the ? . I am still wondering where Fly to first comes from . What is the big secret??? In the meantime when I need my next IPC ,BFR or add on rating it will be from a citizen . ANALOGY: The difference between a renter and homeowner is the renter usually takes no pride in his home and lets it go to hell,a home owner makes his home something special and keeps it well maintained . I cannot help but to wonder what some of these people are renters or homeowners.
I am full up to the throat with foreigners who come and pitch a tent here and wind up speaking in only their native tongue, bad mouthing the country in any form and then running down to Western Union to ship a bag of $ home to honduras,Turkey , India or 200 other countries.If you do not like that pack up your tent ,get on the next plane outta here and save some air for someone else to breathe - FREE AIR Vavso

Couple of things Vavso....

I'll bet for the most part permanent citizens who calls America hme *would* be willing to fight alongside American troops fighting for this country. When a citizen of another country moves to the States and is a legal, fully contributing member of society it's usually of their own free will.

Also your homeowner/renter analogy is very sterotypical. I think you'll find that renters take as much pride in their home as homeowners do....it's still a HOME to them, even though they don't physically own the building.

 

[TO024]

Ok, I am really confused here. Basically what does this law say? Will it affect me as a student pilot in a university aviation program?