Tue, Jun 23, 2009
Customs 'Needs Some Work' On GA Procedures
Following a Long Beach, CA, incident in which a pilot and his
passengers were ramp checked at gun point by local law enforcement
officers and Customs and Border Protection officials, Aviation
associations, including AOPA, have reached out to customs to
prevent a repeat.
“Having weapons drawn at the ready without just cause is
extreme,” said AOPA Vice President of Regulatory Affairs
Craig Spence. “Customs has indicated that this type of ramp
check is atypical and that pilots do not need to worry about
similar forceful inspections.”
Pilots could, however, notice an increase in routine ramp checks
at airports along the southwestern U.S. border. The Obama
administration released a new National Southwest Border
Counternarcotics Strategy June 15 to reduce drug trafficking and
the flow of cash and weapons across the border. The initiative
applies to air, maritime, and ground transportation.
The
association also claims to be working with customs to
ensure that general aviation passenger manifests collected through
its Electronic Advance Passenger Information System (eAPIS) are not
used beyond the intended scope of terrorist watch list
matching.
“AOPA will continue to work with the Department of
Homeland Security and customs to find practical and workable
alternatives to enhance security that do not unduly restrict GA
operations,” Spence said. “In the meantime, we
encourage pilots to continue with their planned international
flights.”
More News
Inversion to Launch Reentry Vehicle Demonstrator Aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 This fall, the aerospace startup Inversion is set to launch its Ray reentry demonstrator capsule aboard Spac>[...]
"We are excited to accelerate the adoption of electric aviation technology and further our journey towards a sustainable future. The agreement with magniX underscores our commitmen>[...]
"The journey to this achievement started nearly a decade ago when a freshly commissioned Gentry, driven by a fascination with new technologies and a desire to contribute significan>[...]
Aero Linx: OX5 Aviation Pioneers Each year a national reunion of OX5 Aviation Pioneers is hosted by one of the Wings in the organization. The reunions attract much attention as man>[...]
"Our driven and innovative team of military and civilian Airmen delivers combat power daily, ensuring our nation is ready today and tomorrow." Source: General Duke Richardson, AFMC>[...]