U.S. Begins Tighter Flight School Checks

[maddezmom]

WASHINGTON - The federal government has begun conducting background checks on all foreigners seeking to attend U.S. flight schools, the Transportation Security Administration said Friday.



The expanded security measures, aimed in part at preventing potential terrorists from taking pilot lessons here as some of the Sept. 11 hijackers did, now apply to any foreigner seeking flight training in the United States, not just those learning to fly larger aircraft. As well, those who want to attend flight school for a second time — for certification to fly a different classification of aircraft, for example — will need to have their backgrounds checked again.


Previously, only those training on aircraft weighing 12,500 pounds or more had their backgrounds checked.


"Fortifying security by knowing who trains at these schools is an integral part of our mission to secure the homeland," said TSA chief David Stone, whose agency expanded the pool to include smaller aircraft on Wednesday.

more:http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=542&ncid=693&e=6&u=/ap/20041022/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/tsa_flight_schools


UHG, shouldn't they have been doing this since 9/11????

[ogradda]

1. crap this administration

just sucks rock doesn't it??

[freeminder]

2. timely <eom>

[NMDemDist2]

3. OMFG they're a little late ya think? n/t

[Paradise]

4. starting, now? this is f*cking unbelievable! n/t

[highnooner]

7. my thoughts too

A little behind the curve.

[Lilli]

5. Anybody feelin safer now?

Jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez.

[acmavm]

6. Common sense would have told normal people that this might be a

good idea the day after 9/11.

Oh, I see my mistake. We're not talking about people capable of using common sense, nor are they normal. Silly me.

[Wapsie B]

8. Hmmmmmmmmm

how many years after the fact? Excuse the hell outa me but what in the world is the Fatherland Security Agency for?

[TahitiNut]

9. If 9/11 was *IHOP ...

... then this would be consistent. After all, why spend money that could be given out in tax cuts for the wealthy if you're not helping train deep cover agents? Maybe their training is done? Maybe enough already exist?

It brings up something that bugs me. How does anyone know how often such hijackings were thwarted prior to (or even after) 9/11? After all, maybe they had a firm operational procedure that would abort the hijacking if (1) fewer than 5 hijackers got on board an aircraft with over 150 passengers, (2) fewer than 4 hijackers got on board with over 125 passengers, (3) fewer than 2 hijeckers trained to fly got on board, ... and many of several other conditions.

If they aborted, who'd know? :shrug:

[Born_A_Truman]

10. Unreal!

I can't believe this! This should have started 9/12/01 and should have been retroactive. How utterly inept!

[UpInArms]

11. Wow! I am so impressed with such a thoughtful decision

made by such competent people /sarcasm

And they just now figured this might be a good idea?

Can add much to this thread because all of the earlier posters have definitely said what I'm thinking.

[DemoTex]

12. Who would want to go to flight school anyway? Look at the airlines.

You want job security? Go to undertaking school. Fuhgetabout flying for a living. It just gets worse and worse.

[VegasWolf]

13. "I'm a war president, I make decisions with war on my brain," GWB

New Information Shows Bush Indecisive, Paranoid, Delusional

[AlCzervik]

14. Begins???? WTF? 9/11 changed everything???

[Tansy_Gold]

15. .

(there are no words)

[lostnfound]

17. I don't know, I think OMFG was an appropriate acronym.

But blank space is good too.

Where's the smilie for a 'blown mind'?

[Tansy_Gold]

20. .

:nuke: ?

Watched this covered on tv (CBC via NWI) and hubby and I just sat there saying over and over, "BEGIN????? They're going to BEGIN???????????????????????????????" followed by numerous OMFGs.


The blank space was for wondering what the hell kind of response one makes to an announcement like this. There's nothing "civilized" to say, and everything seems to contain the f-bomb.

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME????"

"YOU MEAN YOU HAVEN'T BEEN FUCKING CHECKING THEM ALREADY? HOW FUCKING MANY HAVE YOU LET IN IN THE PAST THREE YEARS?"

Again, words just fucking fail me.

[DeadManInc]

16. U.S. Begins Tighter Flight School Checks

Glad to see he is looking out for homeland security. It only took 3 years LMAO!! What nerve of this douchebag to talk of homeland security.

[lostnfound]

18. If * got 4 more, background checks on foreigners at US bases too?

Since he's on such a tight timetable for improving security and everything.

(For those who don't know, a few of the hijackers had training at US military bases.)

[truthisfreedom]

19. so who has been training SINCE 9-11? and what will they be flying?

nice going w.

[Rose Siding]

21. Yes, they should have been doing it.

Even with this, they STILL aren't. This is fuel for this lihop-er.

snip>
TSA's security checks do not apply to foreign students already in training or enrolled in flight schools, though they are required for pilots training for another level or type of aircraft.
---------------------------------

Of course, there WAS the cost to BUSINESS to consider! :grr:

snip>
This month, Daun noticed that foreign airlines have begun moving their flight training offshore to avoid a costly wait in the United States for another background check.

Because you can see how much time and money this involves

...Other components of the new security assessments include a $130 application fee, and requirements for flight schools to give TSA photographs of students and provide their own staff with annual security awareness training.